By DAVID NAGEL
SOUTH EAST FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE
PREVIEW – ROUND 10
CRANBOURNE v PAKENHAM
TWO teams that seem to be heading in completely opposite directions at the moment, Cranbourne and Pakenham, lock horns in the South East Football Netball League (SEFNL) match-of-the-day at Casey Fields.
The Eagles, grand finalist of the last four years, are building towards full strength while injuries and question marks over their commitment to the cause has seen Steve O’Bryan’s men drop from first to fifth in the last few weeks of the season.
And don’t kill the messenger here … that question has been raised publicly as much as inside the Lions’ four walls.
The question was clear for all to hear and see, first with O’Bryan’s passionate plea to his players at quarter time last week where he, basically, asked them to be better at what they do and to stick to some simple team structures.
While an impromptu lecture from assistant-coach Michael ‘Jock’ Holland, inside the centre circle after the game, was the catalyst for some real home truths to be expressed.
These were public signs that the Lions are not happy with their footy at the moment and, as we all know, when things are not going your way in this great game, the rock has a tendency to keep on rolling.
Injuries are stifling the Lions at the minute.
Key players missing from last week’s clash against Beaconsfield include Anthony Young and Nathan Brown while Damien Holmes and Jake Barclay were injured on the day.
Holmes’s collarbone injury is especially significant as the hard-running left-footer would be challenging skipper Dean Blake for the clubs best and fairest award.
But there’s still enough talent there for the Lions to succeed in this week’s contest.
Blake has been sensational for his side this year while Jake Smith, Daniel Fry and O’Bryan, when he plays forward, are all capable of hitting the scoreboard heavily on their day.
And don’t use injuries as an excuse in front of Cranbourne coach Simon Goosey; he’s likely to laugh back in your face after leading his side to a 6-2 start to the season despite an extensive list on the sidelines.
Quality players such as Ryan Davey, Stu Morrish, Ryan Jones and Glenn Osborne have had to work their way back through the twos while Michael Boland and Curtis Barker are taking that exact journey as we speak.
Can you imagine that happening at Cranbourne in recent seasons?
The club’s reputation of having the tail wag the dog is gone … Goosey the clear man in charge in 2015!
These two sides have had some great battles in recent times, sharing single-digit victories last year, before the Lions got home by 16 points on their home deck just five rounds ago.
Goosey admits his side learnt a lot that day when the Lions opened up a 40-point lead at the main break before the Eagles worked their way back into the contest.
He also recognises that this week’s game against the Lions, then a trip to arch-rival Narre Warren, is a pivotal fortnight in his sides’ season.
“They’re all important aren’t they, and our focus is solely on Pakenham right now, but the next two weeks could give us a buffer if they go our way,” Goosey said.
“We gave Pakenham a pretty fair head start last time and we’ll be focussed on making sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Expect Cranbourne’s midfielders, like Max Gearon, Mat Fletcher, Ryan Davey and Luke Bee-Hugo, to give the Eagles the edge … and they’ll get home by 23 points.
BERWICK v ROC
BERWICK’s battle with itself will be just as intriguing to watch as its game against ROC when the Wickers welcome the Kangaroos to Edwin Flack Reserve on Saturday.
The Wickers seem to have this internal battle each season, where their elite footy skills seem to lose out in a contest with what’s above the shoulders.
If you’re looking for an example, just turn the clock back 12 months.
The Wickers, flying at 7-1, better than this season’s record of 6-2, lose by a point to Doveton; momentum out the window, a five-game losing streak and another promising challenge at the title is done and dusted!
That’s how quickly it can happen at Edwin Flack … but the Wickers appear to be a different kettle of fish this time around.
No longer is there a reliance on just one or two, with Madi Andrews and Luke Sheppard finally getting the support that their fine recent seasons deserve.
Michael Harold is back to full fitness; Ash Smith, Ben Kearns, Michael Riseley and Michael Johnson have added some real quality, while Tim Gunn is finally starting to develop into the player that we all thought he could be.
Throw in a talented band of youngsters and … dare we say it … the Wickers are a realistic chance at gaining their first double-chance since 2011 – their one and only in the past 10 years.
And what do we make of ROC?
Well, on face value, last week’s 55-point loss to Narre Warren was a major step forward.
