By DAVID NAGEL
CASEY Cardinia football might be light on for quantity this week but the quality and importance of the split-round 13 clash between Beaconsfield and Tooradin more than compensates for any shortfall. If things run true to form then there are two crunch games that will shape this year’s top five, this being one of them, the other also involves the Eagles when they host Doveton in round 15. Win both and the Eagles are favourites for a top-three berth, but lose both and they’ll miss out on the finals. Apart from this crucial clash the other action takes place at Fox Road, where Narre Warren full-forward Kerem Baskaya, on 98-goals, will surely chalk up his first career ton when the Magpies host ROC in a catch-up match from round nine. So there we go… two games of significant importance for two totally different reasons. Gazette sports editor DAVID NAGEL takes a look at both games in more detail.
BEACONSFIELD and Tooradin are fresh and ready to rock after a week off and put their double-chance and finals hopes on the line this week at Perc Allison Oval.
Whatever you want to call it, be it season defining or a crunch game, this one can be best summed up in two words for both sides – bloody important!
Beaconsfield worked hard to build up the credits against Cranbourne and Narre Warren in rounds nine and 10, and then consolidated with an easy win over Pakenham in round 11.
It then undid all its good work with a disappointing display against a rejuvenated Berwick in round 12 which left a whole host of questions unanswered.
Among those questions is do they really rely on the mid-field grunt of skipper Daniel Mislicki – who was away on VCFL duties – that much?
The answer to that one is yes because Mislicki is the engine that keeps the young Eagles wheels rolling out wide, and was sorely missed against the Wickers.
He returns this week for a mid-field battle with Tooradin that will be an absorbing and grinding encounter.
Mislicki, Taylor, Linkins and Aarts have been fine performers all season and combine that with the hard nose approach of Gwozdziewski and Szwaja and you have all bases covered.
Gwozdziewski and Szwaja might be favourites in a scrabble competition but they’ll have to dot their ‘I’s and cross their ‘T’s against this Seagulls centre-line.
Beau Miller and Matt Wade were Mislicki’s team-mates in the VCFL 2 side and return for the Seagulls while Ryan White should also be available to add serious run and carry.
Perc Allison is the Eagles home ground but the heavy conditions will really suit the in and under Seagulls.
Tooradin full-forward Julian Suarez will be tested against the in-form Daniel Battaglin so Tom Hallinan’s recruiting of versatile players will really come into play to add viable options up forward.
Up the other end the Eagles have a good spread of goal kickers but Andrew Williams is the key, with Hallinan having three or four options at his disposal if things don’t go his way.
What Eagles coach Austinn Jones does with Shaun Pollard and who wins the ruck battle between Chris Kelf and Tom Hanney and Tooradin monsters Rohan Hyde and Jarryd Elton are other questions with complicated answers.
At the end of the day it will be the team that wants it more that will get the points.
The Eagles need it more and on that basis we’ll pick them to get up by under two goals.
