By David Nagel
Are we all refreshed and ready to go?
After a much-needed league-wide bye, the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC) is set for a thrilling crescendo with just 10 weeks left until we crown our champion teams for the first time since 2019.
Seriously, how unbelievably good is community sport and how great is it going to be to feel the buzz and excitement, see the colour, hear the sounds, and just enjoy a fantastic finals series that is the pinnacle of local sport.
But before we get there, we have some intriguing games to enjoy and there have been none more fascinating than the clash between the grand finalists of that 2019 season – Phillip Island and Cora Lynn – at Cowes this Saturday.
Let’s paint the picture.
These teams have played just 23 games of football in the almost three years since that epic day at Garfield, that saw Phillip Island prevail by four points to make it back-to-back flags in a truly classic contest.
Covid then wiped out the 2020 season…then just 11 games were played before 2021 suffered the same fate.
But those 11 games last year gave Phillip Island the opportunity to show it still had a significant margin over the rest of the competition – being a game and a whopping 146 percent clear of its nearest challenger in Inverloch-Kongwak.
Cora Lynn, meanwhile, was still in contention with an 8-3 record to its name.
Phillip Island – the Bulldogs – began this year in similar fashion, winning its first eight games and sitting second on the ladder behind an emerging Tooradin-Dalmore.
Their round nine clash at Tooradin would give us a clearer indication of how they stack up against each other this year.
The Bulldogs were no match for the rampaging Seagulls, being outclassed from the first bounce in a 74-point defeat that certainly raised a few eyebrows.
And that eye-brow raising was followed by a subtle twist of the lips after the Bulldogs were outgunned by Warragul Industrials by 38 points in round 12…just before the bye.
Absolutely nobody would be writing off the Bulldogs as a genuine premiership threat, they have too much class for that, but there’s no question this is the most vulnerable they have looked since Cora Lynn came charging late in that 2019 decider.
And that’s just part of the fascination about this week’s contest, with the Cobras’ roller-coaster ride one for the ages.
You would have to delve deep into the history books to find a team that lost its first five games…and then followed suit with seven wins on the trot!
It’s been a remarkable revival by the Cobras, who have ticked off every box that first-year coach Shaun Sparks asked of them.
“Credit goes to the boys for just sticking fat,” Sparks said after the most recent win over Bunyip.
“We were copping it from all angles, hearing all the chatter, but we knew within the four walls where we were at, and I’m just proud as punch to get to the seven wins.
“With a new coach, new players, it could have gone a different way, but it just shows the culture and the bond we have and how strong we are as a club to come back to seven and five.
“To be honest, I’d rather keep playing because of the momentum we’ve built up, but I’m sure the boys will be really switched on after this week’s bye and we’ll see where that takes us.”
Correct Shaun…let’s see…because this game could go anywhere!
Both teams have a lot to lose here.
The currently fifth-placed Cobras have a favourable draw, so after this week they don’t play a team above them on the ladder.
Get pumped by the Doggies this week and it doesn’t matter what Sparks and his team do over the remaining five weeks…there’ll be question marks over their validity, not beating a team in the top four for the duration of the season.
But win – wow-wee – now that would change things!
It would not only validate the Cobras, but would also cast a massive shadow over the Doggies who host Nar Nar Goon next week in the only fixture they lost last year.
A loss this week would also see them fall outside the top-two and put their double-chance hopes at risk.
As usual when these two teams collide, the battle between Cam Pedersen and Billy Thomas will be crucially important in the ruck with the bullocking types both looking to give their midfields first use of the footy.
If Thomas gets on top, allowing Jaxon Briggs, Tom Stiglich and Heath Briggs to break free, the Cobras are a winning chance with key full-forward Nathan Gardiner to be the key beneficiary.
But the most likely scenario here is that the Bulldogs will bounce back.
Names like Pedersen, Jaymie Youle, Daniel Pearce, Jack Taylor, Zak Vernon and Mark Griffin have put too much into this campaign to let it slip…and they’ll guide their team to victory.
It’s the Bulldogs to right the ship with a 29-point victory.
Bunyip would love nothing better than to ruin Nar Nar Goon’s faint top-two aspirations when the Doggies host the Goon on Saturday.
Bunyip was defeated by Cora Lynn just prior to the bye, but played with a spirit that would have swelled the chest of coach Tim McGibney.
Skipper Jeb McLeod and inside-bull Dylan Quirk were outstanding for the Doggies at the contest, while Riley Rundell and Jack Blakey tested the Cobras out wide.
