FINALS week 2 preview
One down, with three weeks to go in the 2022 SS&A Ovens and Murray Football Netball League finals, with John Foord Oval (Corowa) and Martin Park (Wodonga) hosting two big days.
The big prize on offer at Corowa will be direct passage into the Grand Final on September 25th at the Lavington Sportsground. Wangaratta and Yarrawonga will be the combatants, and with both sides having late season injury concerns, the outcome becomes increasingly hard to predict.
Jamie Anderson, the Pies fullback, will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury, while the Pigeons have been dealt a double dose of bad luck. Star on ballers Harry Wheeler (shoulder) and Michael Gibbons (hamstring) are both out of this weeks Second Semi-Final, with Wheeler almost certain to miss the rest of the series. Gibbons just can’t take a trick having suffered calf, ankle, and now hamstring injuries in his inaugural season since being delisted at Carlton.
With no Wheeler or Gibbons, Yarrawonga do get some scope in their player points, allowing for the inclusion of some tall timber to counter the lethal Magpie forward line. Jye Cross and Connor Griffiths have come into the Yarrawonga side, with versatile defender Kayden Sharp named as an emergency sill an option. Wangaratta, without Anderson, has gone with some local talent to top up with Tyler Norton, Hunter Gottschling and Harry Smart all given an opportunity to shine. Pigeon’s star forward Leigh Williams is likely to be picked up by Michael Bordignon, while the role on the Pies Callum Moore could go to either Matt Grossman or Dylan Van Berlo.
Despite the heavy rain late in the week, the John Foord Oval will handle the conditions as good as any ground in the region.
The question is can the Wangaratta Rovers beat Albury for the third time this season, and eliminate the Tigers, in what is shaping as a genuine blockbuster on Sunday at Wodonga.
The Hawks handled the finals atmosphere superbly in beating Myrtleford last week, and could be further boosted by the inclusion of defender Tyson Hartwig. Hartwig has played just three seconds games this season and his selection will add poise and experience at whatever end of the ground Daryn Cresswell plays him. Cresswell, the former Sydney Swan and Team of the Century and Hall of Famer, is sure to have a few tricks in his bag in his last season as coach at Rovers.
Albury were stiff not to pull off the upset last Saturday against Yarrawonga. They have been buoyed by the midweek tribunal clearing of star midfielder Fletcher Carroll. Carroll has made an excellent recovery from a nasty hamstring injury. Tiger Captain Michael Duncan returns from his own hamstring concerns. Jake Gaynor who has not played since round 12 has been named an emergency with plenty of intrigue floating around footy circles about his return.
The Tigers will be keen to keep the career of Shaun Daly going for another week, with the Tiger great calling and end to his playing career at seasons end. The Rovers forward set up looked the goods last week, with Tom Boyd and Alex Marklew in great touch. Tiger defenders Jess Wilson and Lucas Conlan will have big roles to play.
A reminder if you can’t make the games over the weekend, all football an netball will be live streamed on Optus O&M TV, and broadcast on radio 1494 2AY, 1566 3NE and OAK FM.
Corowa Rutherglen will be hoping to take advantage of its home court advantage when they take on the inform Yarrawonga Pigeons in the netball. Yarrawonga have been in ominous form over the last two months, stringing together eight wins in a row, including a two-goal win over the Roos in round 15. The Pigeons last loss was against Lavington in round 11 and have won 12 of its last 13 matches to go into the finals as the inform team.
Corowa Rutherglen’s season has been almost faultless, with back-to-back losses in rounds 14 and 15 being the only hiccup. The Roo’s won by seven goals in round six, and the Pigeons by two goals in round fifteen. The goal ring shootout between the Roo’s Grace Senior, and veteran Pigeon Bridget Cassar, holds the key. The midcourt talent is immense in both sides, and the team that creates the most turnovers will find its way into the Grand Final.
Lavington and Wangaratta is a genuine toss of the coin result, with both sides at their best as good as any other in the finals race. Wangaratta, despite finishing lower on the ladder than Lavington, will go into the game very confident having beaten the Panthers twice during the season. At home in round eight the defending premiers won by 19 goals, and then in round 17 the Magpies won a thriller by three goals.
