Jim Gordon previews this weekends Mallee Football League Grand Final.
SEA LAKE NANDALY TIGERS V WOOMELANG LASCELLES
GRAND FINAL
Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers and Woomelang Lascelles clash in the Grand Final of the Mallee Football League at Ouyen on Saturday.
This makes it four Grand Finals in five seasons for the Tigers, but for the Cats, it has been seven years since they last featured.
Woomelang Lascelles have had a great end to their season and will take a lot of confidence from their exciting win against Beulah in the Preliminary Final and their very good First Semi Final win over Walpeup Underbool.
However, they come up against a side that has only lost twice during the whole season and has defeated the Cats the two times they have met. Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers is a side with a prodigious amount of talent, strength and experience all over the ground and a strong desire to win a flag in that rare window of opportunity.
The Tigers are bristling with talented players all over the field. Stephen Lyons was best on ground in the Second Semi, dictating play from full back. Dan McEwan is rucking well and their midfield has dominated this year.
Wesley Harrison, Matt Elliott and Bill Barry are in devastating form. Their battle with Chris McMahon, Pierce Liddle and Kane Bannam will go a long way to deciding the result of this game. The Tigers will need to watch Liddle, he tore the Blues apart early in the game last week to set up an excellent first quarter for the Cats.
Jayden Lonergan and Aaron Lonergan provide Woomelang Lascelles with two goal scoring options when they go forward. Last week Jayden kicked five goals and Aaron four.
Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers have two match winners of their own up forward. 100 goal scorer Cliff Ryan took a while to get going against Beulah, but ended up with seven goals and Simon Weekley provides them with another target in attack. The Cats are likely to use a combination of Joel Donnan, Will Simpson and Marty Jones to play a zone defence, and one-on-one if things are not going the Cats' way.
A match wining move for Woomelang Lascelles in their great Preliminary Final win was putting Joshua Ratcliffe at full forward. The ruckman's goal before three quarter time followed by three in the first part of the final quarter got the Cats back on track after it looked like the Blues were about to take over.
Tiger Luke Martin racked up possessions against Beulah and works well with John Guthrie and Lyons, Jason Collins is a creative half forward and Col Durie always works hard and provides that bit of class and a cool head when needed.
Russ Gravestock medal winner Trent Donnan will play through the midfield. He picked up the dangerous Ryan McKenzie last week and tends to end up where he is needed most. His brilliant goal from half forward last week was an emphatic statement from a classy player.
Neither side has any major injury concerns. The Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers running defence led by Stephen Lyons could prove a problem for Woomelang Lascelles. The Cats will have to be tight on them once the ball turns over. In what should be the closest Grand Final for several years, the Tigers look to have a tighter defence and will be able to restrict the Cats to a losing score.
By Jim Gordon
