Right: Century goalkicker Nathan Osler will be a key to Nyora’s push for its first premiership since 1993.By Ken Moore
THIS Saturday’s EDFL grand final will match Nyora and Catani for the third time this season. Nyora has won both previous encounters and both teams will enter the big game at close to full strength.
The minor premier Nyora will go in against the reigning premier at Kooweerup as a shortpriced favourite, but don’t expect the game to be a cakewalk for the Saints.
Nyora sealed an impressive win against Catani in the second semifinal but the Blues will relish another opportunity to exact revenge and there could be no better stage than the grand final. Catani has the personnel to mount a serious challenge and, if it plays to the best of its ability, success would not surprise.
If wind or rain intervenes the Blues’ chance of victory will rise as they have more mature and tougher inandunder players at ground level.
“We’re not there to make up the numbers, we’re out to give it our best shot,” said Paul Alger to his charges after last week’s fighting victory over Longwarry.
However Catani will need to improve significantly on its effort against the Crows. Last time they met Nyora, the Saints prised open the Catani defence far too easily, but it is likely to be a lot more difficult this week. Alger is an astute coach who would have learnt from that loss and is likely to rotate his midfielders far more often to avoid the tired legs on which the Blues fell away badly last time. When the heat was on in the first quarter the Blues jumped to a threegoal lead and still were ahead at halftime, so they cannot be taken lightly.
Catani played well last week and can take that confidence into the big one. After having many players sidelined towards the end of the season, the Blues appeared to have gone into the second semi with a few players still a tad underdone, but they should be better for the past two weeks. It would come as no surprise if the Blues have a few aces up their sleeve this time.
In the second semi Catani played both Chris MacLean and Peter Aitkinson in defence to assist its best and fairest Nathan Ruskin and Alger must be tempted to move these two tall, agile utilities upfield to force Nyora to rearrange its team in the hope that it might upset the Saints’ stability and balance.
McLean moved forward last week and provided plenty of drive through the middle and Alger, Michael Stockx (who returned to his best), Luke McFarlane and Paul Wiffin are goers who never give in. With an attack that boasts Brent Mounsey, Hayden Smart and Owen Fitzpatrick it cannot be dismissed lightly.
Catani will well remember when it went into the 2003 grand final as favourites only to get knocked off by Poowong, so that bad memory will give them a ray of hope going in as underdogs.
It’s hard to fault Nyora. Coming into the game with 16 consecutive victories the minor premiers deserve to be the raging favourites. The Saints’ strength this season has not so much been its onball division but its allover evenness and an abundance of players who can play a variety of roles.
In Francis, Hessell, Hutchinson, Lucas, Osler, Alger, Linden, Romeril and Hendry it has players who are not all blessed with exceptional height but can play tall and fill key positions if required and this versatility has posed matchup difficulties for all comers.
Good weather in recent seasons has been conducive to teams with a taller structure and this was the case in the second semi against the Blues.
Forwards Nathan Osler, Dean Alger and John Allsop in recent weeks have provided a great threepronged attack and classy rover Corey Wilson will need to be watched closely.
Wilson was a gamebreaker in the second semi and cut a swathe through the Catani defence with five goals. The other advantage Nyora has over Catani is superior pace through the midfield with Wilson, Hallas, Hutchinson, Glen Hislop and Nathan Smith (arm injury if fit) all possessing plenty of toe.
Perhaps the overwhelming factor that set the two teams apart last time they met was Nyora’s youthful enthusiasm and ability to run quarters out and score goals in the later part of the term when Catani was out on its feet. It is hard to see Catani reversing this feature of Nyora’s game and the Saints with the fresher legs should take home the premiership cup, its first since 1993.
2005 RESULTS
Round nine, Nyora: Nyora 20.22.142 d Catani 18.16.124.
Second semifinal, Bunyip: Nyora 22.18.150 d Catani 15.13.103.
