HAVE THE SAINTS DONE THEIR HOMEWORK?
By Louie Bulzomi
After ending Cardross’s season in the First Semi-Final last Saturday, Bambill were gifted a golden opportunity to sit back and watch how Werrimull went about stifling Gol Gol’s run and forward delivery in the second half of the Second Semi-Final. Now it remains to be seen as to whether or not the Saints studied well enough to implement an effective game plan that will achieve the same result when they take on the Hawks in the Preliminary Final at No.3 Oval.
Even though season 2012 has not been one that has met the lofty heights normally expected of the star-studded Saints, what they showcased against the Lions was enough to remind everyone why they have been so strong for so long. Whether it was the proactive nature of Luke Hubble and Andrew Gibson’s defensive work, the physical ferocity of the on-ballers in Robbie Morgan, Jason Hunt, Andrew Ross and Michael Hickey to win every vital clearance, or the continued growing of confidence in Luke Stanbrook as he kicked goal after goal, all the signs were there to remind everyone just how tough Bambill will be to beat should they feature on Grand Final Day.
In contrast, Gol Gol put in a performance well below the bar that they have set this season. Although the loss of Clint Burdett early in the piece was a major setback, their inability to stem the tide of third-quarter Magpie goals, and lack of ability to break the lines and counter-attack themselves, were of major concern. David Gray managed to fly the flag for the midfield, and Sonny Lindsey kicked his usual bag, but it was fair to say that the likes of potential game-breakers Darren Brown, Tim Vandenberg and Tony Albert were well down on their true form. However, with the gift of a second chance, Shaun McInerney would’ve spent a good chunk of time during the week pin-pointing these flaws and formulating prevention measures to be administered by his troops.
If recent history is anything to go by, then Gol Gol would be favourites heading in, given they dealt with Bambill very comfortably in Rounds 5 and 10 at Carramar Drive before losing by a small margin in a high-scoring contest in Round 15 at Mildura Senior College without Lindsey and Vandenberg. But, as they say, finals are a whole different ball game, so don’t expect this to be a complete one-sided affair (with the neutral aspect of No.3 Oval helping somewhat in that regard).
When looking at these teams, both midfield groups are as classy and tough as each other, both forward setups are extremely dangerous when in full flight, and both defensive units can hold their own and change the game on a dime with devastating rebounds. So when it comes to match-ups, none loom any larger or more important than that of the ruck. Bambill arguably possess the most potent ruck combination going around in Ryan McClelland and David Hall, who both rarely get beaten in the hitouts and take a fair share of contested marks around the ground. So it will be a big ask for main Gol Gol ruckman Tim Murphy, but if he can endure the workload and stop as many hitouts going to the Saints’ advantage as possible, it will go a long way to seeing the Hawks enter the Grand Final.
Last Modified on 30/08/2012 18:19