BY NATHAN DOLE
Royals aim to tame Tigers on Donald turf
DONALD will be aiming to tame the Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers when the Goldacres North Central senior footy season resumes this Saturday.
The Royals will be on home turf at Donald to play the Tigers from 2.30pm.
Clubs are now a third of the way into the 18-round home and away series.
Big test for the fourth-placed Donald against the reigning premier which is second in the title race.
Most recent hit-out for the Royals was at Lord Nelson Park in St Arnaud where they beat the Saints by 44 points.
Trent Grant kicked five goals to be among Donald’s best with Ryan Hards, Dale Kerr and Andrew Browne.
Massive challenge for the Royals’ defence this round against a Sea Lake Nandaly attack that includes co-coach Billy McInnes, Josh Jenkins and Lachy McClelland.
The Josh Potter-coached Donald has Andrew Browne, Ross Young and Dale Kerr in the on-ball duels.
Key players for the Tigers include captain Ryan O’Sullivan, Kane and Wade Donnan, Brody Weir and Chase Tait.
A nine-goal haul by former Adelaide Crows and Geelong forward Josh Jenkins was a highlight of Sea Lake Nandaly’s round five win against Nullawil.
The Tigers won 99-71 as Jenkins, Luke Martin, Lachy McClelland and Max Cahoon led the way.
The ladder-leading Birchip-Watchem is home at Birchip’s George Cartwright Oval to play Boort.
A Bulls line-up coached by Trevor Ryan will be wary after the Magpies clawed their way to a 74-72 win at home against Wycheproof-Narraport in round five.
Bulls’ star Ben Edwards kicked eight goals in win against Charlton for a season tally of 36.
In-form players for Birchip-Watchem include Lachy Foott, ruckman Hamish Hosking, Joseph Reid, Meyrick Buchanan and Nicholas Rippon.
Best in Boort’s win against the Demons were James Keeble, Jordan Bell, Tom Potter and Jhye Baddeley-Kelly.
The Dale Cameron-coached Magpies squad includes captain Jarrod Fitzpatrick, Malachi Coleman, Natnael McLaren, Will Perryman and Keiren Wilson.
Nullawil is at home to take on Charlton.
Runner-up in ’23, Nullawil goes into this round in seventh place on a one-three record.
Tough run for Darryl Wilson in his first season coaching Nullawil began with a home-ground defeat to Birchip-Watchem.
The Maroons have since been beaten at Donald and Sea Lake.
A Nullawil attack led by Mitch Farmer and Jack Exell will be difficult for Charlton to hold across four quarters.
Best in Nullawil’s clash at Sea Lake against the SLN Tigers were Dean Putt, Matthew Wade, Lucas Caccaviello and David Isbister.
Charlton will be just as desperate to mark its first win of the season.
The Mitch Collins-coached Navies faced a red-hot Birchip-Watchem at Charlton Park in round five.
Chris Gavaghan kicked three goals, but will need a lot more support for Charlton to challenge Nullawil in this contest.
Key players for the Navies include captain Jed Thompson, Jesse Taylor, Thomas Finlay, Tyler Bruns, Bailey Kemp and Kade Blow.
Wycheproof-Narraport tackles Wedderburn at Wycheproof.
The Wayne Mitrovic-coached Demons will be fired up after a 72-74 loss at Boort Park in round five.
Matthew Trzeciak and Nicholas Grabowski kicked five and four goals for Wycheproof Narraport.
Both will test Wedderburn’s defence.
The Demons’ best against the Magpies included Thomas Trewin, captain Spencer Allan and Trevor Rumbold.
Wycheproof-Narraport will look for big games from Rick Allan, Boe Bish, Cody Green, Lachlan Van Schaik and George Turner.
In his first year of senior coaching, Tom Metherell has led Wedderburn to the third rung on a three-one record.
The Redbacks had the bye in round five following a 49-point win at Boort Park the previous round.
In-form players for Wedderburn include Tom Campbell, Jordan Hargreaves and captain Joe Lockhart,
Anthony Zelencich kicked five goals in Wedderburn’s latest victory for a season tally of 15.
Other key players for the Redbacks include Jayden Jones, Danny Benaim, Adam Postle, Jacob DeAraugo and Junior Miller.
Wedderburn also has the talented trio of Louis, Oscar and Rhordan Holt.
St Arnaud has the bye.
North Central senior footy ladder:
Birchip-Watchem 208 per cent, 20 points; Sea Lake Nandaly 159, 16; Wedderburn 177, 12; Donald 112, 12; Boort 87, 8; Wycheproof-Narraport 84, 8; Nullawil 94, 4; St Arnaud 40, 0;. Charlton 39, 0.
Leading goalkickers:
36 Ben Edwards, Birchip-Watchem.
17 Josh Jenkins, Sea Lake Nandaly.
15 Nicholas Rippon, Birchip-Watchem.
15 Anthony Zelencich, Wedderburn.
14 Mitch Farmer, Nullawil.
14 Trent Grant, Donald.
13 Tom Campbell, Wedderburn.
13 Billy McInnes, Sea Lake Nandaly.
10 Jack Exell, Nullawil.
8 Ethan Coleman, Boort.
8 Nicholas Grabowski, Wycheproof-Narraport.
8 Oscar Holt, Wedderburn.
8 Corey Jones, Wycheproof-Narraport.
8 Will Perryman, Boort.
7 Blake Grant, Donald.
7 Lachy McClelland, Sea Lake Nandaly.
7 Torin Petrie, St Arnaud.
7 Joseph Reid, Birchip-Watchem.