As well as his in-depth Round 4 preview, watch as the great Chris Yeend catches up with Woodend-Hesket president Stuart Braddy to chat about Brendan Fevola’s appearance at the Gilbert Gordon Oval this Sunday!
Round three featured the biggest upset in recent seasons when the Anzac spirit was alive and well in the hearts of the Rockbank stars as they upstaged the Sunbury Kangaroos at the Ian Cowie Reserve, a venue that is notorious for massive upsets in recent seasons. Romsey held off Wallan, Macedon overcame Kilmore, Diggers Rest brushed off Lancefield, Riddell came from behind to pip Rupertswood and Melton Centrals were too good or Broadford. This is Umpire’s Appreciation Round and make sure that all footy and netball fans respect and admire what the umpires do today and every week, without them, there is no game.
WALLAN v LANCEFIELD
This shapes up as being one of the more interesting matches on paper. The Pies are fresh off a 76 point loss to Romsey on Anzac Day while the Tigers come off a big 99 point loss to Diggers Rest at home last Saturday.
The Pies were promising in parts against Romsey. They were strong during the opening 40 minutes of play without converting on the scoreboard. This came back to bite them as Romsey took the game away from them in the second half of the second term en route to a big win. Sam Rexhepi showed positive signs up forward with two goals while Wannouch and Cali were handy uses of the ball. Brad Kite was impressive in the ruck and proved that he is capable of mixing it with the best after keeping Anthony Trigg quiet.
The Tigers battled strong against the Burras and like the Pies, were right in the contest in the first term. They led on a number of occasions before the Burras eventually kicked away. Dan Rebbechi showed strong glimpses of brilliance in his limited time on the ground while Scott Swindells and att Swindells were strong at both ends of the ground.
This has all the makings of a very tough match. The Pies turned the ball over frequently in their previous two losses to Riddell and Romsey while Lancefield simply couldn't get the Sherrin last week. The Tigers have the important win on the board to edge themselves to favouritism in this contest with the aid of some experience in the form of Fonua and Conway. The match up between Kite and Woolcock in the ruck will draw plenty of interest as both are standout players for their respective sides. Marc and McMillan will toil hard for Wallan but expect the brothers in the form of the Burkett's and Swindell's to give Lancefield the control to edge ahead and win the game.
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DIGGERS REST v MELTON CENTRALS
Both teams come into this game on the back of impressive wins. Broadford are not a hard team to beat by any stretch of the imagination and the effort from the Centrals to shut them down for four quarters is a testament to their fight and confidence. They were able to do this without Fenton in the forward line while Aquilina had all the answers in a strong four goal performance. Bulleen was at his brilliant best in the midfield and Richardson proved just how much class he has in the competition.
Diggers Rest took to the game against Lancefield as if it were a Grand final, fittingly because it was at that very venue where they suffered the Grand final loss. After a tight first term, their game plan kicked in and they simply powered away to record an impressive 99 point victory. Their three man forward line with Tuckey, Breen and Smailes will scare many teams this year. The trio kicked 17 goals between them and could have been worse if not for a Tuckey injury in the third term. Pat Jackson was arguably the best midfielder on the ground and probably won't get the respect that he deserves from the opposition.
Diggers Rest have set up their season. They know that they can play the game plan that they need to under new coach Shaun Sims and execute it well. On the other side of the fence, Brian Wheelahan is a mastermind for the Centrals and many would think back to the battles that these two great coaches would have had on each other in seasons gone by. Wheelahan has the coaching experience to make his team more competitive while Sims has the leadership. The Burras should get the job done here but one feels that it could be the battle of the masterminds in the coaching department that will determine the fate of this game.
