CASTERTON SANDFORD V SOUTH GAMBIER
Casterton Sandford is hosting South Gambier this weekend and will look to challenge hard and potentially breakthrough for a victory before season’s end.
The Demons have won the previous three encounters but none have been particularly convincing, so the Cats will like their chances.
It will take a four-quarter performance and a good start will be key to a victory.
Ivy Lane and Madalene Cleary have formed a strong shooting partnership and while they suffered from a lack of supply last round they finished the opportunities provided accurately, so if their team mates can provide more ball, the scoreboard will remain healthy.
Of course, they will need to find a way to get good shooting position under the pressure of Ellie Bouchier and Sophie Wight and it will also require hard work from mid courters Chelsey Galpin and Chloe Foster to take care of ball in hand and be patient to find a safe option in that shooting circle.
Accuracy will also be important as Bouchier and Wight are strong rebounders.
The South defenders will also be looking to Megan Reid and Tully McShane to pressure Galpin and Foster, hopefully forcing them into error with their decision making and executive to allow Bouchier and Wight the chance to create turnover ball.
At the other end, Caeleigh Humphries and Ebany Jarrad have formed a solid defensive combination for the Cats and while South shooter Gracie Dalton is strong on the hold, she is not as tall as the players the duo have faced in recent weeks.
Dalton has had a stunning debut season in A Grade and she had a strong game against East at the weekend – finishing accurately – and her pairing with Alyssa Duncan will test the young Cats defenders.
Duncan has become the architect of South Gambier’s attacking third and her ability to work the angles and use her strong drives on the front cut to great effect often opens up opportunities for Dalton.
Ruby Richter and Reid will just need to show some patience and also be prepared to work hard, as their opponents Foster and Madeline Patton will not let them have things their own way.
After breaking through for a victory over a higher ranked opponent last round, the Demons should get the job done.
MILLICENT V NORTH GAMBIER
It might be the final minor round and both Millicent and North Gambier might have their finals spots locked away, but the double chance is on the line at McLaughlin Park, making this a critical clash.
Millicent will enter the clash confident after finally inflicting a loss on the reigning premiers West Gambier last round, with their offence showing its trademark clinical ball movement and accuracy on the feed to Tabatha Sanderson, while defensively they were able to somewhat slow the ball movement of the Roos.
North got the job done against Casterton Sandford last weekend as expected and now needs to turn its attention to denying Sanderson and star goal attack Demi Verbena too many scoring opportunities.
That will require a full team effort, with Mel Renko and Lauran Norman needing to pressure the feeds from Lillie Paul and Daisy Tunkin in the hopes of extracting errors on the feed, while Noni McConnell will need to wear Verbena like a glove as her control of the offensive end and smarts with ball in hand can be deadly.
She is also an accurate long range shooter so it is not just about her delivery to Sanderson.
Mikaila Pitt was outstanding last round and she will need to be at her best to command front position and force Sanderson into uncomfortable shooting positions.
Of course putting a tall shooter into uncomfortable positions is also the task at hand for Millicent as the Saints look to limit the supply to Grace Potts.
Portia McRae and Lauren Van Eeden are strong in the air, but they will want Lisa Duldig and Paul to pressure North’s quality mid court – Renko and Brianna Walters – as the delivery will be pinpoint if there is no pressure on the incoming ball.
Macey Griffith and her battle with Van Eeden will be one of the pivotal matchups, with the young goaler building a good relationship with Potts and also happy to take on the shot when required.
With so much on the line, this will be an arm wrestle with the Saints just getting the job done.
WEST GAMBIER V EAST GAMBIER
West Gambier will look to rebound strongly from its first loss of the season last round at the hands of Millicent, hosting East Gambier this weekend with the Bulldogs also coming off a disappointing loss.
East will hope Morgan Amy can take her place at the back of the court, as she will have the tough task of the afternoon – limiting the influence of prolific shooter Sarah Ritter.
Her work in tandem with Bo Creek, who has had another stellar season holding East’s defensive line together, will be pivotal if East is to upset the reigning premiers.
The circle defenders will also need Bulldogs’ mid courters Chloe Perryman, Eliza Cole and Tarsh McCallum to place plenty of pressure on the West feeders, especially given the current form of Tara Bryant, who rarely wastes a possession and the ability of Mikaela Horrigan to find Ritter and Lisa McGregor in good shooting position.
A different challenge faces the West defenders this weekend – no tall shooter in the East line-up but rather a shorter moving circle.
It will see Amy Cram and Jade Ritter using their height advantage and ability to squeeze space to try and place untold pressure on Renee Henke, Casey Horrigan and Ambah Beveridge, and whichever combination takes the shooting roles for the Bulldogs will need to finish accurately as Cram and Ritter will dominate the rebounding stats.
Zoe Malseed has a huge job on the defensive wing for the Roos as she looks to deny time, space and easy ball to Tarsh McCallum, who is coming off another strong performance last round.
West just has too much firepower to let a second successive game slip as they look to finals and their premiership defence.
