THE premiership dreams of Golden Rivers Football League minor premiers, Murrabit and first semi-final winners, Nullawil will be tested tomorrow when the teams meet in a preliminary final at Quambatook.
Both sides go into the match confident they can produce at least one more win this season to take on Ultima in next weekend’s grand final.
The Maroons scraped through to the penultimate weekend of the season following a one-point win against Wandella in the first semi-final, with the Blues falling short against the ‘Roos, losing by 20 points.
The sides hold a 1-1 record in meetings against each other at the end of the home and away season. The Maroons defeated an undermanned Murrabit side by 39 points in round one, with the Blues recording a nine-point win in round eight.
Nullawil will go into the game with two of its three players who were injured in the first semi-final – Matt Harrop and Brad Murray – fit to play, whilst defender Brett Barker will miss with a broken arm.
“Murrabit is a very tall side, but as I say to the guys, if we can run and carry the ball the other team has to get the ball off us to score,” Maroons coach, Scott Mathiske said.
“If our bottom four to five players perform, we will do well.”
Murrabit is on track to go into the match unchanged from last weekend’s second semi-final loss, but could select Matt Roberts – who has played in the reserves for the past two games as he recovers from injury – if need be.
“For us to win, we need to start well, and contain their midfield and forwards,” Murrabit coach, Nathan Henry said.
“Kal Heslop, Scott Mathiske and Daniel Watts feature prominently in their best, so we need to contain them, but they have others that can step up.”
Some of the competition’s top midfielders will play key roles in the outcome of this match, with the match-up between Murrabit’s Bryden Morison and Watts to be a highlight.
Darcy Hetherington and Joel Cross will be just as pivotal to the Blues, with Harrop and Grant Ford to link up with Watts in the midfield.
Nullawil will look to Heslop – who kicked three goals in the Maroons’ first semi-final win – and Andrew Oberdorfer to lead the way in front of goal, with Dylan Morison to match up against Heslop.
Henry will look to Josh Dwyer to shut down Oberdorfer, whilst Jarrod Kemp will be asked to stop Henry in front of the Blues’ goals.
However, the loss of Barker and the lack of height will hurt the Maroons, who need to contend with Murrabit ruckman, Andrew Spitty and Henry’s fellow tall forwards, Leigh McCombe and Nathan Brown.
PREDICTION: Murrabit will progress to the grand final thanks to a 30-point win.