SUNBURY KANGAROOS v KILMORE
The Kangaroos are fresh off one of the biggest upsets in the last decade when the Rams pipped them by 20 points on Anzac Day. This by no means discredits the performance of the Rams who outplayed the Roos after the 10 minute mark of the first term. The loss sparks great fear for the Blues because like Diggers who were hurt by their round two loss to Romsey, and came out and gave Lancefield a nice football lesson, Kilmore could face the same sort of Kangaroos outfit who were hurt last week. Dan Gregory was strong all day from the backline while Mitch Trimboli proved that he has made a successful transition from Under 18.5s to Senior football. Baker kicked three goals but it just wasn't enough.
Kilmore took on a determined Macedon team that was eager to return to the winners list after a thumping loss to the Sunbury Kangaroos in round two. Cody Phillips was a stand-out in the eventual 50 point loss while Simon Crump still managed to find the big sticks on two occasions. It was a testing performance from the boys in blue who struggled from the opening bounce when they failed to kick a score in the opening term. The margin grew from 20 points at quarter time and reduced marginally in the final term when the game was in the bag.
The Kangaroos will flex their muscles here and Bake will kick a big bag of goals. Expect them to come out with all guns blazing and return to the winners list in style. But saying that, football is a funny game and Kilmore are a similar side to Rockbank on paper, so an upset isn't entirely off the cards. Crump will enjoy the battle against Gregory in one of the big highlights of the day. If Crump can kick three or four at least, then he has taken the win in the match up.
BROADFORD v RUPERTSWOOD
Broadford's inaccuracy in front goals goals cost them dearly in the loss to the Centrals last week. They trailed by 23 points at half time and were only able to kick one goal from eight chances to see the lead increase by a point at the final change. They had their chances and unfortunately the pressure from the opposition backmen was just a tad too much. Svarc again starred in the ruck while Viani was clever around the ball. Steve Boyall continues to showcase his terrific running skills but it wasn't enough.
These two teams did have one thing in common, inaccuracy costing them big games. The Sharks couldn't buy a goal from six scoring shots in the second term against Riddell and could have quite easily put them away at half time. The result was a one point loss in a pressure filled game. Dave Morrice was a stand-out in the midfield and John Corso continued to improve each week.
Questions will be asked by the Roos if they cannot get the valuable four points on the day. It's unsure at this stage if Barry Hall will play his opening game for the season at the club this year, but if he does play, he'll make a big difference. However, Rupertswood have a talented midfield to combat the forward thrusts of the Roos. Adam Svarc is the best big man in this game and will give the Roos first use of the ball but don't discount Rupertswood's abilities to win the centre clearances and take the game away from the Roos early, with or without Barry Hall.
WOODEND/HESKET v ROMSEY
This is the biggest match of the season to date as all roads point to the Gilbert Gordon Oval for Sunday afternoon football. The Hawks welcome Brendan Fevola for a one-off hit-out against the Redbacks in a match that could draw a bigger crowd than the Grand final.
With proceeds going to the Nick's Wish Foundation, this will be an exciting game. A battle of the two 25's will be on the cards with the in-form Matt Davidson at one end and Brendan Fevola at the other.
The Redbacks were in fine form in the win over Wallan last Friday night. After a sluggish opening term, they kicked away to a convincing 76 point win with Davidson kicking nine goals from 15 scoring shots in a great best on ground display. Cam Streeter was simply brilliant across half back and Chris Petroro used the ball well with his typical great dash.
Woodend/Hesket head into this clash on the back of a win over Kilmore prior to the bye. Taylor Kelly was strong on half forward with three goals while Jimmy Hepburn used the ball well. There is a bit of confidence for the team heading into this game.
On paper, Romsey will still be favoured to win. They have a strong forward line and great midfield. The fact that their midfield is one of the best in the competition will make it hard for Fevola to gain access inside the forward 50 arc. Miracles can happen though and if the man of the moment can get the better of Angus Storey one seven or eight occasions with accurate kicking, this result could favour the Hawks. Either way, this will be a great day for football and memorable for all that get along on the day.
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Last Modified on 02/05/2014 17:56