Saints, they are a-knocking
Knock knock! Who’s there? Horsham Saints! Horsham Saints who? Are you kidding? Horsham Saints, Wimmera Football League’s reigning premier – the team that seems to have found extra oomph at the serious end of the season.
It is almost as if the Coughlin Park crew has found a stash of the football equivalent of nitrous oxide and is now pouring the gas into the engine and finding horsepower it never thought existed.
Have Horsham Saints, midfield stragglers for much of the season, simply been waiting for the finals to turn on all burners?
Whatever the answer, there is certainly no doubt the Saints have turned up the heat and are sure to finish off the home-andaway season brimful of confidence.
The Saints, after dismantling Stawell the week before, on Saturday became the first team this year to clip Minyip-murtoa’s wings.
They now finish off the minor rounds with a clash against Nhill at home in the shadows of Meadowbank in a game they should also win.
Last week the Saints came from behind to beat Minyip-murtoa by 17 points, amplifying the team’s growing reputation as a quality fast-finishing outfit.
The Saints have been forced to adopt a smash, grab and run plan for a couple of years and it’s the dash, inside and out, that is proving telling.
Last week, Toohey Medallist and front-and-centre specialist Sam Clyne toiled at the coalface, while Andy Devereaux and Angus Gove turned defence into attack.
Dan Souter and Ben Martin were also good and teenager Nicholas Caris slotted three goals.
The Saints have little opportunity to relax.
Nhill recorded a 25-point win over Dimboola in a big community footy day at Davis Park last week and the Tigers will want to finish the season with a win.
Callan Semple, five goals, and Ben Kirsopp, four, led the Tigers’ in front of the sticks last week, while Billy Hayes continued his good season and others such as Grant Mcloud, Lucas Dahlenburg and Jake Harrup had strong games.
The Saints will win by 31 points.
Top spot
Minyip-murtoa, meanwhile, is suddenly in danger of losing top spot and giving up its spell in the finals to Horsham.
Just to make it even more interesting, the Burras have to beat the second-placed Demons this weekend to secure ladder leadership.
Horsham throttled Stawell in a dominating display last week and will try to use the momentum at Horsham City Oval to topple the Burras.
Horsham’s mid-sized ball-winners and runners are doing all sorts of damage at the moment, with Simon Hobbs again leading the charge, but also the likes of Tyler Blake, Jack Mentha, John Wood and Deek Roberts in good nick last week.
Roberts and Wood also kicked four goals each and Blake three to join Ryan Kemp, four on the goal-kicking list.
If the Saints result is anything to go by, Horsham’s running group now threatens the Burras.
Minyip-murtoa’s Jae Mcgrath kicked another bag of five last week, Clinton Midgley was good in defence and Oliver Young provided run.
But the Burras need all guns firing to beat Horsham.
The Demons will snatch top spot with a 13-point win.
Stawell?
A big question surrounding approaching finals is Stawell’s lack of form.
The Warriors, who finish the minor rounds against Ararat in Ararat, are fifth and far from certainties to beat the Rats.
Brent Tuckey kicked Stawell’s only goal last week, while coach Tom Eckel, Sean Mantell and Jesse Galea-portelli tried to rally the troops.
At the same time, Ararat drew with Warrack Eagles in a result that was more of victory than defeat for the visiting Rats.
In the intensity at Warracknabeal, the likes of Jayden Wright, Riley Taylor, Zach Louder and Jack Ganley shone through and Lachie Hamilton kicked four goals.
Nick Mendes was also at the heart of celebration after kicking the goal that tied the scores.
Ararat will upset the Warriors and win by seven points.
Warrack Eagles are likely to consider the draw a simple pre-finals aberration and move on to finishing the season with a 34-point win over Dimboola.
The Eagles have been solid for much of the year and last week Ryan Mckenzie with four goals, Riley Morrow, Kyle George and Chris Kellett won votes.
Dimboola will push for one last hurrah but won’t have the firepower to match the Eagles.
Jayden Lehmann, Ben Miller, three-goal Lachie Watts and Jayden Kuhne did well last week in a big game against the Tigers.