BALRANALD v MALLEE EAGLES
BALRANALD will once again be without star goaler and co-coach Jess Parry when they host the Mallee Eagles at Greenham Park tomorrow afternoon.
Parry missed last Saturday’s 14-goal win over Tooleybuc-Manangatang with a knee injury and will again be watching from the sidelines, with Elli-Jane Pollard having made the move to goal shooter against the Saints in Parry’s absence.
Bree Hodgson and Grace Morton did a solid job in holding down both defensive posts last Saturday, but will face a much tougher assignment paired against the Eagles’ attacking combination of Kasey Torr, Megan Thorneycroft and Gemma Miller.
The Eagles almost pulled off the upset of the season last weekend against undefeated Lake Boga and if it wasn’t for a lapse in concentration early in the final quarter, could well have handed the Magpies their first loss of the season.
If the visitors can produce that form again, it may well be good enough to secure their fourth win of the season against the Roos, who without Parry will need to be at their best to compete against the underrated Eagles.
Tip – Mallee Eagles to win by three goals.
TYNTYNDER v TOOLEYBUC-MANANGATANG
TYNTYNDER will go into their match against Tooleybuc-Manangatang as warm favourites and intent on locking away a top five spot for another week.
The Bulldogs climbed into the five following their nine-goal win over Woorinen last Saturday, coming off the back of a strong last-quarter performance against the Tigers.
Tyntynder have been steadily building into their 2024 campaign under new coach Kelsey Rowe and have started to show they will be a genuine challenger in the second half of the season, with strong midcourt combination Monica Ellis, Demi Wall, Elvie Kelly-Britten and Jaclyn Rivett starting to click in recent weeks.
Both clubs will go into the match with unchanged line-ups, with Ally Grace set to continue in the GK bib for Tooleybuc-Manangatang in the continued absence of Taylah Morris.
While Grace is certain to be a player of the future following her strong performance against Balranald last weekend, she and her teammates will most likely find the going difficult against a Bulldogs outfit who will be determined to extend their winning streak to three.
Tip – Tyntynder to win by 10 goals.
KERANG v NNW UNITED
DENISE Snyder will return for her first game since a foot injury ruined her 2023 season – although it won’t be for Nyah-Nyah West United, but against them, when the Demons play Kerang at Riverside Park.
Having made the switch to Kerang over the off-season, Snyder will line up against her former side in a twist of fate for the goal shooter, who has finally overcome her injury issues that prematurely ended her final season in red and blue.
Snyder will be a welcome addition to a Blues outfit yet to have their first win this season, but which has also showed their best netball is capable of matching it with the best following their seven-goal loss to undefeated Swan Hill last weekend.
That form should have them well and truly in the contest against the Demons, who themselves have also proven to be more than competitive against the better teams in the Central Murray this year and should go in confident of another strong performance against the Blues.
While Snyder’s inclusion will strengthen Kerang’s attacking third, the continued absence of Shannon Baird will leave them somewhat exposed through the midcourt, with Matika Mitchell, Annabelle Arnold, Lucy Millard and Chloe Threadgold likely to test the Blues’ middle third.
Tip – NNW United to win by two goals.
KOONDROOK-BARHAM v WOORINEN
WOORINEN will be determined to keep their faint finals hopes alive with a win when they travel to Barham to face the Raiders.
Having lost their last three matches, the Tigers now find themselves sitting a game and a half outside the top five and in desperate need of the four points against Koondrook-Barham, who will go into this weekend’s game fresh having enjoyed the bye last Saturday.
The battle between Remy Doyle and Jaimee Beasy in the centre will be a key match-up, while the Raiders will have to find a way to nullify the influence of Woorinen’s in-form goal shooter Willow Conlan, who shot an incredible 36 of the Tigers’ 41 goals in their nine-goal loss to Tyntynder last Saturday.
Although the Raiders have shown plenty of improvement in recent weeks, they continue to be a work in progress and would need a sharp boost in form to challenge the Tigers.
Tip – Woorinen to win by 14 goals.
