By DAVID NAGEL
SOME significant questions will be answered when the South East Football Netball League resumes its home-and-away season this weekend.
The week off for interleague football gave coaches a chance to sit back and evaluate the highs and lows of the season to date.
The only man with no lows to evaluate was Pakenham coach Steve O’Bryan, his undefeated Lions set to face a stiff test when they travel to Robinson Oval on Saturday to take on second-placed Doveton.
Steve O’Bryan and his boys are testing sides defensively this year, scoring 120 points per game, six goals better than the Doves on 85.
So where is that danger coming from?
Jake Smith has been a revelation, the small-forward booting 16 of the finest, while full-forward Daniel Fry has played his part with 12. O’Bryan and Jason Fisher provide mid-sized options with seven, while Jason Williams and midfielder Russell Lehman have slotted six apiece. That’s a plethora of scoring options that the Doves will need to repel.
Russell Gabriel should dominate the ruck for the Doves, but ground level players like Jordan Temopoulos, Ryan Morrison, Phil Nanfra, Mitch Viney and Shannon Henwood will need to capitalise if the home side is to prevail.
This is a tricky assignment for the Lions, the Doves would have set themselves for this one, and the 18 and 14 point margins from last year would suggest the Doves match up pretty well.
But it’s the Lions by 11 points.
ROC needs a win against one of the big-five to get its season back on track, and there’s no greater opportunity than right now, against Beaconsfield at Starling Road.
To win, the Kangas need to defeat a very consistent football team, with a couple of superstars thrown in, who need to play with real intensity to elevate itself to the next level.
Players like Jesse Linkins, Brad Hollick, Ben Kerrigan, Damien Szwaja and Josh Dodsworth have all lived in the shadows of Scott Meyer and Daniel Mislicki in the past, but are equally as important in getting the job done. The Eagles will get home by 15 points.
Berwick will be far too good for Tooradin at Edwin Flack Reserve, while Cranbourne should welcome a star or two back and win comfortably against Hampton Park at Casey Fields.
