Uncertainty opens the door
Just how important is the final round of Wimmera football league’s home-and-away season?
Results have shored up finalists and the second-chance benefits that come with a top-three have settled in the laps of Minyip-murtoa, Southern Mallee Giants and Stawell.
And what is there to play for in the final round of the season for teams who have missed the end-of-year play-off series?
They are the primary and seemingly benign questions confronting teams heading into games this weekend.
Don’t be fooled. It is often the round of games that seems to mean little that can upset confidence, planning and preparations of even the strongest of teams.
Throw in a disjointed season of uncertainty such as the one we’ve experienced and how that impacts on player availability and the mix becomes even more complicated.
The great unknown in these types of rounds is how players, either as individuals or groups, respond to circumstances. Will players from teams that can’t make the finals or change their position take the foot off the pedal? Or will they produce the hunger for victory that has been missing or on show all season?
There are a few games in the final round this weekend that provide an element of intrigue.
Ararat and Horsham will be missing from the finals, but in their last hurrah for the year meet second-placed Southern Mallee Giants and fifthplaced Dimboola respectively.
Both the Rats and Demons have each had five wins and seven losses, suggesting they are only marginally off the pace.
Ararat, too good for Nhill last week, takes on a Giants outfit fresh from a solid winning effort against Dimboola at Beulah.
The game is a back-to-back home ground for the Rats at Ararat’s Alexandra Oval, while the Giants travel from the southern Mallee. It remains to be seen if that means anything for what has been a disciplined Giants team.
Ararat established a break against the Tigers last week before putting the game’s result beyond doubt with an eight-goal third term and settling back to enjoy a 34-point win. Nick Oliver kicked five goals and Tom Cousins three, while Ethan Summers, Liam Arnott and Brody Griffin produced strong games.
So what do the Rats have in store for the visiting Giants?
Southern Mallee Giants signalled their return to action last week with a 20-point victory over Dimboola, Coleman Schache providing an obvious leadership game and others such as three-goal Ben Webster and Rupert Sangster were prominent in the win.
Details tell us this game is a dead rubber, but motivation comes in various forms and regardless of circumstances most footballers prefer to win.
At the same time, what does Horsham bring to the table when it wanders up the Western Highway to meet old enemy Dimboola?
The Demons were 82 points off matching the potency of flag favourite Minyip-murtoa last week, but confronted with the final game of the season and with Jordyn Burke and Tyler Blake confirmed as coaches next year, might be hard to beat.
Blake, Matt Wynne, Ben Lakin and Billy Carberry won mentions against the flow last week and with others will believe they can beat the Roos.
Dimboola is two games clear of
Horsham in the five and needs a good confidence-booster before the finals.
Leaders Jackson O’neill and coach Justin Beugelaar topped best-player lists in an encouraging sign for the Roos and Hayden Walters featured.
Having a greater impact in front of the sticks will be high on the agenda for the Roos.
Finals preview
While questions are being put to teams in Ararat and Dimboola, a good old-fashioned finals preview will unfold at Stawell’s Central Park.
Third-placed Stawell plays fourthplaced Horsham Saints and while only a game separates the two on points, Stawell has a considerable percentage advantage.
Stawell had a larger rest than the rest of the competition courtesy of a bye last week, while Horsham Saints tore up Anzac Park at Warracknabeal with a 94-point win against Warrack Eagles.
Does the Saints’ big win provide insight into their finals charge? We’ll wait and see, but they take on a serious opponent in the Warriors, who will need to quickly start flexing muscle.
Angus Martin kicked six goals for the Saints and Nick Caris three and team barometer Jacob O’beirne, Gage Wright and Mitch Martin were busy.
With the prospects of solid games unfolding across the region, what does winless Nhill bring to the table against Minyip-murtoa at Nhill?
The Tigers, while competitive at times during the year, have lacked finishing sting and will want to avoid securing the wooden spoon.
Adam Zimmermann, James Crowhurst and Darcy Honeyman were good players in a tough encounter against Ararat last week and despite big final effort at home, will struggle to match the Burras.
Minyip-murtoa has a wealth of onfield assets, which was never more obvious than with former AFL star Clinton Young kicking six goals and clearly in the best in the win over Horsham. Young, only 35, has played two senior games for the Burras this season, automatically qualifying him for the finals. But if the team also wants him available for the seconds in the finals, he needs to play one more reserves game.
Kieran Delahunty kicked four goals for the Burras last week and Corey Morgan three, while Luke Chamberlain and Nick Petering topped a lengthy list of good players.