Natte Bealiba v Avoca
Two of the MCDFNL's fiercest rivalries will be on show in the opening week of the competition's first week of the split round 14, and they don't come much more passionate than the clash between Natte Bealiba and Avoca, set to be fought out on the Swans' home turf this Saturday.
While the two sides' seasons might be headed in opposite directions, with Natte continuing to push for a berth in the competition's top four and the Bulldogs continuing to struggle to string together wins, the long-standing rivalry between these two clubs always guarantees a hard-fought clash. History, along with form, for Saturday's match-up is on the Swans' side, with Natte registering an impressive 54-point win over the Bulldogs in round one of 2014. Furthering the Swans' confidence will be the fact that they pushed the competition's top side to the limit last round, and rueing the loss to Navarre, the Swans will welcome back two of their most potent forward line weapons in the forms of Ryan Weir and Matthew Stagg, who both missed last week's clash with the Grasshoppers.
Avoca's season continued its up-and-down trajectory last round, with the Bulldogs copping a heavy loss at the hands of Royal Park. The move of Murray Bond from attack to a more permanent midfield role has given the Bulldogs more bite around the ground, but has also robbed the side of perhaps its best forward option. Coach Adrian Pilgrim has also had a solid season, but him spending increasing amounts of time in the ruck has again meant the loss of another tall option inside 50, and up against the Swans' experienced defensive unit, the Dogs will need all the attacking options they can muster.
Natte Bealiba
To be selected from:
Jacob Long, Jack Kennedy, Zachary Perez, Matthew Stagg, Brayden Mills, Lachlan Cameron, Tyson Mortlock, Jamie Evans, Joshua Tong, Jared Hall, Dean Graco, Ryan Weir, Lachlan Douglas, Christopher Jardine, Trent Mortlock, Brayden Maffesciani, Stephen Ross, Thomas Douglas, Brent Mortlock, Karl Morley, Kurtis Torney, Kurt Mortlock
In: Ryan Weir, Kurtis Torney, Jack Kennedy, Matthew Stagg
Out: Evan Weir, Jason Hunt, Nathan Ross, Alexander Banko
Avoca
To be selected from:
John Bucknall, Ashley Wardlaw, Jesse Britton, Nathan Holland, Mitchell Kennedy, Thomas Nankivell, Alec Wiltshire, Cameron Holland, Jacob Glen, Murray Bond, Nolan Gould, Joel Howell, Matt Veitch, Brady Williams, Tyson Wardlaw, Jaye Farnsworth, Brendan Veitch, Ben Howell, Taylor Raine, Hugh Bucknall, Luke Bertram, Adrian Pilgrim, Bryce Howell
In: Hugh Bucknall
Maldon v Campbells Creek
Another rivalry-packed clash is set to take place this Saturday as Maldon and Campbells Creek get set to fight it out on the confines of Bill Woodfull Reserve this weekend.
The Dons have suffered their most disappointing season in a long time this season, with a mass exodus of players continuing to affect their depth, while Campbells Creek started the year with a bang but have gradually dropped off the pace as the season has progressed. Maldon's form has lifted in recent weeks via improved output from some of the side's bit-part players, but they will need to lift again to take on the Creekers. Chief among their concerns will be how their already overstretched defence counters the presence of Creek behemoth Adam Pollock, who has been a standout this season, while also keeping wraps on some more dangerous options.
Creek's form at home has been impressive so far this year, but their record on the road is nothing short of woeful, and the Pies will see this clash as an opportunity to correct that. Already used to playing on a small ground, the Creek could relish the opportunity to play some hard-fought football at close quarters on the notoriously small Maldon ground. Alongside Pollock, the Dons will also need to keep a close eye on coach Sean Smith and other forward options such as Ryan Jeffrey and Josh Hutchinson drifting forward from the midfield.
Maldon
To be selected from:
Hayden Kelly, Dean Primmer, Ben Doyle, Xavier Mawson, Christopher Milham, Michael Rorke, Kyle Winstanley, Josh Pascoe, Nicholas Kelly, Jackson Douch, Christopher Mulholland, Dyllan White, Damien Gatti, Joel Cross, Nicholas McKnight, Matthew Gordon, Michael Mulholland, James Webb, Andrew Hall, Luke Davey, Mark Webb, Tom Cain
In: Tom Cain, Ben Doyle
Out: Jake Elliot, Braedan Turtle
Campbells Creek
No Side Selected
Newstead v Carisbrook
Two of the competition's top sides will go toe-to-toe this weekend, with Carisbrook set to confront Newstead.
In a battle between the competition's third-and fourth-ranked sides, there is plenty at stake for both the Redbacks, who are slowly bui;lding back up to the form they have been renowned for in recent years and Newstead, a side which continues to progress through the season with quiet confidence.
An earlier clash between the two teams this year yielded a win for the Roos, who have just two losses against their name so far this season, but Carisbrook is a vastly improved team since then, even by the Redbacks' own lofty standards. Key players such as Jackson Bowen seem to have overcome niggling injuries which affected their output early in the 2014 season, while the injection of Matthew Bilton into the side can only improve their form, either through the midfield or in attack.
Newstead seems to have overcome the mid-season loss of gun swingman Mark Ramsey in recent weeks, with their restructured forward line functioning well last week to record a big win over Maldon. Ethan Ford continues to be the lynchpin in the middle for the Roos, along with Nathan Webster and David Wall, while up forward, Michael Mann and Michael Dalrymple have seemingly stepped into the void left by Ramsey's retirement with aplomb.
Newstead
To be selected from:
David Wall, Adrian Conn, Mitchell Woods, Jacob Dalrymple, Jonty Entwisle, Nathan Webster, Cameron Hepburn, Mark Ramsey, Bryan Elliott, Daniel Christmas, Liam Bright, Brent Devereaux, Michael Dalrymple, Bradley Richardson, Joel Smith, Zachary Tanner, Lachlan Chapman, Ashley Webster, Ethan Ford, Jayden Bott, Joel Pearson, Matthew Manning, Patrick Cummins
In: Bryan Elliott, Liam Bright, Joel Smith, Mark Ramsey
Out: Dale Bott, Adam Hunter, Mathew Merlo
Carisbrook
To be selected from:Jackson Bowen,Liam Cunningham,Jonathon Gray, Benjamin Kick, Timothy Heenan, Brady Neill, Nathan O'Keefe,Luke Robinson, Cole Roscholler, Justin Sculley, Stephen Marr, Mark Cox, Hayden Barby, Clayton Furniss, Travis Cornwill, Matthew Bilton, Mitchell Whelan, Scott Adam, Brayden Collicoat, Nick Robinson, Andrew Lovett, Luke Treacy, Jakob Tidyman, Nichlos Wright
In: Mitchell Whelan, Andrew Lovett
Last Modified on 01/08/2014 14:36