Keysborough skipper Ryan Goodes will lead his team into battle against Berwick as the split round nine begins in Casey Cardinia Football on Saturday. 82975 Picture: JARROD POTTER
By DAVID NAGEL
CASEY Cardinia football heads into the split-round nine this weekend, and once again it’s Berwick who will be under the spotlight when it plays host to Keysborough.
The Wickers were courageous in their heart-breaking loss to Tooradin last week and came within a kick of snatching a top-five berth, but the ball just continues to bounce the wrong way…so to speak.
So what’s gone wrong with a team that was a clear third pick in most people’s pre-season predictions?
It was clear last week that the Wickers lack the consistency of last year on an individual and team level.
Players like Jason Rahilly, Tom Gillies, Luke Sheppard, Ahmet Zijai and Dale Robinson had a huge influence at times, but couldn’t hold that level for four quarters. Rahilly was dominant in the third quarter, but didn’t make the Wickers best players list which highlights that inconsistency.
Another feature that was missing was the instinctive run and carry of Berwick’s prime movers. At times Berwick fired out three, four and five handballs but still couldn’t escape from a contested situation, it’s like their timing is out when their runners hit the contest.
It’s not all bad news for the Wickers, who were unlucky not to get the choccies.
Nathan Waite was back to his best last week, not in a goal-kicking sense, but with his influence inside 50 while Madison Andrews ran himself into the ground with his work ethic.
Kristian Meredith and Chris McKay are others in navy blue that will need to continue their good form if the Wickers are get over the line against Keysborough.
The Burra play their small ground well and are known for not being as well suited to the spacious surrounds of the bigger grounds. That might be a fallacy, however, after the Burra ran Doveton ragged at Robinson Oval earlier in the year.
Coach Simon Pasinati knows there’s a lot at stake.
“Absolutely, it’s a massive game for us,” Pasinati said.
“Our aim all season has been to get to the break with a positive record and at four-four right now, we just have to win.
“Our percentage has taken a hammering, so we have to win games, and with Berwick’s season on the line as well, it’s going to be desperation stakes.”
Just how many more whacks can Berwick take before it throws its hands in the air and gives up? The answer is no more. Its curtains if the Wickers go down this week, and it will win a spirited contest by close to three-goals.
