By DAVID NAGEL
CASEY CARDINIA FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE
PREVIEW WEEK 2 SPLIT ROUND 12
YOU just get the feeling that this week’s clash against Berwick will appeal to the very fabric of the Narre Warren Football Club.
Down a few star players and on the same day that the club will honour its glorious past with a Gala Ball to celebrate its 60th season, the Magpie spirit, that has been the club’s trademark over the years, will be alive and well at Fox Road on Saturday.
Skipper Michael Collins, last year’s best and fairest winner Josh Tonna, and the most versatile player in the competition, Kain Baskaya, will be wearing the Big V, not black and white this Saturday, as they represent the VCFL No.2 side against the VAFA.
It is not a deep regret, but a source of annoyance for Magpie coach Chris Toner, that he gently pushed his players towards club, not state, last year, as the VCFL encounter against the VAFA was fixtured on the same day that the Magpies met their arch-rivals Cranbourne.
Full credit must go to Toner for relenting this time around because this game also has the potential to be a belter.
Berwick looked to be the emerging challenger to the Magpies early this season before its intensity dropped a fraction or two and it slipped back into the pack. Wickers’ coach Rhys Nisbet warned his high-flying side at the time that a fraction less run, a fraction less aggression, or a fraction less team-work could end their early season run… and that’s exactly how it has panned out.
Let’s hope Nisbet and his boys have used the week off to regroup, because they can really trouble the Magpies with their best brand of footy on the weekend.
Skipper Madi Andrews and Michael Harold will enjoy the absence of Collins, who has been a massive presence at most stoppages the Magpies have competed in over the last decade or so. If they can get their hands on the footy and set runners like Tom Brennan, Luke Shepard and Daniel Harrison free, the Wickers could do some damage.
“The Invisible Man”, Paul Vanschilt, is another attacking option that has been running hard in recent times, but has not been getting rewarded by his team-mates. He ran his backside off against Beaconsfield, and worked just as hard to shake the tag of Jack Kowarzik against Pakenham, but just hasn’t been offered the pill.
Toner rates Vanschilt highly… and it might send a scare or two through the Magpies camp if he gets some distribution and starts with a hot-first-quarter on Saturday.
Narre Warren produced its best four-quarter performance of the season against Beaconsfield last start and has the quality, and backup, to cover the loss of its star trio. Dylan Quirk, Nick Scanlon, Col McNamara, Jackson Parker and Matt Lee are all phenomenal ball winners, while Kerem Baskaya, Lee Boyle, Steve Watson, Ryan Morrison and Ben King will make life more than difficult for Berwick’s big-man department.
Baskaya had quiet one against the Eagles, in his first hit-out after three weeks on the sideline, and will be dangerous as he looks to right that wrong on the weekend. Narre can also call on players like Stewie Scanlon, Andy Vella, Mitch Cowan, Sam McLean and Corie Intveen, who have all been in fine form in the twos in recent times… and it’s that depth of talent, and character that will get the Magpies across the line by an appealing 23 points.
