The Mallee Football League will play Central Murray League at Swan Hill this Saturday, May 25. Rated 14 and 13 respectively for the 2013 VCFL Championships, the Mallee League has defeated Horsham, North Central and Wimmera over the past three years in the run-up to their most challenging matchup yet.
Mallee are playing for the chance to move further up the ratings if they win against the very strong, talented and well credentialed Central Murray side.
Sponsored by Bill and Tania Morrish's Top End Training, this year's Mallee side looks to be a less experienced group of footballers than in previous years, but nevertheless coach Col Durie hopes to replicate the great achievements of previous Mallee Inter League sides that he has coached.
'We may be fielding a less experienced side than in the past few years,' said Durie, 'but what a great opportunity for some of the younger Mallee footballers to play against quality opposition.'
The ranking system has breathed new life into representative football in the country. Five years ago Inter League appeared to be in serious trouble. Now every game has meaning as leagues will have the incentive of climbing the ladder.
'We are very keen to continue Mallee's success,' said Alan Malcolm, President of the MFL. 'The Mallee Football League has come of age in the past three years and we are looking to further our progress this year against Central Murray. A win and we go up a notch in the ladder, a loss and we go down.'
In one of the many highly anticipated clashes of the day, Ouyen United's Damien Cupido will line up on Mallee Eagles full back Brayden Bennett. Bennett is apparently in very good form this season and he will need to be, because Cupido has set Mallee football alight with bags of eight, nine and even an astonishing17 goals recently. The former AFL Essendon player once kicked five gaols in an ANZAC Day match at the MCG in front of 90,000 people.
Central Murray has AFL connections of their own in big key position forward Hugh Foott who has been on the North Melbourne Kangaroos list. Now with Swan Hill, Foott will need to be closely monitored by the Mallee defenders; Sea Lake Nandaly Tiger's Tom Summerhayes or Stephen Lyons may get the job.
In the centre, Mallee's Dan McEwan will have a tough job in the ruck coming up against Cohuna's Christian Bock who is the brother of Gold Coast Suns' Nathan Bock. Christian is a big, agile ruckman and will test out the younger McEwan who has done well for the Tigers this year.
When the ball hits the ground, Mallee stalwarts Dale Shannon and Col Durie will be up against a star in Swan Hill and Vic Country representative, Xavier Maloney. Durie will be looking for support across the centre from Ouyen United's inform speedster Jerry Wilson and Hopetoun's Zac Robins.
The Mallee forward line looks strong. Cupido likes to go one out in the goal square and it could be the opportunity for the likes of Beulah's Tyler Lehmann and Tiger Cliff Ryan to feed off any shorter options if Cupido is covered. Both are capable of kicking multiple goals.
Hopetoun's Deek Roberts and Woomelang Lascelles' Trent Donnan are both in very good touch at the moment and they give Mallee a few other scoring options. United's Mitchell Taylor loves playing Inter League and will appreciate a wide open game running out of defence.
This Inter League match up should be well worth the trip over to Swan Hill. Central Murray have a lot to lose. Defeat will linger and it will be a sorry day for them as they will consider that they go into this game as rightful favourites. Central Murray will be expected to win, but so were North Central and Wimmera when they came up against Mallee in recent years.
By Jim Gordon