By David Nagel
Can Shaun Sparks or Lachie Gillespie begin to crack the code?
There’s only two weeks remaining until all teams have played each other once in the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC).
And, as of yet, no club has come close to unlocking the number-one secret in football.
How do you score against Inverloch-Kongwak?
The Sea Eagles – currently conceding less than 32 points a game – face their biggest defensive challenge over the next fortnight.
A power-laden Cora Lynn forward line await at Inverloch on Saturday…before a mouth-watering match-up of the season against reigning-premier Tooradin-Dalmore in round 11.
But, as it stands at the moment, we’re witnessing something quite special when it comes to the all-important defensive side of the game.
Phillip Island is averaging 107 points this season, but against Inverloch Cam Pedersen and his team could manage a paltry 52.
Nar Nar Goon averages 91 points per game in 2023, but against Tom Hams and his Eagles…the output was just 54.
Those two games are the only time this season that any team has cracked the half century against the Sea Eagles this season.
So what makes the challenge so difficult for Shaun Sparks and his Cora Lynn outfit this week?
The problem starts in the midfield, where Sparks is missing some key components of his weaponry – and where Hams has an abundance of talent at his disposal.
Marcus Toussaint and Clint McCaughan have been superb in the ruck this season, putting the ball down the throats of players like Oscar Toussaint, Will Hams, Andy Soumilas, Tom Hams and Tate Short at times with absolute aplomb.
This results in the Sea Eagles playing most games in their forward half of the ground – and they don’t like letting it out!
Toby Mahoney and Nick Baltas have both kicked 23 goals this season, but players like Will Turner, Tom Wyatt, Lachie Scott and Taite Cumming are applying so much pressure on opposition defences that the ball keeps on bouncing back.
The Cora Lynn forward line, spear-headed by Nathan Gardiner, Ryan Gillis, Jai Rout and the hard-working Matt Ryan looked really dangerous against Phillip Island last week.
Nathan Gillis is having a magnificent season through the midfield, while Billy Thomas is a gun ruck that could limit the impact of Toussaint and McCaughan in the ruck.
But the Cobras just lacked discipline and concentration through the midfield at times…just five-minute blocks…and the Bulldogs made them pay.
They will address that midfield issue this week with Casey Demons premiership star Jimmy Munro likely to make the trip to Inverloch.
If Munro can help win or even half the midfield battles this week then the Cobras’ front half could do some serious damage.
But it’s the Sea Eagles by 28 points.
In other games this week, Tooradin-Dalmore is going to have a huge victory over Bunyip on the banks of the Westernport, while Phillip Island will do likewise to Korumburra Bena at Cowes.
But the other three games do hold significance.
If the season ended now, Nar Nar Goon and Dalyston would both be playing finals football and we’ll learn more about the pair at Spencer Street on Saturday.
The Goon welcomed back Trent Armour and Trent Burgoyne last week, and is now only a Brendan Hermann and Jake Smith away from being back to almost full strength.
The Magpies have had a tough draw of late, but their next four games against the Goon, Warragul Industrials, Cora Lynn and Kooweerup will give us the perfect guide to their potential for later in the season.
Expect the Goon to win by five to six goals.
If the Goon does beat the Magpies, then the match between Kilcunda-Bass and Warragul Industrials is pretty much to see who will fill sixth place after round 10.
The Dusties were down on cattle last week, but still held sway over Garfield, while the Panthers were disappointing early before showing some promising signs against the Goon.
They did it earlier in the year the Panthers – getting blown away by Tooradin, before fighting back late – but playing catch-up footy when the intensity dies out of the game is not the pattern that coach Lee Rowe will be looking for.
The Panthers need to hit the Dusties with the kitchen-sink early, and see where that takes them.
This one is a toss of the coin…but we’ll go for the Dusties by three points.
And Kooweerup will look to make it back-to-back wins against Garfield at Denhams Road.
The Demons broke a seven-game losing streak last week, with Adam Amin, Jason Wells and Nathan Voss all in the thick of the action, and if those three can fire again then the Demons will get the choccies by 29 points.
TIPS – Round 10
INVERLOCH-KONGWAK v Cora Lynn, Kilcunda-Bass v WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS, KOOWEERUP v Garfield, NAR NAR GOON v Dalyston, PHILLIP ISLAND v Korumburra Bena, TOORADIN-DALMORE v Bunyip.