The Bulldogs were also strong in defence with Matt O’Halloran, Brent Heus and Jye Keath keeping the lid on a dangerous Cobras’ attack.
And that’s the key this week…can they do the same thing?
O’Halloran, Heus and Keath will have Dermott Yawney, Troy McDermott and Matt Homfray in their sights, while the quickest Bunyip defender should be assigned Mitch Homfray.
Homfray – of the Mitch variety – has kicked goals in nine rounds this season and has hauls of four and five to his name.
He buzzes around and has clinical finishing skills.
The thing that cost Bunyip against Cora Lynn was simply class. Their effort was stupendous, but they lacked the avenues to goal to finish off the job.
And class will be the key again…it’s the Goon to win by 26 points.
On recent form the game between Tooradin-Dalmore and Kilcunda-Bass shapes to be a beauty with both teams undefeated over the last month of football.
But it’s what happened in the previous eight rounds that might give us a better indication of where this one might go.
The Seagulls, who host this week, are undefeated for the season, while the Panthers could muster just one win from their first eight outings.
To bounce back the way they have has been impressive, with several stars leading them to victory over Bunyip, Korumburra-Bena, Garfield and Dalyston.
Jake Weightman has been busy in the two most previous wins, but it’s been the consistent form of gun-mid Nathan Foote, ruckman Dale Gawley and the speedy Cam McKenzie that has set things up for Lee Rowe and his troops.
Up forward, the dangerous Taylor Gibson has kicked 17 goals in the last four weeks, while Marcus Baxter, 12 in three games, has been a more than able ally.
The Gulls will be really keen to maintain their rampaging momentum here.
They’ve kicked 26 goals in each of their last two games, with Stewie Scanlon, Blake Grewar, Brad Butler, Jimmy Trezise and Julian Suarez leading the options up front.
A huge visit to Inverloch looms large on the horizon…so there’ll be no taking the foot off the pedal here.
Both teams have improved since round one when the Gulls dished out a 75-point defeat…and expect a similar margin here.
In the pick of the other games this week, Dalyston host Kooweerup in what could end up being a very close encounter.
The Magpies have only won two games but have the top-end class to trouble the Demons this week.
Curtis Murfett and Mick Marotta have been simply outstanding for the Pies this season, while Michael Harris, Louis Armstrong and Clay Tait have quietly slipped under the radar.
The Demons are an interesting side to assess, because they can be competitive against some of the best teams in the competition, but struggle to dominate the stragglers.
They had their chances recently against Inverloch, going down by 17 points, and if they replicate that form that should get the choccies.
The Demons have won four, and should have some pretty clear goals for the remainder of the season.
The next three weeks are winnable – against Dalyston, Garfield and Korumburra-Bena – and if they can then steal a win against Warragul Industrials or Cora Lynn…and end on eight wins…that would be a massive tick for the season.
This one is the most dangerous of the next three weeks.
If the Demons are switched on from the outset – they’ll win by 21 points.
Garfield begins the first of two weeks at home when the Stars host Warragul Industrials at Beswick Street.
The Stars are still winless this season, but losses by four points (Korumburra-Bena) and seven points (Kilcunda-Bass) show a rare success might not be far away.
Players like Joel Batson, Liam Bow, Matt Jones and best-and-fairest favourite Zac Soutar took things up to Nar Nar Goon for a quarter in round 12…but things soon dropped away.
The Stars’ opponent this week, the Dusties, are coming off a tremendous win over Phillip Island that basically locks away a finals berth.
What a performance from Harmit Singh and his team, who are really making some progress.
Garfield really needs to start strong here, because the Dusties might just expect things to happen after the huge win over Island.
Expect the Stars to be right in this one until half time…but class will eventually prevail.
It’s the Dusties by 48 points.
And Inverloch-Kongwak will give the engine a tick over when the Sea Eagles host a struggling Korumburra-Bena on Saturday.
Sea Eagles coach Ben Soumilas is a very respectful man, but even he would acknowledge that his sights are firmly set on next week’s home clash against Tooradin-Dalmore.
The four points aren’t in question here, but how far the Eagles want to push the envelope in preparation for next week’s clash against the Seagulls will determine the final margin.
The Giants are a proud punch, and not kicking a goal against Tooradin-Dalmore in round 12 will not sit well in the guts.
Expect a competitive response…but it’s the Sea Eagles by 78 points.
