By Brad Kingsbury
CASEY Fields has not been a great hunting ground for the Pakenham Lions, but this weekend they have as good a chance as ever to establish it as another preferred venue with a solid performance against Cranbourne.
The home team will be banking on their opponents travelling to their ground with that attitude and will be waiting with anticipation.
Pakenham backs itself against all comers and on the pristine Cranbourne deck, running players like Luke Walker, Beau Wheeler, Dom Paynter, John Atwell and Jack O’Rourke should dominate and give the Eagles something to chase.
That’s the plan anyway, but any coach or side that under estimates Cranbourne this season is in for a shock.
They are not the one-dimensional, Marc Holt conscious team of recent years, and Pakenham coach Michael Holland knows it.
“I’m rapt that we come up against good sides early and that the competition is stronger this year,” he said.
“Cranbourne is always hard to beat and they match up pretty well against us, especially at Casey Fields. It will be another good challenge for the group.”
The Lions are on a mission after last year and it will take an intense, four-quarter effort from a committed and talented side to take a home and away game off them this season.
Cranbourne coach Doug Koop admitted that after last week’s win over Keysborough.
“Yes it’s a big game but every game is a challenge. We need to take another step again and apply pressure from the start this week,” he said.
“We need to be consistent because Pakenham has players that run and make you pay every time.”
Although many of the faces are the same, Cranbourne is a different team this year and that might unsettle the Lions.
They have more than one avenue to goal, their midfield is much quicker and Koop has instilled his renowned brand of mental toughness into the group. That makes them a dangerous proposition to all comers.
However Pakenham has an edge in raw talent over all of its Casey Cardinia League rivals this season and that will separate them from the Eagles both on field and on the scoreboard after this week’s game.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Beaconsfield v
Keysborough
It is only round four but the game between Beaconsfield and Keysborough has huge implications for both after their indifferent starts to a competitive season.
In fact it is a pivotal match in every way.
Another loss for either side would be disastrous in the context of every side’s aim of making the finals and Eagles coach Robbie Taylor suggested just that after last week’s loss to Pakenham.
“They’re zero and two and we’re not much better so neither side can afford to come out and lose next week. It’s as good as a final in that respect,” he said.
Beaconsfield has already proved that it can match it with the league’s best for three quarters, while the Burra has not proved anything other than that they are either unfit, unwilling or maybe both.
That may sound harsh but the 2009 Casey Cardinia league will not allow any side a ‘settling in period’ and that is exactly what the Burra seems to be asking for.
Beaconsfield at Beaconsfield equals victory and despair for Keysborough.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Berwick v Narre Warren
There has been no love lost between these two sides over a long period of time, however most of the new 2009 Berwick group have no idea or sense of local history.
That has been a bonus because rather than dwell on the inadequacies of the past, they have just gone onto the field and beaten what has been put in front of them.
The challenge this week is to do that to the reigning three-time premiers and firmly put the Berwick name up as a serious finals contender if it isn’t all ready. There is every chance that will happen after the wonderful early form of Grant Noonan, Jason Heath and captain Andrew Tuck, but Magpie coach Matt Shinners will have other ideas.
Just because Narre Warren is young this year does not mean it can’t compete and with captain Glenn Hamilton returning from injury, the Magpies are set to turn it on at a ground they have made their home away from home over the last three years.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Doveton v ROC
ROC faces one of the hardest tasks of the year this week when it travels to the Robinson Reserve to take on an in-form Doveton. Despite its best efforts last week, the Kangaroos came up short against Berwick at home and simply must lift another cog if it hopes to compete with the Doves.
Doveton’s last outing on their revered home deck was a less than impressive draw with Devon Meadows and that will probably inspire the home side to even greater heights.
After a couple of games under his belt, star recruit Russell Gabriel looks set to take the league by storm, while the Kangaroos defence will be quaking at the thought of trying to cover all Doveton’s avenues to goal.
Despite the obvious improvement at Starling Road this season, ROC will know where it is at after this one and it is impossible to tip an upset.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Tooradin v Devon Meadows
Seagull supporters will have pencilled this clash in as a ‘probable win’ when the fixture was released and will be hoping that their prediction is correct.
Both clubs have struggled over recent seasons and both will be absolutely determined to get the seasons going with a win this week.
Interestingly both are coming off the bye so should be close to full strength and ready to perform at their best. Both have added good players to their lists, with Tooradin securing Chad Liddell and Beau Miller, although Miller is yet to play and Liddell is still coming to grips with football at this level. The Panthers have recruited a beauty in Daniel Rigg, while former Essendon big man Aaron Henneman has started the year in fine form up forward.
This will be a real battle of attrition and the most focussed side will likely prevail. Devon Meadows’ effort to draw with Doveton last round suggests that the Panthers have improved significantly on last season and that should be enough to see them across the line for the first time this year.
