By Ken Moore
LANG Lang will be out to bring down the in-form and third-placed Neerim Neerim South on Saturday in the stand-out match of the round.
Since a round five loss at Bunyip, the Cats have won seven on the trot and are working towards peak form, if they’re not already there.
The Tigers sit in second position, but still have their detractors after heavy losses to Warragul Industrials and Garfield.
The Cats will be bolstered by the return of utility Dean McFarlane, who was unavailable last week, and ruckman Matt Young (hamstring) may also return.
But midfield dynamo Chris Urie is likely to represent the Victorian District Country football team against the VAFA (C-F grades) in Shepparton.
Lang Lang appears to have a better forward line, but Neerim looks to have a superior midfield and a more miserly defence.
Keeping in mind that the Tigers struggled badly in the midfield against Garfield, the visitors’ on-ball brigade will likely get their hands on the ball more often and provide enough feed for their goalkickers to notch a winning score.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Ellinbank v Garfield
The Bankers face a must-win game against the Stars. A loss will end their top-six ambitions.
Ellinbank has mixed form all season and is coming into the game after having made heavy weather of beating lowly Kooweerup. It will need to purge the faults it produced last week if it is to be competitive.
Nobody has been able to hold a candle to Garfield this season and it would be a massive upset if the home side was to prevail. But then again, as we saw in the AFL last Saturday, when Essendon knocked over Geelong, upsets do happen.
Many Stars would be unfamiliar with the Ellinbank ground, which will give the Bankers a sliver of hope. With their season on the line, the Bankers will have a real crack … but they won’t be able to match Garfield over all four quarters.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Cora Lynn v Buln Buln
The Cobras will look to win three games in a row for the first time this season when they host the Buln Buln Lyrebirds.
Chameleons would be a more apt nickname for Buln Buln this season, because it changes its colours regularly.
If the good Buln Buln turns up at the Cobra dome, the home side will have a tussle, but if the bad Buln Buln front up, then it will be a big percentage booster for Cora Lynn.
Top Beaconsfield recruit Sean Marchetti (ankle) is still sidelined for the Cobras, but they still have plenty of riches to dominate the midfield duels.
Fresh from the bye, the visitors should be competitive early before the more mature Cobra bodies wrest control as the match wears on.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Nar Nar Goon v Nyora
The Goon gave Nilma Darnum a bit of a “touch up” last week and is likely to do the same against Nyora. The Saints are likely to go into damage control in an effort to minimise the end margin because, at the moment, less than one per cent separates it from being on the bottom of the table.
Still well in reach of sixth position, complacency should not be an issue for the home side. The Goon should win with a leg in the air.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Catani v Nilma Darnum
Putting aside last week’s hefty loss to Neerim Neerim South, the Blues have showed signs of improvement over the past month, with a draw against Bunyip in round 11 and a win over Poowong in round 12.
On that form, it will go into their home ground clash against the cellar-dwelling Bombers as odds-on favourites.
Powerhouse forward Owen Fitzpatrick put on an exhibition last week and, back in form, he will pose an enormous problem for the visitors.
By late Saturday afternoon, Catani should have displaced Kooweerup, which has the bye this week, in 12th position and add a bit more respectability to what has been a frustrating season for Blues fans.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Warragul Industrials v Poowong
The Dusties are on the rebound from an unexpected loss to Bunyip and should have too much talent for the underperforming Magpies.
The Industrials have slumped to sixth spot on the ladder and now have Nar Nar Goon eyeballing their spot, which should keep them focused.
Industrials coach Shane Brewster has opted to play for his side this week, rather than represent the Victorian District Country football team against the VAFA (C-F grades) in Shepparton.
But should ruckman Ben Hobgen make the final cut – which will be announced today – the Dusties may be without their star ruckman.
Poowong has not performed up to par against the top sides and away from home it would take a huge form reversal to pocket the four match points on offer.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Longwarry v Bunyip
It’s a boom-or-bust game for the Crows when they shape up to the Bulldogs on Sunday.
A Longwarry win will keep its slender final hopes alive, while a loss will put it in the category of also-rans in 2011.
Bunyip appreciated the dry ground and weather last week and it signalled a return to its best, which spells trouble for the Crows.
Both teams have a good mix of youth, pace and run and look as though they will match up evenly.
A characteristic of their victories this season has been their ability to exert a lot of pressure on the ball carrier, which will ensure the heat will be on early.
Longwarry looks to have more goalkicking options, but Bunyip appear to have the better back half, which makes for a fascinating tussle.
With more rotational options through the midfield, the visitors should be able to sustain the pressure a tad longer and win a tight contest.
Round 14 tips:
Ellinbank v GARFIELD
WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS v Poowong
Lang Lang v NEERIM NEERIM SOUTH
CATANI v Nilma Darnum
NAR NAR GOON v Nyora
CORA LYNN v Buln Buln
Longwarry v BUNYIP (Sunday)
