GUT-CHECK TIME FOR LIONS
By Louie Bulzomi
Two wins in a row for Cardross has them back in form, leapfrogging Euston into the top four. But given those wins were over the Bombers (who don’t travel well) and Nangiloc (who haven’t won yet), they need to get over Gol Gol at Henshilwood Oval in Week 1 of Round 7 to enhance their finals prospects.
There’s no denying the Lions are a serious threat on their best day. Jake Zoch is arguably the ruckman of the year to date, Ben Ransome has shown form akin to his 2010 McDonald Medal-winning best, and the likes of Tom Wallace, Andrew Ferguson, Shaun Cummins and Jason Cox consistently win plenty of the ball. Even so, they will need to have everyone at their optimum level to be a chance.
The Hawks have catapulted to second spot after big wins over Bambill and Euston consecutively. So many of Gol Gol’s midfield runners kick goals, making them doubly dangerous – prime examples are Darren Brown, Dustin Duggan, Tony Albert and Clint Burdett. Add Sonny Lindsey’s near-guaranteed bag of goals, and it’s difficult to see them being kept to a low enough score for Cardross to beat.
Euston are the quintessential ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ side – a powerhouse at home; a minnow away. So they will be glad to be home in Week 2 when they face top side Werrimull.
In Round 2, the Bombers managed only four goals against the Magpies in a 95-point capitulation, in what was billed as the match of the round. Take Linden Duryea out, and it was only one goal. Surely history won’t repeat itself, but if Euston are to improve, they will need players like Chris Moore, Harlan Pettit, Kurt Mattschoss and Daniel Curran to become X-factors and take the burden off of their regular best. The possible returns of Anthony McMahon and Daniel Rogers will also help.
Werrimull will be like a caged animal ready to strike after waiting two weeks to atone their first loss of the season. They should regain Ryan Tierney, who has missed two of the past three games. His backline presence will make life easier for Dan Smith and Michael Harradine, and allow Paul Jenkins and Brad Duscher to gather more footy in attack. It will be hard to see the Magpies falter if he’s left unattended to roam free.
The other Week 2 contest features Bambill and Nangiloc at Mildura Senior College. The Saints appear to have rediscovered their 2011 form after derailing the Magpie train, while the Demons continue to raise hope that a breakthrough is on the horizon.
Last year’s VCFL Medallist David Hall has finally shrugged off a foot injury, and his best-on-ground display against Werrimull indicates he hasn’t lost a step. Michael Hickey and Luke Stanbrook are sure to be even more dangerous now with him back, and with Ryan McClelland, Jarratt Farley and Simon Dean also in fine form, the sleeping giant is awake and looking to wreak havoc.
Despite a zip-and-six start and injuries galore, the Demons are still capable of causing upsets. Cameron Peters continues to rack up disposals in the face of hard tags, Ben Crosbie has stood tall against tough forwards, and Jared Turvey, Ben Mansell and Jamie Riordan have battled manfully. But the last thing they need is a rejuvenated Saints outfit, who should have little issues in getting the job done.
Last Modified on 25/05/2012 17:07