Red Cliffs v Irymple
Quandong Park, 12pm
TODAY’s protagonists should make the final five with a useful eight-point break over sixth-placed Merbein, but a win would sure make them breathe a lot easier.
Irymple are fourth on the table but only two clear of hosts Red Cliffs and a loss would see them drop to fifth.
The Swallows put up a pretty good fight against almighty Wentworth at home last week but still went down by 15 goals. The good news is they won’t have to face the rampant Roos again until maybe the post-season.
Defender Alice Leeder and midcourter Tarlia Couzner were named Irymple’s best in that game, and the former returns to her old home court today, which will add an interesting twist to things.
In their first encounter this season, at Henshilwood Park, the teams played out a 50-50 stalemate with Irymple playing coach Shelby Trigg scoring 26 of those goals and Samantha Garraway 23, but they were well countered by Tiger star Zara Copely, who snagged 35, including the tying goal at the final horn.
At home and in likely testing conditions, Romany Bowen’s squad should have the edge. Copley remains one of A Grade’s biggest scoring threats and gets plenty of help from the sister combos of Jazmin and Jorja Parker and Morna and Varanisese Naquo and their cousin and gun defender Ili Sovau.
PREDICTION: Tigers by five goals
Imperials v Robinvale Euston
Brian Weightman Oval courts, 12pm
SURPRISE side Robinvale Euston can solidify their place in the top five and end Imperials’ slim finals hopes with a victory this afternoon.
After a bright start to the season, Imps’ form has tapered off over the past month or so and while another loss would not knock them mathematically out of the race… it would.
The team in green has been prone to slow starts of late and when they do manage to hold their own in the early going, prolonged slumps later in the game cruel their chances.
They had a welcome break last week, but in round 11 got the ultimate reality check when they received a 53-goal beating out at Wentworth.
Coach Ali Walker gets whole-hearted performances from Meg and Maddy McManus, centre Tracey Sherlock, livewire shooter Ebony Ietto and defenders Ella Hards and Maggie Monaghan week after week, but the squad appears too short on depth to run with the best.
Meanwhile, Robinvale Euston are going from strength to strength as the season advances.
The Eagles may not be the biggest side going around but their slick ball movement and on-court speed has seen them advance to third on the table – and they have been one of the very few sides to push Wenty this season.
Coach Georgia Giofrelle and Sarah Hepburn have formed one of the most potent shooting duos in the league and Taneh Romeo, Belle Giofrelle and Kirsten Neyland are persistent midcourt pests.
PREDICTION: Eagles by 17 goals
Wentworth v Merbein
George Gordon Oval courts, 12pm
MUCH like Imperials, Merbein’s finals dream is likely to come to a shuddering end, across the river at Wentworth.
The Magpies are sixth on the table, but eight points behind fifth-placed Red Cliffs and their chances of making up any ground at all today are beyond minute.
Merbein (4-9) have been competitive in most of their outings thanks to the efforts of the Gray sisters, coach Johannah, Sophie and Emily, Tasharni Hynes, Vanessa Rodi and Teagan Pettigrew but a home loss to bottom side Ouyen United last week signalled the end was nigh for any post-season action.
Ruthless Wentworth will deliver the coup de grace as they surge toward the pennant.
When on song, no side can get anywhere near the Roos. Defenders Courtney Wakefield and Natalie Vercher are as good as it gets at the back and Ashlee Cameron, Molly Mangan and Christie Becker are formidable midcourt, but it is the unstoppable Amanda Edwards who drives the machine.
The shooting coach averages a ridiculous 43.4 goals per game and is on target for 700 this regular season, which must be some sort of record.
But, after last year’s finals shock, records are the last thing on the relentless Roos’ minds.
PREDICTION: Roos by 32 goals
South Mildura v Ouyen United
Mildura Sporting Precinct, 12pm
SOUTH Mildura can stay in the finals race, for at least one more week, if they can pull off a home win over bottom-of-the-table Ouyen United.
Seems like a relatively simple task, but nothing has come easy for the Bulldogs this season and the reigning premiers showed some signs of life when they knocked off Merbein at Compound Accounting Park last week.
Wing attack Megan Jardine was in fine form for the Kangas along with Tsharni Burns, Catherine Brown and playing coach Kyra Nathan in the shock four-goal win, which added a glimmer of future hope after a forlorn 2025 campaign.
At the Brian Weightman Oval courts, South Mildura were never in the hunt against a red-hot Demons outfit.
On a warm day, the Bulldogs got scorched in the second quarter (19 goals to seven) and were never able to recover on their way to a 27-goal loss.
Amy Lutze was stoic in defence and Alyse Ross competed hard in the middle of the court, but South sorely missed the on-court presence of coach Tara Bate, who continues to battle plantar fasciitis.
PREDICTION: Kangas by four goals
