By DAVID NAGEL
CASEY Cardinia football starts the middle-phase of its season on Saturday with the top five take on the bottom five sides on the ladder in round seven.
A two-game gap is likely to appear after this week’s round of matches, but for sides like sixth-placed Tooradin and seventh-placed ROC, there is still light at the end of the tunnel. It’s not inconceivable – and probably more likely – that by round 11, either the Seagulls or Kangaroos could be in equal fifth spot with Pakenham and making a real run at a finals berth.
Tooradin can put its case forward with a strong showing when it welcomes the talented Berwick to Westernport Oval.
The Seagulls midfield has some great top-end talent with Matt Wade a gun, Michael Hobbs a fantastic leader, but it’s that next level that needs to rise. Jake O’Donnell and youngsters Cameron Brown and Kris Sabbatucci are showing signs of getting there -but these things take time. Adam Galea, Jimmy Cottrell and Phil Burns will need to be on their toes down back with Berwick’s forward line of Nathan Waite and Jordy Andrews at the top of their game.
The challenge that confronts ROC is huge.
Back-to-back champ Narre Warren visits Starling Road with nine players backing up from last weekend’s inter-league win over Bellarine. And all nine were influential. Kain Baskaya and Nick Scanlon produced a fantastic display across half back while Ryan Morrison and Ben King are young defenders on the rise.
Blake Gilbert, Tom Marks and James Canty will try hard for the Kangas, but kicking a winning score is next door to impossible.
In other games, Pakenham full-forward Daniel Fry will be looking for his first bag of the season when the Lions travel to Hampton Park; Cranbourne will welcome one or two stars back into its line-up when it visits Doveton, while Beaconsfield will begin its rush for a double-chance with a big-win over Keysborough.
