Tantanoola versus Nangwarry

Will history be made in the opening round of the Mid South East Football League on Saturday when Tantanoola hosts Nangwarry?

If the Saints can lower the colours of Tigers, they will end the second-longest losing streak in the 86-year history of the MSEFL.

The players who proudly wear the tri-colour guernsey have not sung their victory song since 2015.

Thankfully, the words and tune of “When the Saints go marching in” are familiar to all.

These two combatants filled the bottom two rungs of the premiership table in 2021 hence the keen anticipation of a close encounter.

There were similar hopes held by many for a breakthrough win when the teams last met at Tigerland in 2021.

It proved to be a non-event with the home team cantering away to a big win.

Over summer, the Nangwarry Football Club has been literally and metaphorically re-building.

The social clubrooms have been constructed to replace those destroyed by an arsonist in 2019 while reappointed coach Luke Thomson has been guiding the senior list with some exciting additions.

It remains to be seen if they have the skill, fitness and self-belief to overcome Jak Ryan’s Tantanoola.


Kalangadoo versus Glencoe


The rivalry between the Murphies and the Magpies goes back almost 100 years and is almost unrivalled in South East footy circles and indeed state-wide.

Despite nearly a century of being adversaries, the Magpies have dominated the Murphies for the best part of a decade.

New Glencoe coach Tom Edwards has the challenge of taking a young team to the home ground of one of the modern MSEFL powerhouses.

Not only that, Kalangadoo is still smarting from a sub-par performance in the 2021 grand final.

The Port MacDonnell Demons certainly deserved their premiership win but the black-and-whites seldom looked to be in the contest after the long break.

If the season decider result had gone the other way, it is likely that some veterans in the Kalangadoo camp may have hung their boots.

Now they are back under the tutelage of reappointed coach Kevin Joyce along with most of their 2021 team mates and quality recruits and returning players such as James Pratt.

Past Glencoe coach and Mail Medallist Zacc Cocks is unlikely to be back in the starting 18 after a season-ending knee injury almost a year ago.

Edwards would dearly love to have another five players of his ilk to challenge the Magpies who are hell-bent on avenging that dismal end to 2021.


Kongorong versus Port MacDonnell

The neighbours and arch rivals have been fiercely competing since the late 1950s when the seasiders joined the MSEFL a few years after the Hawks.

In my 40 seasons of active involvement in the MSEFL, I cannot remember them meeting in the opening round.

As has been the case for around two decades, the victor in the Kongorong-hosted games retains the Bruce Lightbody Memorial Shield for the ensuing 12 months.

The trophy honours the memory of the late Hawks president and MSEFL interleague team manager and it has seldom left the Bay for the past 15 years.

The home team looks to be of a similar playing strength to 2021 with Will Whitty as coach for a third season.

His team would dearly love to begin the premiership hangover for the Demons.

Having won last year’s grand final over Kalangadoo at Tantanoola, many of the premiership team have either retired, returned to their home clubs or sought other challenges.

Second-year coach Simon Merrett won many accolades late last season when he selflessly withdrew from the playing list to concentrate on his mentoring and tactical roles.

Round one poses a great challenge for Merrett and co.


Mount Burr versus Hatherleigh

A blockbuster crowd is assured when Mount Burr hosts cross-town rivals Hatherleigh to begin the home-and-away season.

Eagles coach Jake Dowdy returns to “Mick” and Jean Walker Oval where he previously served the Mozzies so well.

His side has reached the past two preliminary finals and it had to wear the tag “premiership favourite” tag for most of those two seasons.

On the other hand, Mount Burr has not seen any major round action since that heart-breaking loss to Robe in the 2018 grand final at Glencoe.

If the siren had sounded five seconds earlier, the Mozzies would have achieved a record fourth consecutive premiership while evergreen rover Dale Bowering would have collected an unprecedented 10th premiership medallion.

Hatherleigh last played at Mount Burr in the 2021 cut-throat first semi-final against Robe.

Without being too unkind, the Eagles made fewer mistakes than the Roosters and held on to the win.

The lesson learned for Dowdy on that day was to direct the ball straight down the middle of the smallest oval in the MSEFL.

The Mozzies have the best

defenders in the league in the Wallis brothers but they can be overcome.