Wallan v Rockbank
at Green Hill Reserve
Last week
Wallan - The Pies were tested at home last week when they took on Diggers Rest. They were wasteful in the opening term with the wind and kicked just one goal from seven scoring shots with the wind. This put them behind the back burner against quality opposition. They had more than their fair share of the ball, but like the Bombers on the evening before their game, inaccuracy cost them dearly. They fell to a 45 point defeat and now sit in 10th position with one win. Justin Colliss and Harry Trotman were the major stand-outs in the loss.
Rockbank - The Rams put together a bold showing against the strength of Riddell at home last week. They trailed by no more than four goals for the opening three quarters before the Bombers kicked away with the wind in the final term to win by 46 points. They played with great courage and showed great skill when they maintained possession of the ball. Former Kangaroo Damien Niki was a stand-out with three goals to give him five goals in two weeks.
THE GAME
This match will be close, intense and very physical. Wallan has just a little more pace in their team and several key forwards that have made their mark on matches this year. The Rams have yet to win a game but have showed poise, confidence and belief in each game. The home ground advantage weighs heavily in the favour of the Pies, however Rockbank have the addition of former Essendon Rookie, Anthony Long in the team and he will be a big difference maker. He adds that little bit of extra pace in the Rockbank outfit that they need and don't be surprised to see their forwards benefit from his dominance. One player may not make all the difference but if Rockbank could register their first win of the season against any team, this is the game where the odds will be increased in their favour.
Listen to all the action live on 88.1FM at the ground or 98.3OKR FM away from the ground.
Broadford v Rupertswood
at Harley Hammond Reserve
Last week
Broadford - The Roos were troubled against their fellow Kangaroo counterparts, Sunbury at the Boardman Reserve last week. They were physical but could not match the speed, skill and ability of the hard running reigning premiers. Sean Duggan was an immediate stand-out in his return to the Broadford colours in one of the few shining lights in their 99 point defeat. Gillard held himself well against Fishendon and Jamie Cuffe in the ruck. They will be determined to clean the slate and start again this week.
Rupertswood - Today's visitors enjoyed a week off last week and it was well deserved. They were fresh off a big win over Wallan and they unleashed junior league best and fairest Tom Donoghue into the midfield. The youngster starred in Rupertswood's first game of the year in the Under 18.5s and it was only a matter of time before he stepped into the shoes of a senior footballer. Leigh Brennan has 15 goals to his name and added a bag to his name in the big victory.
THE GAME
Barry Hall will return to the Broadford colours this week and he will have a major influence on this contest. Hall and Brennan will battle it out at either end for their respective teams. Rupertswood have matured with each game this season and while Hall will be a force in their backline, there is enough skill in the midfield to indicate that they may do enough damage on the scoreboard. This will be a sensational match. Gillard is always a force in the ruck for Broadford and he will be the stand-out big man on the field. Donoghue will be expected to win plenty of contested ball through the middle. There is enough aces in the sleeves of the visitors to have them sneak over the line in this exciting contest.
Melton Centrals v Sunbury Kangaroos
at MacPherson Park
Last week
Melton Centrals - The Centrals succumbed to their second consecutive defeat from as many games in identical circumstances. They led the Redbacks by five goals in round four and were defeated. They led Lancefield by six goals at the start of the second term and lost the lead by half time and eventually at full time. They kicked goals in the opening minute of the first two terms but could not keep that run going. Josh Armstrong player well up forward while Andrew Hunter played well as the loose man in the backline. It was the match that got away and they will be working hard this week to put the last two weeks behind them.
Sunbury Kangaroos - The Roos put on a good solid four quarter performance against Broadford and stepped up each time they challenged. Leigh Fishendon was at his usual best in the ruck while Anthony Leonard showcased his brilliant run through the midfield to highlight his impact at senior level. He has emerged as one of the real surprise packets after captaining the Under 18.5s.
THIS WEEK
The Sunbury Kangaroos will be full of fire this week as they look to continue their awesome form. They have won all except one game this season and this shapes up as being another big win to their name if the Centrals cannot keep up the pressure from the opening bounce. The Roos will hit the ground running from the outset with some outstanding forwards and a wide spread of goal kickers. Fenton is a key to the Centrals success and the emergence of Armstrong as one of the rising power forwards in the competition will add some bite to their attack, but will it be enough? The Sunbury Kangaroos will have just too much run.
