The reigning champions, the traditional powerhouse of Québec Footy, a dynasty that has yielded four grand finals and three premierships in four years - All this is the Laval Bombers Australian Rules Football Club. But what of the Laval Bombers of 2012? Are they still the once great team they used to be? Or are they an ageing but once great racehorse, ready to be put to sleep and laid to rest forever. Will Sunday be the day that the Laval Bombers reiterate it’s every right to sit at the top table or will Sunday be the day that the Montréal Demons hammer the final nail into the Bombers coffin. All this commentator can say is that no nail will be hammered into any coffin this Sunday, well… not least without one hell of a fight!
Although finishing below their opposition in the final ladder and often coming out second best in their recent league encounters, the Montréal Demons, the new kids in town, will come into this Semi-Final clash as slight favourites over the Laval Bombers. Although without a full squad throughout most of the campaign, with a full or close to full complement of players for the final series, the Demons are arguably the strongest team left in the competition. They ooze class all over the field, but the biggest problem their assistant coach Kyle Graham will have this weekend is gelling a group of talented individuals into a team with the common goal of playing for each other and not for themselves. Going forward the Demons have in Martin Lawless one of the best flair players in the league, in Morgan Whyte they have arguably the best ruck in Québec , possibly Canada, and in Nathan Jacobs probably the most dangerous forward plying his trade in the league at the moment. If the Bombers can limit the impact of these guys then they might stand a chance, if they don’t they are in trouble.
But limit Lawless or Jacobs and then there is the small matter of Canadian U/23 Internationals McNabb and Micheletti and Canadian Women’s Captain Aimee Legault to deal with. All players on their day capable of not only turning a game around, but as displayed on numerous occasions in the past, the ability to almost win a game single handed. Micheletti was leading goal kicker in the 2011 campaign and kicks goals for fun sometimes, Legault was voted to the IC World Team at last year’s World Cup and McNabb has tattoo’s, but so does Dane Swan and no one take him lightly.
If the Bombers do foray into the Demons defensive end then things don’t exactly get much easier. Coming off his finest display ever in a Demons jersey, Kyle Sakaguchi will be in no mood to concede goals. Throw in the return of Tim Nixon to marshall the defence and the always fearless Tara Cools and the Bombers may find goals hard to come by.
And then there is the unknowns, the newbies, the rookies. At the end of the day a component is only as strong as the sum of all its parts and so it’s difficult to fully critique the Demons without considering the new recruits. The man mountain that is Martin Maeirhofer sure as hell doesn’t just turn up for the fun of it. Expect big tackles and big hits if Maeirhofers involved in a contest, and expect him to walk out of those contests virtually unscathed. As for his opponent, well … let’s hope he just walks out of it. V is for Vendetta, V is for Vengeance but V is also for Veronique, Veronique Chasse. Little is known about V right now but with considerable improvements having been made on the practice field over the past few weeks, a lot more will be known about V come Sunday evening. Mr Motivator, the personal trainer that is Andrew Sakhrani will only be on hand to offer one piece of advice to his opponent this Sunday... Catch me… if you can.
If the Bombers are to stand any chance they need their big guns to stand up and be counted. Without the inspirational Vincent Mousseau and the Rock that is Basel Salameh (both away on International duty), the Bombers are already facing an uphill challenge. But in my opinion they have the stars ready to face any challenges thrown at them. And while Jacobs might be the one of the best forwards, in Josue Gavidia the Bombers have THE best defender in the game. He reads the game to perfection and knows no limits when it comes to throwing his body on the line. In fact if Gavidia hasn’t eaten before the game, then Jacobs better watch out or he may become the El Salvadorians next meal. Add in the ferociousness, determination and inspiration of team Captain Robert Gordon to the mix and the Bombers have the makings of a mean solid defence.
Vastly more experienced around the middle than the Demons this may be where the Bombers could win the game. But it could also be where they lose it. If Lachlan Trumble and Ryan Oxley come into this match fit and raring to go then expect fireworks in around the middle of the field. Both seasoned campaigners who, if in the right frame of mind, could single handed win a game but only if they’re in the right frame of mind. Expect to see the lightning quick Bogdan Rotaru feature in around the middle a lot too. The Cristiano Ronaldo of Aussie Rules, this guy has speed to burn and will not stop running right up to the final whistle. If he finds space and uses the ball smartly then he could cause major damage. Finally expect to see Paul Fairbrother rotate from Ruck to Full Forward throughout the game with Dom Pitchen been the man going the other way each time. If given the right ball in and around the goal Fairbrother WILL kick goals - no doubt. Coupled with what I expect to be short but effective switches to the ruck, Fairbrother could have a big big say in this game.
Unfortunately for the Bombers their secret weapons up front have been exposed to the league with the recent publication of the league goal kicking charts. No longer will Kate Sargeant and Linsday Belzie be allowed to fly across the radar screen without a code one alarm being sounded. Both offer a little something different going forward with Belzie’s approach to goal often more direct then Sargeants, but both equally as dangerous. Throw in a tall target man like Dom Pitchen who has improved immeasurably throughout the year and the Bombers could potentially have a match winning forward line.
Then there are the Bombers unknowns. David Zinno arrives quietly to games, warms up quietly, warms down quietly and then proceeds to leave quietly. Like a ticking time bomb Zinno is just biding his time before exploding onto the football scene. Will Sunday be the day where we see just what the Ray Lewis of Footy is capable of?
All this being, how does this commentator see the game turning out?
Well it depends on a number of factors. First, if the Bombers can keep Lawless quiet and limit the amount of ball going into Jacobs then they stand a big chance. I expect Gavidia to do a job on Jacobs but if the pressure coming in is constant then there is only so much one man can do. Secondly a lot depends on the Bombers two big players – Trumble and Fairbrother. Both have class to burn but both have a tendency to go missing in games. If they can live up to the level of skill they both possess, then this indeed will be a very close game.
But that been said I think the Demons might edge it. Demons by 15
Last Modified on 13/06/2014 06:09