By DAVID NAGEL
CCFL PREVIEW – ROUND 3
Tooradin v Cranbourne
THE most unique and emotional atmosphere that an Australian sporting field has to offer will inspire Tooradin and Cranbourne when the two teams run out for their Anzac Day clash at Westernport Oval on Friday.
Some 44 lucky players will stand shoulder to shoulder with their football and netball contemporaries, in honouring the spirit of the Anzacs, then lock horns in what’s sure to be a spine-tingling environment.
The start to this contest will be as powerful as the Harvard and YAK aircraft that will perform a fly-over prior to the match.
“The heart will be racing because the build-up will be very special and like a final,” Cranbourne midfielder Ryan Davey said.
“As a kid, I always went into the city and marched with my grand-dad, then watched the Collingwood and Essendon game and always wanted to be a part of it. Now, to have a game on the actual day is pretty special. The clubs have gone to a lot of trouble, with the Anzac jumpers and all that, and I can’t wait to get out there and represent the club.”
It was about this time last year that Tooradin went to Casey Fields and nearly pulled off the upset of the season against the Eagles, settling for a draw. On that occasion, a young upstart in Ryan Eaton slipped under the radar to kick six, but with his departure the Seagulls will need someone else to bob up and surprise … a win won’t come via conventional methods against the Eagles, who are shaping up well.
To go that one-step further this season, the Eagles’ bottom six needs to be strong. The recruitment of Michael Boland, Luke Bee-Hugo and Tim Smith has been significant, making the task of identifying that bottom six a more difficult task. Three or four names come immediately to mind but it then becomes almost sacrilegious to consider some high-profile names for that group.
This will be a massive test for the Seagulls because Cranbourne has some players who have a natural affinity for the big stage. Skipper Marc Holt will be keen to set the big crowd alight with a huge-haul of goals while Michael Theodoridis, Ryan Jones and Max Gearon are all regulars on the highlight reel.
In just two games, Tooradin has given clear evidence that the gap between its best and worst is still wide. When given time and space, as provided by Hampton Park in round one, the Seagulls play good footy – but they fell back into some bad old habits when the pressure was applied by Doveton in round two.
Their midfield leaders like Matt Wade, Phil Burns, Brett Scarcella, Matthew Hobbs, Jake O’Donnell and Scott Szucs have the talent to trouble the Eagles, while Cam and Josh Brown and Shaun Keenan – playing against his old club – will be keen to make an impact in a massive game for their club.
“I can’t wait for the game to be honest,” Keenan said.
“I get up for every game against Cranbourne but this one will be extra special. It’s something for the whole club to really look forward to.”
And something for lovers of Casey Cardinia football to look forward to as well. A day to pay our respects and then settle in and watch the Eagles walk away 56-point winners.
Berwick v Narre Warren
ARE we about to have a major shake-up at the pointy end of the CCFL ladder or will the status quo of the last four seasons remain?
Berwick, with its emerging presence, will provide the answers in the coming fortnight. A visit from reigning-champs Narre Warren this Saturday, followed by a trip to Cranbourne on 3 May, will give a very clear indication of the Wickers’ potential for the rest of the season.
Up until now, Rhys Nisbet’s team could hardly have been more impressive, thrashing Beaconsfield and Pakenham, but now face the ultimate test against the Magpies at Edwin Flack Reserve.
“Quite obviously they’re the testing material at the moment and it’s going to be a great indicator as to where we sit as a side,” Nisbet said, after the win over the Lions.
“There’s a history there and it’s no secret that they don’t like us and we don’t like them. It’s going to be a big game for the club.”
The Wickers were the last team to really towel-up the Magpies, by 51-points, all the way back in the qualifying final of 2011. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, but Narre coach Chris Toner still holds the Blues in high regard.
“They’re a good team at their best and its exciting and exactly what this group needs right now, we know we’re going to be challenged,” Toner said.
Berwick has taken on a Narre Warren type look in its first two games, with a wide spread in front of goals. The Wickers have had nine and 11 goal-kickers respectively in their first two games with 14 of their 39 goals coming from players who have spent significant time in the midfield.
On the flipside, Narre gets a tremendous amount of drive from half back. Nick Scanlon, Lee Boyle and Kain Baskaya are all penetrating kicks who set a high-standard in all facets of the game. Stopping that rebound must be a focus if the Wickers are to kick a winning score.
It will take a monumental team effort because one weak link will be exposed.
