By David Nagel
Cora Lynn and Warragul Industrials are about to set sail on dissimilar journeys after the Cobras made light work of the Dusties by 42 points at the Cobradome on Saturday.
Cora Lynn has now won three games on the trot, and has some serious talent starting to return as Shaun Sparks and his team face a testing fortnight with some real spring in their step.
Are the Cobras good enough to beat Phillip Island or Inverloch-Kongwak – both away?
Only the passage of time will tell, but they will go in confident that they’re playing somewhere near their best football.
The Dusties, on the other hand, have now won three of their eight encounters and face the very-real prospect of missing finals football this year.
Last year’s preliminary finalists are now one or two games behind schedule, and just can’t afford a slip-up as they take on Garfield, Kilcunda-Bass and Dalyston in the lead up to the bye.
While the Cobras face an exciting challenge…the Dusties are in survival mode!
The Cobras were strengthened significantly at the selection table last week, with Heath Briggs and Lachie Peluso returning from brief lay-offs, while gun mid-forward Cory Machaya made his long-awaited return from injury.
Machaya looked sharp in a new midfield role in the opening rounds, and his versatility is going to open up many doors for Sparks and his team moving forward.
The Cobras had this one sewn up early, leading by 20 points at the first change and extending to 29 points after a far-more-efficient 3.2 to 1.5 second term.
Both teams produced a fierce arm-wrestle in the third quarter, kicking a goal apiece, before the Cobras rubber-stamped victory with a 4.2 to 2.3 final stanza.
There were no 12-goal heroics from Nathan Gardiner this week, although Sparks will be very content with a more balanced workload.
Gardiner and Ryan Gillis kicked three each, while Nathan Gillis and Matt Ryan chipped in with two.
Billy Thomas and Jeremy Monckton continued their fine form for the Cobs, while Luke Ryan and Matt Briggs made scoring extremely difficult for the Dusties.
Sparks has no reluctance in handing Ryan the big assignments…and his player very rarely lets him down.
Despite Saturday’s disappointment…Dusties coach Harmit Singh will still hold hopes of playing finals football this year.
If the Dusties win their next three – in games they will start favourites – they could find themselves just one game behind the Cobras as we head into the bye after round 11.
Their destiny will then be back in their own hands.
Bailey beck and Kyle Staples kicked a couple each for the Dusties, while Kyle Beveridge and veteran Shane Brewster played with typical pride to the final siren.
The Dusties host Garfield, while a trip to Cowes awaits the Cobras this week.
CORA LYNN 5.2 8.4 9.9 13.11(89)
WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS 2.0 3.5 4.8 6.11(47)
Cora Lynn Goals: Nathan Gardiner 3, Ryan Gillis 3, Nathan Gillis 2, Matthew Ryan 2, Gus Da Costa, Jeremy Monckton, Jai Rout. Best: Luke Ryan, Cory Machaya, William Thomas, Ryan Gillis, Matthew Briggs, Jeremy Monckton.
Warragul Industrials Goals: Bailey Beck 2, Kyle Staples 2, Mason McGarrity, Luke Walker. Best: Kyle Beveridge, Sam Russell, Bailey Beck, Todd Beck, Shane Brewster, Benjamin Northover.
