TIME FOR LIONS TO REALLY ROAR
By Louie Bulzomi
Today’s First Semi-Final features the defending champions Bambill facing the hungry, determined and inform Cardross, with no second chance for the loser.
The Saints are 2-1 in head to head encounters this season, but with that breakthrough victory in Round 14, the Lions have proven that they are a world away from the side who have copped multiple hidings from the Saints in recent years.
Boasting the talents of Jake and Ethan Zoch, Ben Ransome, Andrew Ferguson, Michael Laird, Tom Wallace, Jayden Boehm and Brady Dalla Santa, Cardross are loaded with enough guns who, if all fire at once, can hang with the best the rest of the competition has to offer. And with Darren McCarthy seemingly over his injury woes that kept him out mid-season, and Damien Spicer’s blistering form since entering the fold in late June, they now possess that ‘X-factor’ so vital for finals footy.
But there’s still a perception that the Lions rely unhealthily on the individual brilliance of the aforementioned. This is where the likes of solid contributors Eamon Higgins, Cameron Berry, Peter Cooper, Mitch Bateman, Scott Richards and Mark East can prove this perception wrong and provide the blue-collar teamwork that’s the backbone of a premiership team.
By falling to a 9-7 record on the back of losing just one game (by five points, nonetheless) in 2011, doubts have been cast over Bambill’s chances of a successful title defence.
Although the beating dished to them by Werrimull last week is concerning, the reigning premiers still have the ability to get the job done when it matters. Ryan McClelland, Simon Kelly, Jason Hunt, Jarratt Farley, Justin Merrett, David Hall, Michael Hickey, Steve Sellens and Luke Hubble are all game changers and have sound finals records, while in the absences of Ben Casey and Leigh McIntyre, Chris Curran and Luke Stanbrook have each slotted in nicely to play every game.
It should be a tight affair, with the ruck duel of the Zochs vs McClelland and Hall shaping up to be the major point of difference in determining who can stay alive in the premiership race.
WHICH BIRD WILL FLY TO THE BIG ONE?
By Louie Bulzomi
The ‘main event’ of the Semi-Finals features trendsetters Werrimull and Gol Gol squaring off in what many believe could be the Grand Final preview.
The Magpies head into this double-chance clash in much better shape than they did last year, when injuries mid-season lead to a massive form slump which ruined their finals campaign despite making it to the ‘Big One’. They also enter this clash with a more devastating attack, comprising of Mark Duscher (91 goals), Adam Thomson (58), Ash Bates (22) and five others with 10 or more. And if that wasn’t enough, they also enter with the best defence, lead brilliantly by Ryan Tierney, Michael Harradine, Dan Smith, Mark Thornton, Matt Kelly and Andrew Seaton-Stewart.
The Hawks aren’t all that different, with their own abundance of star power at either end. They possess the best attack in the league with Sonny Lindsey (117 goals), Nick Rodi (35), David Gray (23) and five others with 10 or more, and the likes of Tim Vandenberg, John Thompson, Hayden McQualter, Dion Collins, Ben Sobkowiak and Thomas Budd floating about down back and planting the seeds of many an effective rebound.
One thing that has set these sides apart from the others has been their magnificent depth. At various stages of the season, they have both suffered absences of key players yet managed to pull off strong wins, which makes this battle even more enthralling knowing that, effectively, every participant (whether in black and white or brown and gold) can make a significant impact.
The Hawks have the home ground advantage, but if the 62-point thrashing they copped from the Magpies in Round 9 is any indicator, it practically counts for naught. However, don’t expect a repeat of that match – expect more of a shootout like their battles at Lake Cullulleraine in Rounds 4 and 14, which in turn should lead to a ‘man on man’ contest. The ultimate deciding factor most likely will be which midfield (Graeme Mentiplay, Brad Duscher, Paul Jenkins and Aaron Milner vs Clint Burdett, Darren Brown, Tony Albert and Tim Murphy) can get the vital edge.
Last Modified on 23/08/2012 17:59