CaseyCardinia preview round 17

By Brad Kingsbury
HAMPTON Park must win this week’s clash with Cranbourne to remain a finals chance in 2005.
While fellow topfive aspirants ROC and Pakenham have tough games against entrenched contenders Beaconsfield and Narre Warren, they will both likely win their last games of the year and that means the Redbacks have to win both their remaining games to make the grade.
Saturday’s finalquarter capitulation to the Lions looked a real worry to Redback supporters, given the Hawks will come at them as hard and physically as any opponent.
The only joy Cranbourne can gain from the last two rounds is to upset the seasons of a couple of teams above it and Darren Martello and his team rated themselves a lot higher than their current standing at the start of the season.
Injuries to key players has taken its toll on both teams, but Hampton Park will likely be boosted by the inclusion of Matt Shorey and Dean Jamieson this week and that should provide the spark to see the Redbacks stay in the fight for the five.
ROC will give itself a big show of knocking off Beaconsfield at Starling Road.
The Kangaroos have thrashed Cranbourne and Keysborough in their past two games and have the momentum to carry the game right up to their neighbours.
Eagles coach Leigh Clifford said he was expecting four of his six injured stars to make a return this week, but they may come through the reserves or be nursed back, given the result is irrelevant to Beaconsfield’s ladder position.
That said, Clifford will not accept anything but a full effort and his players are used to winning.
This could be close, but tipping against the Eagles is not wise at this time of year.
Narre Warren is at home to Pakenham with the Lions knowing that a win will see them play finals.
There cannot be any greater incentive and, with the Magpies also safely entrenched in third position with nothing else to gain from the remaining home and away rounds, it is unlikely that coach Paul Hamilton would risk a draining manonman battle.
However, last weekend’s upset loss would have brought home the fact that there is still work to do if they want to figure in the last game of the season and that fact should drive the Magpies to reverse last week’s result in a topnotch contest.
Devon Meadows is still a mathematical chance of making the finals and will remain that way providing it defeats Dingley this week and two of the three teams above it go down, which is a distinct possibility.
The Dingoes will have partied hard after downing Berwick and it is to be hoped they enjoyed it, because they will be brought back to reality at Glover Reserve on Saturday.
Berwick plays it’s last game at the Edwin Flack Reserve for the season this week when it takes on giantkillers Tooradin.
The less said about the Wickers’ effort against eleventhplaced Dingley last week the better, but surely they can rally in front of their own supporters to put up a competitive effort against the Seagulls.
Even so, Dan O’Loughlin’s Tooradin team has found its rhythm and will likely do a number on the wilting Wickers.
Keysborough will enjoy several things about its visit to Doveton this week.
The Robinson Reserve is in magnificent condition for starters and the beer is always cold and plentiful. Also the hamburgers are excellent and the Doves’ aftermatch hospitality is second to none.
It’s all just as well because, on form, the Doves will pulverise the Kookaburras on the field and could very well go for a row for cruelty!