Thorpdale face battle against strong Foster in Mid Gippsland

by Rob Popplestone

Thorpdale travels to Foster and Hill End has the bye in round eight of Mid Gippsland football on Saturday.

Foster v Thorpdale

It will be an interesting watch this week to see how Thorpdale respond to its thrashing at the hands of top of the table side Hill End.

The Blues gallantly put together two wins after almost three long and frustrating years.  But, by coach Ray Pickering’s own admission, his boys were beat before the game even started last week.

The opposition doesn't get any easier this week.  Foster’s form, it could be argued, is currently the best in the league.  As good as they are, whispers are they remain on the search for even more talent.

The Tigers were reeling from a round one loss to Hill End, but have bounced back with five consecutive and impressive victories since.  With a dangerous mix of young talent and experience within a club that prides itself on success, it has a formula to further improve with the quality of opposition.

It would be reasonable to expect Foster will win its next month of football comfortably.  This match is just a small step in a much more important journey.

MDU v Yinnar

This is without question match of the round.

MDU sit on equal premiership points to Yinnar but marginally below and just outside the top six by the smallest of percentage.

In short, the winner secures a somewhat firmer grip on a finals position and claims a psychological advantage if they meet again at the business end of the season.

You have to admire these two clubs for different reasons.  MDU has quietly gone about its work, doing what is expected against those sides below and slowly but surely becoming more competitive against those teams above.  This week provides a chance to steal a genuine scalp.

Yinnar should be commended for resilience over the last month.  After losing two matches by less than a goal, Yinnar kept its composure when a third game by less than a kick finally fell their way.

From that adversity, the Magpies appear to be ready to take the next step.  But that step is a big one - the Demons on their home deck and in front of a predicted enthusiastic crowd.

This should be a beauty.

Fish Creek v Newborough

Fish Creek was devastatingly good in its annihilation of Boolarra just a week earlier, and no doubt has sights set on the same result this weekend.

One of the anomalies of the competition is whatever percentage a side has after round 13 - when every side has played each other once - will be the percentage remaining until finals commence in mid-August.

This could be a crucial factor in determining where sides finish in the top six, or even if they finish in the top six at all.

To say percentage will play an important part is probably an understatement; it may well be as important as premiership points.  Both of which Fish Creek will be chasing this week.

Newborough might not have the firepower to go with the Kangaroos for the full four quarters, but it can be relied upon to let Fish Creek know it is around.

About this time of year, good sides realise they have something to play for.  Those that cannot see a finals hope, start to fall away, but judging eyes will watch both teams to see the quality of players within.

Fish Creek will win this game, but Newborough will learn more about its players in a loss.  That might not count for much right now, but it will prove invaluable in the future.

Stony Creek v Boolarra

As much as every club wants to get something out of every week and ultimately out of the season, the wooden spoon is not one of those desired things.

As difficult as it is to confidently predict the premiers, so too is the job to select the team at the other end.

Stony Creek is yet to taste victory and Boolarra has just the one, meaning this clash can and will hold large ramifications for the loser.

The Demons have shown a little more in their losses than the Lions.  But what has been accounts for little this weekend.

The test for Stony coach Jay Acardi is can he lift his team to believing they can and deserve to win a game. 

The ladder seems to have broken into two halves, with five or six clubs starting to lose touch with those vying for finals.  Any chance to climb back into that group will depend on a positive result this week.

Tarwin v Mirboo North

The win away from home against finals contender Morwell East has Tarwin ready to take on a much bigger project - and Mirboo North well and truly fits into that category.

The Tigers are coming off a much-needed bye.  Their injury list had been growing rapidly in the weeks leading into their loss to Hill End a fortnight ago.  They would be hopeful of welcoming back a few first-choice players each week from now on.

At this stage, they could still be seen as somewhat vulnerable.

A fast start by Tarwin on its home ground, would assist in sowing the seeds of doubt in the opponents’ minds early, from which time a win against the odds might seem a possibility.

For Tarwin to climb from where they are – eighth - to where they want to be - anywhere above eighth - rests on a win or two against sides like Mirboo North.

The Tigers currently sit in third position.  Given the huge benefits in finishing top two - the winner of first final goes directly into the grand final - a win is crucial and a loss possibly devastating.  That should be enough to get the Tigers home.

Toora v Morwell East

On any other week, this match could be more about the margin Morwell East might win by, rather than whether they will win at all.

The Hawks were so disappointing last week; it almost took your breath away.  It certainly took the breath away of coach Devon Soutar who alluded every player would face some home truths during the week.

That could be a tough time on the track or a brutally honest assessment of just what is required to put on the Hawks jumper, it might even be both.  But one thing is for certain, coach Soutar won’t take it two weeks in a row.

The Magpies from Toora are more than capable of producing some pretty good football, it is just the amount of time they produce it falls short of what is required to win games.

Therein lies the problem facing coach Luke Manders.  Can he manufacture a template to get a little more from a few more and push Morwell East to the edge?

All sides set the pre-season goal of making their home ground an uncomfortable environment for visiting sides.  That should at least be the starting point for Toora this week.

Bye – Hill End.