Cobra Matthew Robinson flies high to take a good grab as all Warragul Industrials star Damien Dawson can do is watch. Their sides met last Saturday – and will be at it again this week in a cut-throat elimination final.
By Ken Moore
THIRD-placed Cora Lynn and sixth-placed Warragul Industrials will square off for the second consecutive week when they journey to Poowong on Saturday for the first elimination final.
A question mark hovers over whether the Dusties can overcome the mental scars of Saturday’s 41-point loss to the Cobras, who appeared to have all the answers to the best the Industrials could throw at them.
Saturday’s encounter was decided in the third quarter when Cora Lynn ran amok. While it gave the Industrials a big insight into what to expect this week, it is hard to imagine them turning the tables.
The Industrials will likely tinker with their line-up and field a team with more run in their legs in an endeavour to match up against the Cora Lynn ball carriers that had the better of them.
Inspirational leader Shane Brewster, who was rested last week, will return and Dom Larosa, Ayden Mills and Dale Williamson are also expected to come back into the side.
On the two occasions they have met this season, when Industrials were held to just 8.7 – in both games – they have struggled against a disciplined Cora Lynn defence, which is far tighter than last season’s model and this presents a big worry for the Dusties.
Cora Lynn enters the finals on a seven-game winning streak and will include rugged midfielder Jack Allen, perhaps its best player this season, along with forward maestro Matt Robinson. Their presence is likely to spell trouble for the Industrials.
A huge sideshow to the main event will be the ruck tussle between spring-heeled Industrial tall Ben Hobgen and strapping boom Cora Lynn recruit Dan Harders, who will renew hostilities after an epic battle last week when insiders from both clubs were adamant their man took the honours.
Expect the Dusties to narrow the margin this time around, but in Brendan Kimber, Jimmy Bradshaw, Jack Allen, Anthony Giuliano, Craig Taylor and Jordan Toole, the Cobras have more ability to break the lines on a regular basis, an asset that should keep their premiership hopes alive.
In round four this season Cora Lynn 22.14 (146) beat Warragul Industrials 8.7 (55). In round 19 Cora Lynn 15.6. (96) defeated Warragul Industrials 8.7 (55).
FOURTH-PLACED Bunyip will meet the fifth-placed Lang Lang in the second elimination final on Sunday at Kooweerup.
Since the ground surfaces have improved, the Bulldogs have been in imposing form, winning six games on the trot.
Their last loss was in round 12 when they went down to Lang Lang, which provides the intrigue in this clash.
Over the past fortnight, the fortunes of both sides have been in total contrast.
Bunyip has been super impressive, knocking over Garfield and Poowong, the latter victory a 94-point demolition job over a side that knocked over Garfield only seven days earlier.
Lang Lang enters the game with losses to Cora Lynn by 89 points and a narrow defeat to Nar Nar Goon on Saturday.
Since round six, when the Tigers had a bye, they have been bereft of their early-season confidence but they beat Bunyip 11.11 (77) to 9.6 (60) in round 12.
To add to their woes, the Tigers put a lot of store on Kurt Batt and he appeared to badly injure his hamstring last week, which will almost certainly remove the Bulldogs’ biggest forward threat.
The midfields are chock-a-block of workers rather than stars, but the Bulldogs still hold the upper hand in this department. Bunyip has been in red-hot form, while Lang Lang has been only lukewarm of late.
It points to a Bulldogs victory.
