NOW FOR THE REAL THING
By Louie Bulzomi
While pre-season training and practice matches are essential for removing off-season rust, when it comes to getting truly footy-focused, nothing beats the season proper. Today marks Round 1 of the 2012 Setts Bar & Function Centre Millewa Football League premiership season, which is promising to be quite a ‘treat’ one week removed from Easter.
It’s fitting that 2011 Grand Finalists Bambill and Werrimull square off first up at Mildura Senior College. It’s more fitting that the Saints will unfurl their 23rd premiership flag. However, the Magpies will want to spoil any additional celebrations and erase the bitter memories of 4 losses to Bambill in 2011 by a 102-point average! The additions of Mark Duscher (ex-Sea Lake Nandaly), Jason Beard (ex-Red Cliffs) and Meringur’s Nick Hards and Daniel Smith to support the core of Ryan Tierney, Brad Duscher, Paul Jenkins, Aaron Milner and Graham Mentiplay give the Magpies plenty of extra firepower. But the Saints still look the stronger outfit with twin towers David Hall and Leigh McIntyre up forward, Ryan McClelland spearheading the ruck, and a stern midfield led by Coach Robert Morgan, who takes over the reins from Jarratt Farley.
The other 2011 finalists, Euston and Gol Gol, will contest for the pride of NSW, the Tapaulin Cup, at Euston. The Hawks have won the last 2 Cups, but the Bombers appear likely to reverse those results (and also the 1st Semi-Final defeat last year). Euston’s key focus over summer has been to sharpen up their ball skills and endurance, which suggests that the engine room of evergreen Phil Connell, Joseph Denaro, Josh Healy, Daniel Rogers and Peter Marciano will be even harder to contend with. Anthony McMahon, Tom Healy and Zane Hammett will breathe more easily with no Jason Bell (who has gone to Wentworth) in the Hawks’ forward line, while Ian Mennie appears hungry for a goal feast. Despite regaining Tansley Hill (ex-Robinvale) and adding Nicholas Rodi (ex-South Mildura) and Tim Vandenberg to assist Shaun McInerney, Darren Brown and Dion Collins, the Hawks may just fall short while overcoming the loss of Bell.
Nangiloc and Cardross will aim for an early leg-up in the race to re-join the finals when they do battle at Nangiloc. The Demons will want to prove that their brutal pre-season was worth every drop of blood and sweat by showcasing a bigger-bodied outfit, while the Lions will hope that a return to training at their true home ground for the first time since December 2010 will enhance their prospects. Benjamin Crosbie (ex-Imperials), Tristan Stephens (ex-Red Cliffs) and Meringur’s Aaron Finch inject extra muscle to alleviate the workloads of Cameron Peters and Luke Stone, while Reece Hall, Shaun Cummins (both ex-Gol Gol), Jake and Ethan Zoch and Guy Mottershead will do likewise for Brady Dalla Santa, Ben Ransome and Jayden Boehm. In what should be a tight tussle, Nangiloc may benefit from the home ground advantage (as they did last time these two sides met).
Last Modified on 14/04/2012 09:03