Wallan v Riddell
Meetings last year
Round 11 at Greenhill Reserve
Riddell 21.15 (141) defeated Wallan 7.6 (48)
Round 16 at Riddells Creek Reserve
Riddell 14.14 (98) defeated Wallan 9.9 (63)
The Pies take on the Bombers in the stand alone Good Friday game as part of the round eight fixture and this is sure to be a mighty contest between two strong sides.
Both clubs will be revved up and ready to go for this blockbuster game. Riddell head into the clash on the back of two successive wins to open the season against spirited opposition while the Pies enjoyed a week off after defeating a much improved Kilmore outfit by 15 points at the JJ Clancy Reserve in round one.
Form guide
Wallan
Winning form is good form and their round one efforts showed that they are right on track for solid success this year. They trailed Kilmore at quarter and three quarter time before kicking four goals to two in the final term to edge away to a 15 point win. This is a great application from the Pies who worked hard to stay in the game and not let it slip. Simon Crump kicked seven goals against them in his first game for Kilmore, which may provide a slight indication that the Wallan backman could have trouble against some of the leading forwards, although Crump backed up his round one efforts with five goals against the Hawks to show that he's a forward to watch out for anyway.
Ben Schraven started the season in fine touch and was clearly best on ground in the win. Todd Keenan was strong with two goals while Josh Barber kicked a vital goal and he is the sort of young star that can break a game open up forward. Matt Bell made a solid return to Senior football and expect him to be a crowd favourite today.
Riddell
The Bombers needed just two quarters to register eight points in the last two weeks. They dismantled a spirited Lancefield in the third term in round one and did the same job against the Centrals. Haydn Ross was a stand-out in both games and continues to thrive in the number five jumper. Brain Ruffell has been impressive across both games this season after previously playing a role further up the ground. He has drifted forward and used his strong marking and accurate goal kicking to perfection that showed glimpses of his glory days when he kicked plenty of goals in Lancefield's 2009 premiership season.
The Bomber midfield has improved on the back of Pat Carriss in the ruck. They had a strong and physical Centrals midfield to contend with but managed to create enough space through clever use of handballs and keep the forward pressure on. Their win last week was set up in the third term thanks to the brilliance of coach Troy Scoble to play Pete Robertson one out in the forward 50. He turned the game on its head with powerhouse marking skills and great goal sense. He finished with four as a midfielder rotating through the goal and centre squares.
The big game
Riddell have the form on paper to register the win here. Neither side has yet to play anyone inside the top four. This is Wallan's big opportunity to test just how well they can go against the top teams in the competition and if they can keep the margin under seven goals and be in the hunt at three quarter time, they'll take it as a great positive.
The Pies have a solid midfield and great experience around the ground. They have a great blend of youth that played in the Under 18.5s Grand final in 2012 that will continue to improve with each Senior game. Ben Schraven and Jeremy Irons will be two valuable keys to look out while Rhys Frost will hope to enjoy some forward success.
The Bombers won the premiership last year for the very reason of having key players across every line. Nick Ash is a star in the backline and shut down Adam Fenton after halftime last week while Mr Versatile Matt Darby can hold a key role at centre half back or centre half forward. He has the best set of hands in the competition and can single-handedly win any game thanks to his marking ability. Expect the Bombers to win here in front of a big crowd in pleasing conditions.
Tune in tomorrow for a live broadcast of the match on 98.3 OKR FM from 1:30pm
Last Modified on 17/04/2014 17:36