WOODEND-HESKET v ROCKBANK
The Hawks and the Rams battle it out in a promising clash at the Gilbert Gordon Oval. Expect a match filled with great tackling, high pressure and good running as both teams work towards climbing the RDFNL Senior ladder.
The Hawks head into this game after a disappointing but hard fought loss to the Sharks last week. The Hawks failed to kick a goal until the final term where the ultimately won the last term convincingly. The margin blew out in the third term but there was a lot to like about their endeavour in the first half, holding their opponents to just six goals. Jessie Sheppard and Josh Eastley were natural stand-outs in the team while James Hepburn performed well as he continues to improve in the midfield, a position that has seen him gain the attention of the Senior football world. There was a lot to learn from that game.
The Rams almost kicked themselves out of the game in the final term against the rampaging Pies. They kicked 1.10 in the final term in the 10 point win after working had to take on all the challenges that Wallan threw at them throughout the game. Dave Innella was a spark up forward with four goals as the talented veteran looks to make his mark as a promising forward. Jake Armistead was at his usual best wile Baumgartner was strong on the back of an impressive Interleague performance.
The Rams will be highly favoured to win this contest and press for a position in the top six. The Hawks showed some great spirit and courage in the loss to the Sharks but time will tell on how much they would have learned from that defeat in a quick turn-around. The run of the young Hawks will test the Rams but it could be a simple case of deja vu from their round eight meeting from last year where the stronger bodied Rams ran away to victory. If the Hawks can still remain in the contest at three quarter time, we will have a very entertaining final term. It won't be pretty football but it will be well worth watching.
Tune in to 100.7 Highlands FM or 88.1 FM at the ground from 1.30pm.
KILMORE v MELTON CENTRALS
The Blues would have fancied themselves against the Centrals if the game was played last week. The Centrals have been battered by the lack of confidence in recent weeks and their win over Macedon has tipped the scale heavily in their favour to take the four points in this clash. Kilmore were strong in the loss to Lancefield with plenty of positives to come out of the game.
Kilmore were never really out of the contest for most of the day against the Tigers. Alex Desmond was a key shining light for the full four quarters while Sheldon, Marrett and Tilley were great forward targets. They were never down by more than four goals but could not manage a string of goals to get the margin under a kick to help with the momentum to hit the front.
The Centrals are riding high after an impressive win over Macedon. This was a game changing clash for both sides and hats off to the Centrals, they did all the right things to fight off the Cats resurgence and remain three points ahead at the final siren. Andrew Lorimer was a stand-out in the ruck while Adam Hunter was nothing short of impressive. Fenton kicked three goals up forward while midfielders Richardson and Kellett were difficult to stop.
The Centrals have a big opportunity to take a big step towards the top six with a big win here but the Blues will have other ideas. They gained much needed confidence from last week's loss to Lancefield and the home crowd should work hard to rally behind the home side and encourage their team to their opening win of the season. This is a winnable game for the Blues but will need every ounce of their experience to step up. Simon Crump never has two bad weeks in a row and will be desperate to kick a haul. The Centrals should get the job done here.
Tune in to 98.3 OKR FM or 88.1 at the ground from 1:30pm.
ROMSEY v SUNBURY KANGAROOS
The Redbacks are fresh off a two week break and two wins by more than 25 goals. They head into this game looking for their biggest challenge of the season and they will be ready for it. The Kangaroos head into this clash after a sparkling 111 point win over their kangaroo counterparts Broadford.
This highly anticipated clash will draw plenty of attention from the football public. The Roos enjoyed a great win at home last Saturday. They were tested in the first half, leading by just 29 points after Broadford pushed them. They kicked bags of five and seven in the second half to record a big win and restrict Broadford goalless after half time. Phil Kaufmann sparked to life with five goals while Jamerson Campbell finished with four. Anthony Leonard played one of his best games at Senior level.
This match has all the makings of being a classic. The Roos last strong opponent had them slip at the hands of the Bombers in stunning fashion while the Redbacks haven't properly been tested since round two against Diggers Rest. After what we saw last week between Riddell and Diggers Rest, this particular match can go either way. Both sides have great running players and strong forward lines. It will be a question as to whether the Kangaroos can get their hands on the ball more than the Redbacks because both sides use the ball very efficiently. Romsey are one of the teams to beat this year and it could come down to a battle of the forward lines, one where a fully fit Romsey side have one of, if not, the best in the competition.
MACEDON v RUPERTSWOOD
The Cats are struggling after another close loss last week, this time at the hands of the Centrals. It was the game that they needed to win and the loss unfortunately puts them in a bad place as the season progresses. Ruperstwood are flying high after a great win over Woodend/Hesket at home with Leigh Brenann continuing his fine form with another big bag of six goals.
The alarm bells are ringing at the Cats. With wins over Woodend/Hesket and Kilmore, the Cats confidence is a concern. Again, they have a strong list on the field, it's just the need of winning just one game to give them the confidence of playing successful football. Wright kicked five goals in a best on ground display last week while Nick Arnold showed his class up forward. The team is a shell of it's former self, especially with reigning Bowen medalist Darren Goodwin yet to take the field all year with injury and former coach Al Meldrum also absent through injury.
The Sharks had plenty to smile about last Saturday. The midfield was switched on and the forwards were confident in backing themselves to kick a good winning score. The Hwks held them back in the first half but their backline was sublime, holding the Hawks goalless for three terms. Damien Cerini was in fine touch and it was only a matter of time before he made his mark at Senior level after a successful Under 18.5s season last year.
The Sharks will win this and win it comfortably. The Cats could produce a remarkable upset and steal the game against all the odds but their confidence is frustratingly so far down, that it appears a tough ask. Rupertswood have winners on every level and for the Cats to pose any threat, stars such as Ash Fleming and Josh Clough must stand up, dig deep and spark the team to life.
DIGGERS REST v BROADFORD
This explosive Sunday afternoon clash has taken a different turn in the last week. The Burras completely outclassed the Bombers in the Grand final replay while the Roos were completely outclassed by the Sunbury Kangaroos. This match, featuring Barry Hall has all the makings of being a hard day at the office for the Roos and a big day for the Burras.
What can we say about the Burras? They were simply awesome and outclassed the Bombers on their home turf last week. For the sake of a more balanced competition, this was the win that we needed to see this year. The win well and truly puts Diggers Rest in the mix this year. Craig Harvey was by far the star of the day across all four quarters in the midfield. He shut down a lot of the run that we traditionally see from the Bombers while Lenny Clarke stole the show at both ends of the ground, in the forward line and in the ruck. He and Matt Krul dominated Carriss and Bruno in the ruck in an inspiring performance. James Breen is a forward for the future and a fitting substitute for the injured Brent Tuckey.
The Roos were competitive in the first half last week before slipping away after half time. There was a lot to like about their endeavour and spirit to shut down Sunbury's leading runners. Unfortunately they had a second half to forget. Smith, Boyall and Duggan were the usual stand-outs while Svarc was well held in the ruck.
The Burras are full of confidence and even without Tuckey up forward, this has all the makings of being an exciting spectacle. Prior to last week, this game had all the makings of being a relatively close affair but round seven had both teams take giant leaps in opposite direction. Michael Kilty could have the big job on big bad bustling Barry Hall who in turn should kick six or seven goals and give the Broadford side something to cheer about. Diggers Rest will have too much class.
Catch this game live on 100.7 Highlands FM and 88.1FM at the ground.
Last Modified on 06/06/2014 17:40