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All eyes this week will be on the clash between Yarram and Rosedale when second plays third in NGFNL action. Both sides have been in great form of late and keen to get a win which wold virtually cement them a top three spot. The only other game that has finals ramifications for both participants has Traralgon Tyers United welcoming Cowwarr to town. This is last roll of the dice stuff for The Warr. Their finals hopes may be slim but The Saints have proven already this year they can mix it with the best sides in the competition. A win for the home side however would keep them well and truly in the mix for the double chance, especially if Rosedale were to go down in their clash with Yarram.
Scott BerechreeCHURCHILL v WOODSIDE
Where is it being played?: Gaskin Park, Churchill
What time is the seniors game scheduled to start?: 2:00pm
Selected sides:
MATCH PREVIEW
Churchill is expected to have little trouble in gaining the win over the traveling Woodside. Churchill overcame a fired up Heyfield last week and did so minus their bookends with Lucas Towns and Brendan Holt both missing the match. An in game injury to Ben Skinner also inhibited the Cougar’s flexibility in the come from behind win. Woodside conversely led nearly all day in their clash with TTU only to be over run late. Lack of depth has hurt the Wildcats all year and whilst they might hope to be in the match early with Churchill it is hard to foresee the second bottom side going four quarters with the team that’s tops the ladder.
Scott BerechreeGORMANDALE v HEYFIELD
Where is it being played?: Gormandale Rec Reserve
What time is the seniors game scheduled to start?: 2:00pm
Selected sides:
MATCH PREVIEW
Coming off their highest score of the season Gormy take on a Heyfield line up likely to be smarting after throwing away a winning chance against Churchill last week. Heyfield kicked seven goals to three in the second and third terms in that match to turn a 23 point quarter time deficit into an eight point lead at the final change. Inaccuracy cost the Roos in the final term managing just six behinds from their six final term scoring shots.
The upside for the Heyfield forwards is that they should get plenty of goal kicking practice this week. With Yarram favourites to roll Rosedale the door remains ajar for the Roos to grab a top three spot come seasons end. Given that any leap into the top three will likely be reliant on percentage the goal umpires could well be in for a busy day in the Heyfield front half this week. Heyfield coach Rick Galea for one will be hoping they are using both flags more often than not.
Scott BerechreeSALE CITY v GLENGARRY
Where is it being played?: Stephenson’s Park, Sale
What time is the seniors game scheduled to start?: 2:00pm
Selected sides:
MATCH PREVIEW
Since their 160 point belting of Gormandale back in round five Sale City have won just the one game. Due to their early season form though the Dogs currently sit just a game outside the top five. Their opponent this week, Glengarry, have fared little better since the same point in time having chalked up two wins. They, however, currently languish in 8th spot on the ladder with just three wins for the season. Whilst Glen are coming off a victory they did concede the highest score Gormy has kicked all season in getting the points last week.
City should be getting the win easily here. And with Gormy to come the week after it could well be that this is the week the perennial finalists start their run for a spot in the top five a run in the back half of the year. The signing of Matt Ferguson just before clearances shut down is also significant as it is unlikely a player of his calibre is coming back to a club planning on just making up the numbers.
Scott BerechreeTRARALGON-TYERS UNITED v COWWARR
Where is it being played?: Tyers Rec Reserve
What time is the seniors game scheduled to start?: 2:00pm
Selected sides:
MATCH PREVIEW
Traralgon Tyers United took the full 100 minutes to overcome a spirited Woodside last week. After trailing much of the day TTU banged home five last quarter majors to get the win. This week they meet a desperate Cowwarr who will throw everything they have at the Bombers in an attempt to keep their season alive. With regular contributors Shane Morgan, Nick Wozniak and Dale Murphy kept to just two goals between them last week it was left to the enigmatic Jimmy Chalmers to lead the way with a pair of goals for the Saints. Chalmers certainly won’t be slipping under Tyers coach Michael Duncan’s radar and can expect to have a harder time of things this Saturday than he did last week.
Tyers too have had their issues in front of goal this year at times. The Bomber forward line has been somewhat of a merry go round in season 2019 with injury, absence and opportunity meaning they have rarely had the same set up two weeks in a row. The recent return of the coach to the playing ranks will change this with him kicking three last week and likely to hold down a key forward post from now until seasons end. The upside of the mix and match in the TTU front half is that any of Kilgower, Albanese, Willaton, Aitken or Nielson is proven to be capable of kicking a bag. The upshot of this is that Cowwarr coach Jeremy Jones and his defensive unit will have their hands full this week.
Jones will know that any side capable of taking the points home with them after a visit to Yarram, as his side did earlier this year, is a chance in any game they play if they play their best footy. Fourth plays seventh in mid-July may not have a finals type feel to it as a general rule but that’s exactly what this game is, for Cowwarr at least.
Scott BerechreeYARRAM V ROSEDALE
Where is it being played?: Yarram Rec Reserve
What time is the seniors game scheduled to start?: 2:00pm
Selected sides:
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Live on Gippsland FM 104.7 FM from 2pm. Live stream via https://tunein.com/radio/Gippsland-FM-1047-s8842/
MATCH PREVIEW
Yarram last week took care of the only team they hadn’t defeated in season 2019 when the Demons rolled into- and trough- Cowwarr. Yarram not only left with the four points but also made a statement on the back of their 80 point win. The game was effectively over at half time as Yarram had already kicked nearly twice what their opponent would go on to score for the entire match. This week’s opponents Rosedale also had their game parcelled up well before the final siren as The Blues continued Sale City’s run of losses.
Rosedale coach Sam Bristow heaped praise on the Yarram list suggesting they had enviable depth that ran all the way through to their thirds side. He was particularly wary of an in-form Lukas Jenkins who Bristow noted had kicked 11 majors across his last two outings alone. The Rosedale coach felt both Griffin Underwood and Chris Bruns were key to Yarram’s recent run of good form.
He went on to say however that Rosedale couldn’t afford to focus on just stopping those two players as the Demons had “the premier midfield in the comp and someone else would bob up and fill the void” if this pair had a rare quiet day. In terms of his own side Bristow was hoping to have both Jake Suter and Sam Tudor available for selection this week in what looms as a huge opportunity for The ‘Dales to send a message to the rest of the NGFNL that this season’s premiership battle is far from a two horse race.
Bristow’s opposite number Matt Scholz was well aware of the fact a win here would see his side keep the race for top spot open and also give his side a bit of breathing space between the chasing pack. His chances will be improved with Scholz hinting that anywhere up to eight names could be added to the list of available players ahead of Thursday night’s selection meeting.
With Rosedale having the like of Brandon McDonald and Frazar Brouns in their front defensive match ups will be crucial. Scholz said that as a group he’s back six had been playing really well and that crucially they were also “winning their one on ones” noting he’d “back them in to do that again this weekend.” With an eye on the weather forecast Scholz suggested he felt the game may well be “a scrap and a game were gaining meterage was important.”
With two of the competitions best midfields going head to head and both sides boasting forward set ups capable of kicking a big score this promises to be one heck of a contest.
Scott BerechreeShared by Gippsland Footy admin. Any factual errors or copyright breaches in this post are unintentional and should be brought to the attention of Gippsland Footy. Any factual errors in any shared links should be brought to the attention of the original poster.
All match previews written by Scott Berechree. Edited versions may appear in the Latrobe Valley Express.