The Magpies are ruthless and love a challenge. Aaron Purvis, Paul Vanschilt, Jordy and Madi Andrews and Nathan Waite can expect to be hit hard while no youngster will be spared at the coal-face. The Magpies are the masters at identifying just that one half step and then going in for the kill.
They’ll do so again, shaking off a plucky Berwick outfit by 29 points.
Keysborough v Pakenham
PAKENHAM will look to kick-start its season when it takes on the tricky-challenge of defeating Keysborough at Rowley Allen Reserve.
Despite a horror-start to the season, the Lions still appear to be the side that will hold the key to fifth position. They had the measure of teams like the Burra, Doveton, ROC and Tooradin last year, but if they start losing games like this, that fifth position will become wide open to all.
The Lions have only eight players who can be relied on for consistent performances, week-in-week-out – the rest have their highs and lows which make them impossible to predict. Trying to get consistency from almost two-thirds of his side will be a massive tick for coach Steve O’Bryan to attain.
Full-forward Daniel Fry has been disappointing since his switch from Garfield, but he has had very limited supply. The Lions play the bottom five sides from last year over the coming weeks so his form should improve.
The Burra’s depth is the most fragile in the competition, the loss of Tyson King and Reece Spadaccini for the game against Cranbourne made a huge difference to their competiveness.
Tim Werner, Cory Hargreaves, Geoff Humphreys and Glen Hawthorn have provided the consistency so far while Chris Bryan and Bryce Sutton have been competitive in the ruck. Their battle with Pakenham leviathan Kym Jones will be pivotal to the end result.
This one’s real tough to pick but the end result does lie in Pakenham’s hands. If they don’t up, they get beaten … but if they do they’ll earn a hard-fought victory by 16 points.
Hampton Park v Beaconsfield
BEACONSFIELD coach Clint Evans will take nothing for granted right now so expect a fired-up Eagles’ outfit to hit the ground running against Hampton Park at Robert Booth Reserve.
To date, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for last year’s beaten preliminary finalists. A spate of injuries to key players and a tough draw have conspired to see the Eagles just one-kick away from the bottom of the table.
Things will improve, but the worry for Evans is just how uncompetitive his side has been against Narre Warren – and Berwick in particular. There’s such a big bit of ground to make up.
The Eagles should regain some confidence this week because Hampton Park, after a great first quarter against Tooradin in round one, has been terribly disappointing. Three goals in the final quarter against ROC failed to jack-up a really flat performance against the Kangaroos – a team the Redbacks beat in the final round of last season.
Beacy’s stars like Scotty Meyer, Daniel Mislicki, Kane Hughes and Troy McDermott will look to provide Brent Heus with plenty of opportunities up forward, while Tyson Mitchem and Ben Kerrigan will look to finally make a significant contribution after a slow start to the season.
In racing parlance, this week’s assignment is like a drop back to a Manangatang Maiden after running in group or listed company. The Eagles should win hard held – by a dozen lengths.
ROC v Doveton
ROC’s first legitimate test for season 2014 takes place at Starling Road on Saturday when the young Kangaroos host Doveton.
Sure, Brad Jones’ team pushed Cranbourne in round one, then did as expected and defeated Hampton Park in round two, but this is the first time they’ll go in to a real toss-of-the-coin contest, without the freedom of a free-swing or a clear edge in class.
This time they need to absorb the mental and physical challenges that come associated with a battle against the Doves, a team of similar ability, but contrasting styles.
Doveton will try to sheepdog the Kangaroos, keep them corralled in tight spaces – while the youngsters from Starling Road will have tough battle at the coal-face and will look to run and carry. Doveton has some hard-nut midfielders who just love the contested ball. Captain-coach Shannon Henwood leads the way in that department while Shaun Semmens, Mitch Viney, Aaron Henwood and Michael Laszczyk aren’t adverse to a bit of rough contact either.
ROC has some really talented youngsters who play beyond their years. Matt Rogers is a quality midfielder with a touch of class while Matt Clarke is another yet to celebrate his 21st birthday. Clarke kicked five in his last outing and looks to be back to his form from 2012, when he kicked 48 goals.
The Kangaroos biggest headache this weekend will be how to stop a rampaging Frank D’Agostino in the ruck. Big-Frankie has started the season in outstanding fashion and how Dylan Chapman fares in that contest will play a key role in the result.
This one’s sure to be tight, but ROC’s ability to break free from a contest gives them a slight edge … by a solitary point.
