SHEPPARTON UNITED v SHEPPARTON SWANS
The Shepparton Swans remain a mathematical chance of playing finals, but everything has to go right for them and Euroa and Kyabram would need to lose its remaining games.
The Swans hopes probably slipped through their fingers when they lost at home to the Cats last round.
Despite the Swans most likely missing the finals, there still has been some positives that they will be able to take into 2025.
One of them has been the kids who have been exposed to senior football at different stages of the season.
Shepparton United struggled at Kyabram last round and it will look to Samuel Jackson, Liam Serra, Joel Serra, Mitchell Trevaskis and Dae Szydlik to try and lift them off the canvas to ensure they are competitive against the Swans.
Andrew Riordan, Zac Alderton, Zac Clohesy, Hugh Mason, Mitchell Bell and Nathan Hrovat will be looking to lead the way for the Swans to ensure they finish the season on a high.
Tip: Shepparton Swans.
SEYMOUR V BENALLA
Benalla will be looking to snag another win as it looks to finish the season on a high.
The Saints had an upset win over the Eagles last round and the win put a huge dent in the finals’ aspirations of Mansfield.
The re-appointed Jarrod Waite would have been thrilled for his playing group.
Waite would have seen the win as reward for their recent good form, which has them with 3 ½ wins for the season.
The former Blue and Kangaroo will see the final three games as all winnable.
Following this match-up the Saints take on the Magpies who have been a little down on form and bottom of the ladder Tatura in round 18.
Philip Edgar, Mark Marriott, James Martiniello, Tyler McGregor and Wade King will be the players trying to lead the way to try and help the Saints to a rare win over the Lions in recent seasons.
Dylan Scopel, Jack Murphy, Cooper Lubeck, Riley Mason and Seamus Feery is who the Lions will look to in a bid to return to the winners’ list after a heavy home defeat to the reigning premier in the first part of the split round.
This will be a real arm wrestle, but I do expect the Lions have the forwards to keep them to a winning score.
Tip: Seymour.
ROCHESTER V ECHUCA
Rochester will welcome this challenge to see where it sits in the premiership race.
A fortnight ago, the Tigers failed to match the second placed Bears at Moon Oval.
The loss was a bit of a reality check for the Tigers.
That said, they have been the big improver in 2024.
They have gone from missing the top six in 2023 to jumping back into the finals in 2024.
This is largely due to the run of wins it had between round 4 and 13 – 10 on the trot.
They have lost three times in season 2024 – twice to Shepparton and once to Kyabram.
And, yes, they did beat Echuca earlier this year.
They are the only team to do so in 2024.
Hugh Hamilton, Douglas Wren, James McPhee, Wil Hamilton and Bailey Wileman will be looking to take the challenge to the reigning premier.
They had 10 different goalkickers in the win over Tatura and it was an emphatic response after getting a football lesson from the Bears.
Samuel Reid, Sam Willoughby, Jack Evans, Lachlan Watson and Kane Morris were outstanding in the demolition of Seymour for Echuca at Kings Park.
And, the Tigers’ back six will have their hands full trying to contain the Murray Bombers forwards as they had six multiple goalkickers in the 104-point win over the Lions in the first part of the split round.
I think they will fancy themselves against Echuca, having beaten them earlier in the year, but I think it will be the reigning premier that gets the win to extract some sort of revenge for losing to their Campaspe Shire rival earlier this year.
Tip: Echuca.
MOOROOPNA V MANSFIELD
This is another good opportunity for the young Cats to show their wares to the re-appointed coach John Lamont.
The Cats announced that Lamont would continue for a further two years to the players in the rooms following the gritty win over the Swans at Princess Park.
He has been an outstanding coach for the Cats, leading them to the finals in each season he has been at the helm.
The challenge for them will be to try and go that one step further than 2023 when they were tipped out by Euroa in week 1 of the finals’ series.
The Eagles will feel confident that it can match the Cats.
The bigger bodies of the Eagles could be a factor but they can’t afford to let the Cats get it on the outside.
Ben Hicks, MacKenzie Calleja, Jed Woods, Campbell McElhinney and William Bella will be the Cats trying to help them get back on the winners’ list after they were well beaten at home by last year’s grand finalist.
Adam Boshevski, Benjamin Reardon, Ben Les, James Herridge, Cody George, Jack Hutchins (5 goals) and Billy Hogan (four goals) were able to help Mansfield win its first game since June 1 and keep alive its September dream.
This will be a really tight contest and one that I think the Cats can win, especially that key forward Daniel Johnstone returns to the forward line for the home team.
He will make a huge difference and provide the Cats with a focal point inside 50.
Tip: Mooroopna.
