By Ken Moore
CORA LYNN and Garfield – preliminary finalists in 2010 – will go eye to eye at the Snake Pit on Saturday in the match of the round. And it should be a corker.
While the Cobras took the honours by 22 points on the penultimate day of last season, the composition of its side has changed vastly.
The experienced trio of Lincoln Withers, Bal Singh and Dan O’Hara and goalkicking star Beau Runnalls all have departed.
Newcomers to Cobraland include tough ruckman Dan Harders, forwards Ryan Gillis and Matt Pierce and midfielders Sean Marchetti, Jay Piggin and Nathan Gillis, who have all shown to be capable replacements.
On face value, experience has made way for enthusiasm and more run and carry. This is the Cobras’ biggest test. The Stars are undefeated and go about their work with a minimum of fuss.
With the recruitment of Daniel Fry from Pakenham, who missed last week but is expected to play on Saturday, Garfield boasts a better attack this season.
With recruit Damian Rhind from Warragul and the return to the club of Ryan Munro, two top-shelf utilities, the Stars have a far more flexible line-up.
Furthermore, its youngsters led by Saxon Watson and Dylan Collis continue to improve and its lesser lights, the likes of Rick Kamphuis and Matthew Hobbs, have also lifted their game a notch or two.
Garfield should exact revenge for last season’s preliminary final loss.
Lang Lang v Longwarry
Two of the season’s biggest improvers, the Tigers and the Crows, will sweat it out at Lang Lang.
The Tigers were going along swimmingly until it got a reality check in the form of a 63-point loss to the Dusties last week.
Longwarry has fashioned a handy midfield but aside from Adam Pavlovic and Luke Serong, the latter, who has mixed his form this season, it doesn’t appear to have the forward potency to win away from home against a team of the calibre of Lang Lang, which will be fired up after its poor second half last week.
The Tigers will be tempted to wield the axe and introduce a bit more run and carry in the form of Adam Baxter, Sean Dwyer and Jarrod Tonks, who all missed last week.
Nar Nar Goon v Kooweerup
The Goon is starting to emerge from its early-season slumber. The way it dismantled Longwarry and Ellinbank over the past two weeks suggests it is nearing the form that made it such a formidable outfit last year.
New recruit Paul Youle has improved the Goon’s ruck stocks and this week rugged ROC recruit Craig Eagleton is a strong chance to make his debut.
Kooweerup has several youngsters on the rise but it is still a year or two away from upsetting the top sides.
The Demons have enough forward firepower to pose a nuisance but not the midfield to compete with the more mature and stronger-bodied Goon runners for all four quarters.
Catani v Ellinbank
With only one victory this season the Blues are now playing for respect rather than a finals berth. Their opponents this week, the Bankers, are hard to fathom. Their form has been spasmodic.
In round four they managed to lose to the lowly Nyora and in round six they put their best foot forward with an upset victory over Cora Lynn.
But just when fans thought the team was about to turn the corner it was pole-axed by Nar Nar Goon last week.
Catani has badly missed star Northern Territory recruit and midfielder Luke Tyrell over the past two weeks. If he returns from a minor injury it may swing the result in favour of the home side. Catani’s last quarter fade-outs do little to inspire confidence, so it suggests Ellinbank will win.
Buln Buln v Bunyip
It would take an upset of monumental proportions for the Lyrebirds to knock over the Bulldogs. Buln Buln does not have enough quality personnel and Bunyip has shown it has what it takes to be bona-fide top six chance.
The Lyrebirds have quietly snuck up to second spot on the ladder and wary that percentage may play a big part in the latter part of the season, it is likely to go for the jugular and show no mercy.
Nyora v Poowong
The Magpies will fly down the road to meet the Saints. Poowong was not overly impressive last week, struggling to fend off Nilma Darnum and Nyora was equally uninspiring, losing by 123 points to Bunyip.
The Magpies still have finals aspirations and the incentive not to lose should keep them focused for long enough to prevail.
Nilma Darnum v Neerim Neerim South
The Saints will face up to the Cats. Unfortunately Nilma places too much store on too few and if its playmakers are down it struggles.
Neerim has proved it can cut it on its day against the top sides, so it should not have too much trouble brushing aside the Darnos.
Round 8 Tips:
Buln Buln v BUNYIPCatani v ELLINBANK
Cora Lynn v GARFIELD
LANGLANGv Longwarry
NARNARGOON v Kooweerup
Nilma Darnum v NEERIMNEERIMSOUTH
Nyora v POOWONG
Warragul Industrials: Bye
