Mid Gippsland FL Round 15 preview

Mirboo North used their get out of gaol card last week, when coming over the top of Yarragon in the final term.

They won’t find themselves in the same position last week, but what they will need to do is find spots for two new quality players without upsetting the mojo of a team, that has been in solid form for most of the past two months.

Former AFL players Justin Wundelich and Joel Reynolds will make their 2018 debuts for the Tigers this week, and it won’t be a moment to soon either, with a minimum of three games required to qualify for finals, there is not much room for error.

It’s a tricky scenario for coach Josh Taylor, introducing new faces so late in the season, and at the same time, insuring he has a playing group, who not only understands but embraces the duo for the benefit of the club.

Boolarra, have had some “off field” issues to contend with in recent weeks, but their on field performance remains the clubs focus, with a win looking unliklely for the second season in a row, some of the Demons hardest work and toughest decisions will take place at the end of the season.

With just a month of home and away football remaining, Trafalgar have been, and will be, looking for a series of testing confrontations before the finals start.

A game like last weeks clash with Boolarra can sometimes lull a side into a false sense of security, when your mistakes are not punished, like that would be against a side further up the table.

The Bulldogs will provide a greater challenge this week albeit more physical than skilful.

The match up, to be a stepping stone for the Bloods, in fine tuning themselves for bigger tests to follow.

Make no mistake, Newborough coach Tom Hallinan will be wanting to take the scalp of a finals contender before the seasons done, but I’m not so sure he has the personnel to do this week.

Trafalgar at home can be beaten, as Yallourn Yallourn North showed earlier in the season, but it will take four quarters of disciplined, selfless, hard running football with contributions from every single player….No passengers..

This is an absolute danger game for Thorpdale, currently appearing to sit comfortably in fifth spot and two games clear of any threat to their finals aspirations.

However as they say, “a week is a long time in football” and this week might have the Blues somewhat nervous of keeping themselves in the finals race if they cannot claim the points against an ever improving Yarragon.

The Panthers are quite confident they will not be blown away by any side, but what they now need to do is to win games, and that can be a very big hurdle to overcome.

Just last week the eighth placed Yarragon had the opportunity to win one against the odds when leading the inform Mirboo North at three quarter time, only to fall short for not the first time this season.

At home, and in good conditions, they might just do what many won’t expect, especially Thorpdale.

Yinnar have secured themselves a top three spot, and have done so with very little fanfare.

The Magpies have gone about their business, quietly and efficiently, slowly improving each week as the player talent pool to select from improves.

They are now close to having their best possible side on the park and that spells danger for all sides in the competition, whether inside the top five or not.

There could not be a bigger contrast to their opponents this week, who have been performing courageously with a team that is well short of full strength.

The Bombers are looking forward to the predicted better weather in the weeks ahead, and are hopeful that the skies remain blue for the upcoming finals.

Yallourn-Yallourn North have an abundance of speed sprinkled through their side, but it sits within some lighter framed bodies, that found the going a little tougher in the heavy conditions of recent times.

With two key forwards continuing to get their hands on the footy, Dean McDonald and Keenan Hughes just need to work on accuracy, which is likely to come as the conditions improve.

Morwell East would have got some much needed confidence from their comfortable win over Hill End last week, but this is a whole new level for the Hawks.

There are some big decisions to me made for Morwell East, and what those decisions look like, may well depend on how players perform over the next month.