Football

TYRENDARRA travels to Cavendish today looking to make the Bloods boil on their home ground in the South West District Football Netball League.

Both teams are coming into the match with winning form but vastly different victories from last weekend.

Cavendish knocked off the previously undefeated Coleraine and Tyrendarra easily accounting for Westerns.

The Bloods had a very tough, hard game against the Maroons, where the players refused to be overrun to post their best win of their season.

Sam Gibson was in great form up front for the Bloods with six majors, giving his midfield players a focal point to deliver the ball to, while Jordi Withers had a day to remember for Tyrendarra with 15 goals.

Both coaches are aware of limiting access to the ball for the key players on either side.

“We’ll certainly be trying to limit his supply and getting the correct match up on Jordi, (but) we also have to be mindful that Tyrendarra has quite a few lads that can pop their heads up and chip in for a couple of goals,” Cavendish coach, Clinton Thomas said.

“Sam (Gibson) is a very good footballer, and we have to match up well on him, but he is not their only threat, and we will have to be aware of the threat posed by their midfield too,” Tyrendarra coach, Matt Peters said.

Despite starting the last round in third spot and knocking off the top side, Cavendish dropped a place on the ladder, as Tyrendarra took advantage of the Westerns player situation to record a percentage-boosting victory which saw the Darras overtake the Bloods on the ladder.

The match will become a battle of the midfields with the victor coming from the side that utilises the ball better from stoppages.

“We will have changes to our midfield as a couple of the boys picked up injuries last week that will keep them out of the game, but we will get a few players back which will cover these losses,” Peters said.

“Coming up against Tyrendarra, while we won't quite be at full strength, we are expecting another three or four players to be available that weren't quite ready last week,” Thomas said. 

Dartmoor v Heathmere

DARTMOOR hosts Heathmere at Dartmoor Recreation Reserve and no doubt the Giants will be striving to add to its percentage against the cellar dwellers.

Despite the lowly rung of the ladder that Heathmere occupies, the Meres will test the Giants with the style of play they bring to the contest.

Heathmere has been falling out of the contest all too quickly after keeping their opponents in check during individual quarters, but they have been guilty of dropping the intensity when the bounce of the ball doesn’t favour them.

While Heathmere is building for the future, Dartmoor is riding a form wave that the Giants hope will carry them to the flag this season.

The Giants have been quietly building their intensity levels as the home and away season heads towards its conclusion, and coach, Jayden Polaski, leads from the front as being one of the top two players on the ground each week.

Coleraine v Branxholme-Wallacedale

COLERAINE suffered its first loss of the season last week and it will have stung this proud group of players to rediscover their winning form against Branxholme-Wallacedale at Silvester Oval today.

Against Cavendish last Saturday, the Maroons were not permitted to play with the usual free-flowing play which led to the team’s undefeated start to the season, as the Bloods jumped the home side to register five goals before the Maroons had scored.

“We got beaten out the gate on the weekend with the five goal to zip head start,” Coleraine coach, Ryan McClure said.

“We know now if we aren't at that 100 per cent intensity, we are going to give sides opportunities, and we will be ready for Branxholme-Wallacedale’s contested style and (will) look to use the large ground to spread them out.”

The game is vital for the Saints as they must continue winning if they hope to feature in the finals and having won their last two games, they have closed the gap with Heywood on the ladder from three games to only one.

Westerns v Heywood

HEYWOOD has its finals aspirations at stake over the remaining games of the 2022 season and if the Lions expect to play finals, they must win every game to ensure Branxholme-Wallacedale doesn’t leapfrog them into the top five.

With Westerns hosting the clash, it’s hoped the club can field a reserves team after having to forfeit many games in this grade.

Having lost all but one game this season, the Roos need to find the form that saw the side defeat Heathmere back in round five.

Heywood has dropped its last two matches (either side of the Queen’s Birthday break) and can ill afford to lose a third.

Netball

CAVENDISH enters round 11 of today’s SWDFNL at home and faces the toughest test in the competition, ladder leader, Tyrendarra.

   With the Darras entering the round having only lost one game for the season - to Dartmoor back in round two - they have proved that they are the best all round team in the competition as the average score in their nine games is, 63-31.

   Both teams have secured finals spots already but where they will finish is still to be decided in the last five games of the home and away season.

   After today, Tyrendarra only has one game against a team in the current top five for the rest of the season, while Cavendish has three such games, making the Bloods draw tougher to maintain ladder position.

“Cavendish is always a class side, and it is usually a fast-paced game against them; we are expecting a tough hit out with a lot of full court pressure from them, we’ll have to perform really well if we want to win,” Tyrendarra coach, Rani Kane said.

Tyrendarra defender, Eliza Fitzpatrick, will again be missing for the visitors, but Kate Merrett and Amy Meulendyks stepped up against Westerns last week to lead the way for the Darras and will be called upon to do a similar job this week.

One key match-up could well decide the game with Hannah Van Gemst shooting the lights out for Tyrendarra this season, but veteran Cavendish defender, Trish Hurley, is more than capable of shutting her down and limiting the effect Van Gemst has on the contest.

Coleraine v Branxholme-Wallacedale

COLERAINE goes into the game against Branxholme-Wallacedale knowing it has the chance to end the day in the top five if a win is collected at the Silvester Oval courts.

   The Maroons are highly fancied to take the match, as the Saints are yet to register a victory this season, and their performance against Cavendish last week saw the side take the next step in their development.

   Cavendish learnt lots last week, as Coleraine refused to be defeated and it took the Bloods until the last few minutes of the game to finally break free to record a three- goal win.

   The Maroons had gone goal for goal with their more fancied opponents and as the finals loom, this form will carry the team

Westerns v Heywood

HEYWOOD travels to Alexandra Park today knowing that a loss to Westerns will see the Lions drop out of the top five and place their finals hopes at risk.

   The visitors currently sit fifth on the ladder, equal on points with Coleraine, which is expected to win its match comfortably,

   Westerns lost last round to Tyrendarra despite having the full squad available for selection for the first time this season, and another loss will hurt the Roos’ aspirations of finishing in the top three.

   “We go into every game with the motivation to improve on our last game,” Westerns coach, Vicki Clayton said.

   “This is important with such a young and upcoming side to ensure that the focus is on improvement, the ladder is an afterthought.

  “To think that we hold the position that we do without actually playing with a full side is incredible and is a true testament to the depth we have in our grades below.”