By Hayley Wildes
ELLINBANK AND DISTRICT FOOTBALL LEAGUE
MID-SEASON REVIEW
As we head into Round 9, the Ellinbank and District Football League is almost at the halfway point of the season and there are teams who are setting themselves a part, while others are fighting it out in the middle of the pack.
Undoubtedly, the feel-good story thus far has been Nyora. Undefeated after eight games, the Saints boast a strong midfield core and the dominant forward duo of Ben Schultz and Ilan Osman is averaging six goals per game.
The Warragul Industrials continue to build as they hope to go one better than last year’s runner-up finish. The likes of Tyson Bale, Shane Brewster, Tye Holland, and Joel Morgan have been consistent performers for the Dusties, who sit second with a 6-2 record.
After finishing sixth last season, Longwarry’s off-season recruiting is paying dividends as they currently sit third with a 6-2 record.
Nick Redley (Officer) and Russ Lehman (Pakenham) joined the Crows this season and have been standouts. Redley’s dominance in the ruck is giving his midfielders first use and forwards Daniel Fry, Braydon McHugh and Cory Lenders are enjoying the slick ball movement and scoring heavily.
Just one win separates fourth to sixth as Catani (5-3), Ellinbank (5-3) and Poowong (4-4) find themselves battling it out for the final two spots in the finals.
Catani and Ellinbank have been inconsistent as they’ve struggled to string wins together and Round 9 will tell us a lot about what these two teams are made of.
Meanwhile, Poowong’s start to the season didn’t yield any wins, but the Pies were performing strongly against top sides. To their credit, after losing their opening four games, they’ve turned things around and are riding a four-game winning streak.
Nilma Darnum (3-5) and Buln Buln (2-6) are battling hard, but wins have been hard to come by. The Bombers’ highlight of the season came in Round 1 when they disposed of the Crows.
Lang Lang (1-7) and Neerim Neerim South (0-8) will be playing for pride in the second half of the season. The two meet in Round 11 – a match that both teams will be heading into with confidence.
With EDFL action returning this weekend, there are some tantalising match-ups to keep an eye on.
The game of the round will be played at Western Park with the Dusties hosting Catani.
The Blues have been inconsistent thus far, but a 2017 grand final rematch provides them with the perfect opportunity to send a message that they’re still a force to be reckoned with.
For the Dusties, it’s a chance for them to extract a small piece of revenge on the side that beat them by a single point in the 2017 decider.
Longwarry hosts Ellinbank in an important game for both teams. After a Round 1 defeat, the Crows have won seven of eight games since and another win would further strengthen their hopes of a top-two finish.
The Bankers, on the other hand, can take a big scalp and bounce back after a loss to Nyora in Round 8.
