Bunyip goal attack Claire Ablett and Garfield goal defence Sam Charles are all eyes and arms in readiness for the ball. 68203 Picture: Stewart Chambers
By Ken Moore
CORA Lynn’s home-round confrontation with Lang Lang will highlight the penultimate round of the EDFL season on Saturday.
The match will be a finals preview – and there is every chance the teams could meet again in an elimination final in two weeks.
Lang Lang has the forwards to unlock the Cora Lynn defence – but not quite the midfield talent to feed them regularly enough to kick a winning score.
The Tigers will need to play better than last week, when their 64-point victory over Buln Buln was more due to poor play by the Lyrebirds rather than impressive play by the Tigers.
Cora Lynn is priming itself for a big finals campaign and in recent weeks appears to be in better nick than its visitors and should win a sixth game in a row.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:POOWONG v GARFIELD
BOTH the Magpies and the Stars will be out for redemption after shock losses last week. Poowong put in a stinker against the lowly Kooweerup and Garfield never got any rhythm going against Bunyip, who inflicted the first defeat on the premiership favourites.
The Stars have a big injury worry with bustling midfielder Phil Burns leaving the ground early last week with a leg injury and he must be an extremely doubtful starter.
Good teams bounce back from a loss with a vengeance and Garfield is unquestionably a good side. The Stars will likely tinker with their side and possibly introduce the Ferguson brothers, Jamie and Sam, to give them a bit more balance. The Magpies will feel the wrath of the Stars’ anger.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:NAR NAR GOON v CATANI
WHILE the Blues have lifted their game over the last month, the Goon should have little to fret about.
With their finals prospects now gone, the biggest threat for Nar Nar Goon may be motivation. The Goon may also be tempted to use the last two weeks of the season to blood a few youngsters with a view to next season.
One aspect of the Goon game that the reigning premiers need to address over summer is their run and pace through the middle. Nevertheless, Nar Nar Goon has been in good form over the last month and relish touching up weaker sides.
Aside from powerhouse Blues forward Owen Fitzpatrick, who has found touch over the last month, the visitors do not have the goal scoring ammunition to pose a threat.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:NEERIM NEERIM SOUTH v KOOWEERUP
THE Cats are on a roll and it is hard to imagine them dropping a home game to the erratic Demons.
Kooweerup last week produced its best performance of the season, when it stunned Poowong. However, this week the task is the most difficult in the league – a trip to Neerim to tackle the in-form and red-hot Cats.
Rather than call themselves the Demons, perhaps the Chameleons would be a more apt nickname, because they have somehow managed to conjure four victories nestled between five 100-point losses.
The difference between their best and worst is vast.
Neerim last week suffered hamstring injuries to forwards Chris Redl and Jack Halligan, but it will still have far too much talent across all lines for the Demons.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:NYORA v LONGWARRY
THE Saints will be looking to ruffle the feathers of the Crows.
The incentive for Nyora to win is big because a victory will lift it off the bottom of the ladder. The Saints will give themselves a chance, because the Crows have well over six players presently sidelined with injury, including the McDonald brothers and Scott Hamilton, three of their more physically imposing players.
While not convincing last week, Longwarry fended off Nilma Darnum and on the hunch that the Bombers are travelling marginally better than the Saints at the moment, I’ll tip the Crows to make it two wins on the trot in a nailbiter.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:BULN BULN v WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS
THE disappointing Lyrebirds will play host to the Dusties.
Despite home-ground advantage, Buln Buln is just too unpredictable to pick with any confidence.
While the Industrials can also mix their form, when they do play well they can compete with the best, as it did in round 12 when they pushed Garfield for all bar five minutes.
Should the Dusties play at anywhere near that level, they should win comfortably. The Lyrebirds are missing coach Daniel Charles (ill) and utility Ricky Hayes (ankle) and without these two playmakers, will be out of their depth.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:NILMA DARNUM v ELLINBANK
THE Bombers are stranded near the foot of the table, but have put in reasonable showings in three of the last four matches – making Catani, Warragul Industrials and Longwarry all work hard.
Should the Bankers arrive at Darnum not focused – a Bombers’ victory must be a fair chance. Ellinbank has dropped four games in a row and its form is nothing to write home about.
I’ve got a feeling the Bombers will look the likely winners at some stage, but the Bankers will dig deep enough to avoid an embarrassing defeat in a close encounter.
ROUND 18 Tips:
Poowong v GARFIELD
NEERIM NEERIM SOUTH v Kooweerup
Nilma Darnum v ELLINBANK
Nyora v LONGWARRY
Buln Buln v WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS
CORA LYNN v Lang Lang
NAR NAR GOON v Catani
