With only four rounds to go in the Central Murray, you start to get a feel for who will come out on top in each match, and Round 14 was no exception. The margins might have been a little different than expected, but arguably, the favourites all came away with the W.
Cohuna Kangas easily accounted for the home team, beating Koondrook Barham in a convincing 16-goal win; but it still wasn’t enough to push them back into top spot on the ladder. Cohuna hold onto second spot, on equal points with Kerang in first, but a significantly lower percentage; they are only one game clear of third, so will have to win the last three to ensure they keep their place in the top two. Koondrook Barham remain on the bottom of the ladder but, if they can come together in their last three games, may have a chance to get a few more W’s before the end of the season.
Daniel Coates continued his fantastic season, kicking 4 goals in a best on ground display, while Tom Metherell, Joel Helman, Jack Donat, Rhys Free & Ben Archard also stood up for the Kangas; Jack Shannon, Lucas Iudica, Matthew Dean, Jacob Barrington, Max Baldissera & Reagan Hamilton were amongst the better players for Koondrook Barham.
In a match that had potential to become and upset, Lake Boga held on from a persistent NNWU, eventually coming away with a 4-goal win. The win sees Lake Boga gain a two-game buffer, keeping them in the top 5, over Mallee Eagles, which they will need going into a tough run home before finals. Unfortunately, the loss sees NNWU out of finals contention and, with some tough games coming up, potentially fighting to keep off the bottom of the ladder at seasons end.
Daniel Dzufer found himself in the best for the sixth time in seven games for Lake Boga, with Jacob Simpson, Joshua Cruse-filo, Ryan Fox, Jayden Lonergan & Dustin Burns also playing well; better players for NNWU were Dean Harrop, Jaydyn Stirling, Dylan McLachlan, Alex Erlandson, Brady Davidson & Adrian Knee.
Tyntynder continued their hot form, in dominant 15-goal win over Swan Hill, making it five in row for the Dogs as they head towards finals. Tyntynder have a tough run home, so will need to ensure they keep performing well to avoid slipping down the ladder as they head into finals. Swan Hill’s chances of finals are now off the table, but a couple of winnable games in the last few rounds could see them improve their ladder position before the end of the season.
Jason Eagle dominated for Tyntynder, kicking 12 majors for a second week in a row, earning himself best on ground, with Marcus Wattie, Thomas Bull, Solomon McKay, Jackson Morris & Elia Ware also impressive on the day; Swan Hill’s top 6 were Matthew Wade, Kallen Heslop, Tobias Thoolen, Darby Meney, Jared Halligan & Sam Coffey.
If all things line up perfectly, Balranald still have a chance to make finals, and a resounding win over a struggling Tooleybuc Manangatang helped them on their way. Balranald’s last four rounds are all must-win games, so the Roos will need to keep firing over the next few weeks to keep their finals hopes alive. Tooley Manang are in the running for wooden spoon, so will be hoping to put in some better performances over the last couple of rounds to ensure they don’t end up on the bottom.
Connor Soraggi, Jack Salau, Jydon Neagle, Drew Lloyd, Jordan Wilkins & Tom Salau were the top contributors for Balranald; Tom Carland, Shane Foley, Sam Morton, Alex Powell, John Wardle & Peter Rothacker stood out for the Saints.
Woorinen have been putting in some strong performances in the lead up to finals, and it was no different against Mallee Eagles on the weekend, coming away with an 8-goal win in the end. Woorinen have a couple of tough games coming up, which they must win to keep themselves in third spot or higher. Mallee Eagles must win their last three, and hope Lake Boga lose theirs, to have any chance of sneaking back into the top 5; it is possible though, if they get back into their early season form.
Patrick Veszpremi was impressive for the Tigers, as were Jye Barry, Robbie Miller, Taylor Cameron, Mitchel Taylor & Matthew Gardner; Harry Allen, Tom Mcgregor, Andrew McDonald, Darcy McGregor, Logan Nalder & Sam Dunstan were amongst the best for the Eagles.
Written by AFLCV Staff.
Photo Credit – Mallee Eagles Facebook Page