Please … let us explain! It was a vast improvement on the Kangaroos’ two previous meetings against the Magpies who smashed them by 106 and 128 last year.
But, when you delve a little deeper, this one was probably more disappointing in some ways.
Expectations are higher than they have been in recent seasons so for the Kangaroos to have their game style picked apart to the point where they couldn’t score in the first 50 minutes of football, that’s a huge slap in the face in anyone’s language.
Coach Brad Jones will take that personally, he’s too smart to be fooled by a competitive second half that only glossed over some cracks.
Young skipper James Canty will need to lead by example while Adam Marchant, Travis Woodfield and Tommy Marks are going to have to deliver more than they have at any time this season.
It still won’t be enough; the Wickers will get home by 40-plus.
TOORADIN v DOVETON
TOORADIN has the ultimate point to prove when it welcomes Doveton to Westernport Oval for what looks to be the most competitive match of round 10 on Saturday.
A point … yep, that’s right, that’s the margin that the Seagulls fell short by when they took on the Doves at Robinson Oval in round one.
The Seagulls had control of that game, one that proved to be a fork in the road for both sides, who then took off in opposite directions.
The Doves used that victory to launch a 5-1 start to the season, while the Seagulls had to wait until last week – round 9 – to chalk their first win on the board.
The round one loss still agitates Tooradin coach Lachie Gillespie somewhat.
“It was very disappointing but we learnt a lesson that day and that is that when you get on top you need to keep the foot down,” Gillespie said.
“We’ve played some good footy at times this year and there’s a positive feel around the place right now, we’re ready to have a free swing at them on the weekend.”
Tooradin’s chances of revenge have improved somewhat after last week’s round of footy.
Doveton’s champion ruckman Russell Gabriel is likely to miss with a broken hand while Jarrad Boumann still has one week to serve of a two-game suspension.
The Seagulls are also excited about starting a dream run where they play six of their last eight games at home.
“It’s been a tough first half of the season but now we get to settle in for the second half of the year,” Gillespie said.
“Playing at home is not going to do it for us, but it’s a unique oval and it suits our style of footy.
“We’re excited about the remainder of the season.”
To win, Tooradin needs to limit the impact of midfielders Sam Raru and Michael Henry and work out a way to take Doveton centre-half-back Jake Dermott away from the contest.
Dermott reads the play beautifully and looms as the Seagulls’ major stumbling block on the weekend.
This one just has that sniff about it; the Seagulls are on a high, in front of their home crowd, while the Doves are coming off a three-game losing streak.
Bugger it … its Matt Wade, Adam Galea and Michael Hobbs to lead the Seagulls to an upset three point victory.
BEACONSFIELD v HAMPTON PARK
BEACONSFIELD’S biggest challenge will be to retain its hard-fought for momentum when it welcomes cellar-dwellers Hampton Park to Holm Park Reserve on Saturday.
Only time will tell but the Eagles appeared to be back to their best against Pakenham last week, although that form might not stack up against the genuine premiership contenders.
There were still periods of play where the Eagles were outplayed but overall coach Clint Evans was impressed with his side’s pressure and intensity.
And it doesn’t really matter what we all think, the Eagles believe they’re back to their best … and that’s the most important thing!
The impressive thing about Beacy this year is how they’ve regenerated the youth at the bottom of its list.
Last year it was players like Brandon White and Thomas Jok that sparked the premiership run and the Eagles are well-equipped in this area again.
Young Bailey Morrish didn’t miss a beat in his first senior outing against the Lions last week, while Jordan Stewart and Lachlan Modica have shown they can play really important roles for their side.
The biggest question mark still hanging over Beaconsfield is its depth. The club has used just 29 players this season, the least of any side in the competition, so it will just be interesting to see how that unfolds.
But for now it’s all about the mental challenge of keeping that pressure and intensity up, winning by a big margin and maybe leap-frogging a team or two on the ladder.
Despite the efforts of Nathan Allen, Billy Thomas and Blake Rout, it’s the Eagles by plenty.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORDS SINCE 2005
Team Wins Draws Wins Team
Cranbourne 9 0 9 Pakenham
Berwick 13 0 4 ROC
Tooradin 2 0 18 Doveton
Beaconsfield 11 0 5 Hampton Park