Riddell v Lancefield
at Riddell Reserve
Last week
Riddell - The Bombers were strong in their win against the determined Rockbank line-up. They were pushed until the final term where they snuck away to a 46 point win.Matt Darby and James Climas were massive stand-outs as they kicked seven goals to four in the second half during a low scoring encounter. Mick Allen was a welcome addition to the forward line with three goals after starring in the Reserves to start the year. It wasn't their finest victory of the year, but they did what they had to in order to take the four points.
Lancefield - The Tigers were simply brilliant in their win over the Centrals. In one of the best performances of the year, Lancefield kicked eight goals in a row to hit the front at half time against the Centrals after trailing by 35 points early in the second term. Chris and Matt Burkett were simply sensational and Luke Malone provided great spark when he came off the bench to set them up for one of their famous wins.
THE GAME
The battle of the sashes will be highly memorable. They have fought some memorable clashes in the past when the Tigers were on top in 2009 and 2010. The Bombers have had the better of their Tiger opponents in recent years but that will change today. Lancefield is a much improved side and showed tremendous fight in their win. While a victory is unlikely today against the well balanced and more experienced Bombers, their endeavour can never be questioned and they should look to the footage of the second quarter last week as the turning point for the club when they are losing. They never gave up and that's a testament to their hard work off the field during the week. The Bombers have too many winners around the ground to win the battle of the sashes. They will remain on top of the ladder at the end of today's game.
Romsey v Kilmore
at Romsey Park
Last week
Romsey - The Redbacks were simply unbelievable in their win over Woodend/Hesket last week. It was a great four quarter performance where they dominated from the opening bounce and were never headed. Matt Davidson was the star up forward with nine goals, all before three quarter time. They were inaccurate in front of the big sticks and that's something they will hope to work on, especially in wet conditions. Farmer injured his ankle but the worst was cleared and he will be back in the coming weeks. There were several other sore bodies but they will be all clear to go ahead this week.
Kilmore - The Blues were bold against the Cats last week at home. They were disappointed that they could not keep up with the run of the visitors in teh second half. The Cats kicked 10 goals with the wind as opposed to Kilmore's five. That was a big difference maker in the 66 point loss. The endeavour is still in the team and thanks to efforts from Adam Goudge and Alex Desmond, they will be positive in a bold showing this week.
THE GAME
The Redbacks will look to unveil their new social rooms this week. If it does go ahead, it will be an exciting venue to enjoy football for home and away fans. The Redbacks will have too many answers for the Blues. They have superior skill right across the ground and they have a strong ability to finish off games and really run over teams. This won't quite be the case today because Chris Nolan will get his charges to be competitive and maybe get close on the scoreboard by the time the fourth quarter sounds. The ask is just too big for Kilmore and expect Romsey to win comfortably with Davidson to have a day out.
Macedon v Diggers Rest
at Tony Clarke Reserve
Last week
Macedon - The Cats were back to their brilliant best last week with a commanding win over Kilmore at the JJ Clancy Reserve. They kicked 10 goals with the wind and most importantly, six goals into the wind. Their opposition managed just seven goals on the day and that's a big pat on the back to their strong defense. Al Meldrum led the way with four goals, Aaron Storie was great through the middle and Darren Goodwin was back to his best after time away with injury.
Diggers Rest - The Burras were sensational in their 45 point win over Wallan last week. Joseph Piccolo continued his rich vein of form with four goals and Stuart Clarke finished with three goals. The two have worked in tandem quite well over the last few weeks and don't show any signs of slowing down on this big ground.Brett Caton played his best game of the season across half back and there was plenty of support from Adam Richardson and Col Laurie across the ground.
THE GAME
This is the match of the round on paper and really could go either way. A confident, hungry and determined Macedon team will match it with the strong Diggers Rest team. Last week's confidence boosting win over Kilmore might just have been the victory that they needed to keep their confidence up and tick some of the valuable boxes as a team to win big games like this one. Diggers Rest look very confident and have won their last four games. They will go into this game as strong favourites. They have beaten the strength of the Sunbury Kangaroos and narrowly lost to Riddell. The Cats lost badly to Romsey and Riddell in that same time. Expect the visitors to win but not by much.
Listen to all the action live on 88.1FM at the ground or 100.7 Highlands FM around the Macedon Ranges away from the ground.
Last Modified on 17/05/2013 14:10