By DAVID NAGEL
CASEY CARDINIA FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE
SEASON IN REVIEW
NARRE Warren is still the raging-hot favourite to take out its version of the triple-crown, but just where do the others sit as all teams in the Casey Cardinia Football League share a break over the coming fortnight?
A split-round 12 provides the perfect opportunity to take a glance in the rear-vision mirror, but more importantly it provides a chance to give a little flick of the fingers, put the high-beam on, and put the spotlight on what’s sure to be a fascinating end to the season.
Pakenham and ROC have been the two sides that have exceeded expectations to date, the Lions, who sit third, have bragging rights over every team in the competition, except for the Magpies, while the Kangas are emerging from the pack.
The Lions have spirit, but they also have improvement with key players like Sam Blackwood, Ben Keane, Jason Fisher and Sean Winsall all sitting on the sidelines. The Lions have 10 players, second only to Narre Warren on 11, who have played every game this season and that stability is showing in their results.
ROC had 13 players on that list after Round 9, but at the moment is having its depth tested with injuries and lengthy holidays talking their toll. Exciting players like James Canty, Brad Thompson and Travis Woodfield are missing at the moment and their return will be crucial if the Kangaroos are to pull a surprise or two, and grab a finals berth in the last seven weeks of the season.
The Kangaroos have still used the fewest amount of players for the season, 32, so can hardly complain about their luck.
The most vulnerable of the finals incumbents at the moment appears to be Beaconsfield, who has clearly been the most disappointing side if we’re measuring against expectation.
The recruitment of Tyson Mitchem and Brent Heus was expected to push last year’s beaten preliminary finalists into a different stratosphere, it has, but not in the direction it intended. Mitchem is working into his season nicely right now while Heus just needs a big game to regain the confidence that saw him kick 100-goals for Bunyip last year.
Over at Berwick, it looks a different side to the one that took the competition by storm in its early weeks. The ‘get the ball and share it’ mentality, has changed in recent times, and it needs to return if the great season of its skipper Madi Andrews is to be truly rewarded.
As for Cranbourne, well, what can we expect from the Eagles, a repeat of last year’s grand final day heroics is still on the cards, but their form has fluctuated like the price of a plunge-horse at Flemington in recent times. Scott Sutherland certainly has the cattle, and has more to come, but needs them all to gel before the ninth-month ticks around.
Shannon Henwood has done a great job to keep Doveton’s faint finals’ hopes alive, while Tooradin, Keysborough and Hampton Park appear to be flat-lining to the end of the season.
Every week, from this point forward, there are season defining games that will sort out who finishes from second to 10th on the table. The one place that is secure is the Magpies. Their season, so far highlighted by the brilliant form of midfielder Col McNamara, was summed up on the weekend with a sweet-embrace between full-forward Kerem Baskaya and his right-hand man, Aaron McIver that signalled their first game together since last year’s grand final.
The Magpies real season… well it begins right now!
