Saturday, 2.15pm at Casey Fields
STRENGTHS
Cranbourne: The Eagles work super hard for each other and have some strong one-on-one competitors in Curtis Barker, Matt Rus, Nick Barker and big man Stuart Morrish. That has the potential to unsettle the class-laden Lions.
Pakenham: The Lions defence has stood tall to date this season, despite the absence of Nathan Brown. Josh Winter, Clint Walker, Beau Wheeler and Adam Cook lead from the front and are very hard at it on the rebound.
QUESTION MARK
Cranbourne: The playing list is as workmanlike as the reputation of the community they represent, but will Cranbourne’s lack of stars (with apologies to Marc Holt) mean that serious challenges to sides like Pakenham just can’t be sustained?
Pakenham: The Lions have not played particularly well at Casey Fields in past seasons and seem to always be tested by the Eagles every time they show up. Can the Lions play to their full potential on the best deck in the league?
X-FACTOR
Cranbourne: The Coller factor. Brad Coller has added another dimension to the Cranbourne attack and should Marc Holt be covered, Coller has the ability to boot a winning score.
Pakenham: ‘Smooth’ by name and even smoother by nature. Young Pakenham midfielder John Atwell is finally fit and that spells danger for all comers.
VERDICT
Pakenham will win but by what margin and with how much authority is the question. The Lions are a beautifully balanced unit across the field and have the correct amount of run and hardness to beat most rivals this year. However the Lions cannot afford to take the Eagles lightly.
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Casey Cardinia Football League
Round 4, Saturday 9 May, 2009
Doveton v ROC (2.15pm at Robinson Reserve)
Berwick v Narre Warren (2.15pm at Edwin Flack Reserve)
Tooradin v Devon Meadows (2.15pm at Western Port Oval)
Beaconsfield v Keysborough (2.15pm at Perc Alison Oval)
Cranbourne v Pakenham (2.15pm at Casey Fields)
Hampton Park bye.
