By Marcus Uhe
A split round in the Outer East Football Netball Premier Division leaves just three matches to be played this weekend, with each offering something unique to look for.
Pakenham is seeking consecutive wins for the first time since May, when it welcomes Emerald to Toomuc Reserve.
When the two faced off in round four, it was Jordan Stewart that did the damage with six goals in a dominant performance that prompted Paul Carbis to say that he wanted two of him.
Stewart’s versatility sees him suited to both ends of the ground wherever Pakenham need to fill a gap or can look to exploit their opponents, and last time against the Bombers it was up front where he thrived.
The weather forecast for Saturday is not expected to suit key position players, and with cavalry back for Pakenham in the form of Tom Gamble, there’ll be forward targets for the Lions to kick to along with Stewart.
It could offer Carbis the opportunity to swing him into defence, and help quell the threat of Emerald forward David Johnson.
Johnson will have plenty of options at ground level snaffling anything off his hands in what will be greasy conditions, and it will come down to taking those opportunities when presented.
Pakenham did not handle the wet conditions against Gembrook Cockatoo well at all in round 11, when its proclivity to switch the ball and utilise the space on offer brought them unstuck on a number of occasions.
By contrast, Gembrook Cockatoo moved the ball directly and maximised its time in possession, leading to more scoring chances.
What they learned from that day will be telling, as every win from here will be vital in the Lions’ slim chances of making the finals.
Emerald, meanwhile, are desperate to send Sein Clearihan off on a high, having announced his decision to step down as coach last week.
With finals out of the picture, it’s the fight to avoid relegation that will sustain their motivation for the remainder of the year.
Officer will be hoping to avoid a repeat of the previous contest against Narre Warren, when they were taught a lesson in Premier Division football in round four.
Narre Warren picked Officer apart with ease in the 98-point thrashing, in one of the Kangaroos’ worst performances of the season.
After a bright opening half of the season when they claimed wins against three 2023 Premier Division sides in Pakenham, Gembrook Cockatoo and Mt Evelyn and looking likely to qualify for a finals place, winning form has deserted them in recent weeks, having claimed the points in just one of its last six contests.
And of all the sides you’d least like to face when looking to end a run of bad form, Narre Warren is arguably top of the list.
It will conclude a brutal four-week period for the Kangaroos who will have played Woori Yallock, Wandin and Narre Warren in that period, and slipped to eighth on the ladder as a result.
Only one game separates the Kangaroos from sixth, but the clock is ticking to get back to winning ways.
Wandin and Woori Yallock’s clash, meanwhile, will play a key role in determining the outcome of the top two come season’s end, and the all-important double chance.
Long-time rivals of the old Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League, the two have played countless big battles over the years with the pride of the region at stake, and this will be no different.
Wandin has won nine straight, since Woori Yallock downed them at home in round four, to sit third on the table, while the Tigers have lost just once, to Narre Warren, and sit second.
2023 saw Wandin snatch back ascendency in the battle for supremacy over their rival, but the Tigers can never be counted out as round four’s 11-point win showed.
With a percentage deficit on Woori Yallock to eradicate too, this is simply a must-win for Wandin if it wants a top-two birth, with another clash against Narre Warren to come in round 15.
The Tigers, meanwhile, have a far-kinder run home and should be expected to win its final four games.
Tips: PAKENHAM v Emerald, Woori Yallock v WANDIN, NARRE WARREN v Officer.
