THERE will be a major development in the battle for the minor premiership when Kerang takes on Nyah-Nyah West United at Riverside Park tomorrow.
The Blues sit atop the ladder with 11 wins from 13 games, while the Demons are in third place, with one fewer wins from the same number of games.
This year, the competition has seen a different Kerang to the almighty premiership powerhouse that has smashed everything in its path in recent years.
The Blues’ first loss came in round five against the Demons, going down by 29 points in an intriguing contest. They lost again four weeks later by 14 points to the Raiders in a gritty battle.
They have been dominantly consistent in between those loses, but haven’t smashed weaker sides in the way fans have become accustomed to.
The Demons stand in stark contrast, wining tough games against the Blues and Raiders but losing to lesser sides, including fourth-placed Woorinen, sixth placed Lake Boga and ninth placed Swan Hill.
Those most recent loses came in consecutive weeks in rounds 13 and 14, before they righted the ship with a 95 hiding of Balranald.
It was the third time the side had scored more than 150 points, hence a massive percentage of 194.1.
This will probably be Nyah-Nyah West United’s only opportunity to move into second place, with both the Blues and Raiders likely to go through the remainder of the season undefeated.
The Demons have had two main options up forward this year, with Adam Sambono and Darryl White kicking 43 goals apiece.
Co-coach, Troy Coates has handled most of the scoring responsibilities for the Blues, kicking 34 goals, while Luke Cotchett (24 goals) has been the most prolific of a string of other score contributors.
“It’s a huge game for both sides that will play a big part in final ladder positions,” Coates told the Gannawarra Times on Wednesday.
With injuries taking their toll on the side as the season wore on, Coates said a week off had come at the right time.
“Luke Livingston will be back into the equation and Travis Matheson should be right; they’ll both be a good chance if they get through training,” he said.
Coates said his side would be much better prepared than in round five.
“The first time we played them we didn’t know a lot about their recruits, but this time we should be able to get our match-ups right,” he said.
“When they get their tails up they can play really dangerous and damaging footy, so we’ll be a lot better prepared for that.
“You can never underestimate the value of Livingston coming back into the side, and Mark Lloyd has been playing really good footy and getting better and better every week.
While the Blues have shown small chinks in their armour this year, they remain the competition’s premier side and will be expected to atone for their last outing against the Demons.
PREDICTION: Kerang will win by 25 points.
Kangas keen
THE Cohuna Kangas will go into tomorrow’s round 16 match-up against Lake Boga with plenty to play for, despite a finals berth being out of reach.
The Kangas sit 14 points adrift of the top five with three rounds left to play, while the Magpies are only two points below fourth placed Woorinen and fifth placed Tooleybuc/Manangatang.
Woorinen will likely collect another four points in round 17 against lowly Balranald, while Tooleybuc-Manangatang will be the favourite in the round 18 clash against Mallee Eagles.
If those teams tracked as predicted, Lake Boga would need two more wins to overhaul either side.
And with a tough encounter against Nyah-Nyah West United next week, the Magpies will need to win against the Kangas to keep their hopes alive.
But trying to make predictions still three weeks out from finals is fraught with danger, so back to the match itself.
The Kangas will feel confident of replicating the round five result, when they beat the Magpies by 45 points in one of their best performances of the season.
Harrison Keely has been in stellar form up forward for the Kangas in recent weeks, and will be on the hunt for another big bag, with support from Rick Easton, who remains dangerous in front of goal.
The Magpies will still be smarting from their round five loss to the Kangas, which was a notable blemish in an otherwise consistent season, and will be looking to turn the tables this time with a home ground advantage.
A better side throughout the year, the victory is Lake Boga’s for the taking.
PREDICTION: Lake Boga will win by 20 points.
Momentum
ARGUABLY the form side of the competition, Koondrook/Barham will look to build momentum for the finals against Tooleybuc/Manangatang tomorrow.
Last year’s grand finalists are an improved outfit this year, having lost only two games for the season – by 52 points to Kerang in round one and by 68 points to Nyah-Nyah West United in round nine.
The Raiders sit second on the ladder, trailing the Blues by less than 14 percentage points, and tomorrow shapes as an excellent opportunity to move into top spot with a four point buffer, with Kerang up against fellow premiership contender Nyah-Nyah West United.
The Saints also have plenty to play for, currently sitting in fifth place on the ladder, with a fierce fight on their hands to hold onto a finals berth. They need at least one more win from their remaining two games, but a win tomorrow would guarantee a spot.
The two sides last met in round five, when the Raiders handed the Saints a 61 point belting in a lopsided contest.
But to their credit, the Saints have only lost five games this year, and – barring a hiccup against Lake Boga in round three – only to the top three sides.
The Raiders have had no shortage of avenues to goal this year, but most damaging have been Tom Lamb (33 goals) and Daniel Mowat (21 goals).
These men will be up against a Saints backline that has at times struggled to shut down opposition scoring.
On the other side of the coin, the Saints have been dominant scorers throughout the year, as the second highest scoring team in the competition behind the Saints.
That scoring has come predominantly from one man – Stephen Lyons, who has piled on 50 goals at a rate of almost four a match.
The Raiders are clearly the better side and should record a comprehensive victory.
PREDICTION: Koondrook/Barham will win by 40 points.
