The Blues haven’t had much footy in the month of June.
But rest time is over, with six games left in the home and away season, they need to settle the team for another crack at the grand final.
Two weeks ago they promoted a handful of young players against Tailem Bend and they ran the Eagles off their legs.
It’s okay to do it against teams down the ladder, but Mannum, at home, are an awkward opponent.
Imperials has a few problems with its forward structure at the minute.
Martin Baillie hasn’t kicked a goal since May 24; remember he is the designated goalkicker for the club.
The teachers have gone on strike, the doctors are threatening action, I can only ask has the world’s slowest man withdrawn his services?
Reg Nolan, that astute president of the racing club, once told me you sometimes have to put a horse over the jumps to sharpen him up and get his mind back on the job.
Maybe the world’s slowest man needs to kick the dew off the grass in an effort to sharpen up for the finals.
I reckon if they kicked a pie to him, he would mark it.
Josh Charles’ time has come; he is allegedly a high-priced recruit and needs to take a game by the scruff of the neck and turn it upside down.
At the minute he is like the ‘big bad wolf’ who threatens to blow your house down, but it never happens.
Mannum must jag one of these games at home to not only cement a place in the finals, but gain a bit of credibility.
The excuses have run out for Paul Sarno and Josh Gould.
It is time to stand up and play well against an opposition that is up and about.
Ben Quinn is the barometer for the Mannum Roos.
He is a big contributor, leads by example and is gaining quite a reputation as an after dinner speaker. It’s another string to his bow.
Brad Wakefield will give Quinn and ‘Shovel’ Moloney first look at the footy but they do not have the pace to take on and break the likes of Henry Hodge, Daniel Girdham, Ash Temby and the running back Ryan Eyre.
Mannum at full strength are going to be a difficult opponent, especially if Warnest and Connolly return, but I’m tipping the Blues because I believe in miracles.
Baillie will kick a goal, his first in 49 days; Josh Charles will win at least two ruck contests and drag in two marks.
I cannot help Kane Tonkin because he is always injured.
Luke Harrowfield, because of the size of the ground, should dominate the forward line.
He has space into which he can run, he plays tall and will steer the Blues home by 11 to 20 points.
Mypolonga v Tailem Bend
“If” is a big word in footy.
“If” only Tailem Bend could reproduce their last 30 minutes of last week, then they would stroll home.
The Tigers on the other hand, went through the motions last week.
They got the points, they did the job without it looking very pretty and are set to play finals.
On paper Mypolonga look a better side because they have Brad Martin to finish off.
Martin dreams about playing Meningie every week, but Tailem Bend is only a smidgen behind them.
The Eagles have no one to man up on him and match his size and strength.
He should be able to maintain his average this week.
‘Big Jim’ Pedler is back from Berri.
‘Wee George’ is back from Jerusalem, and ‘Little Joe’ is just back from Meningie with a best on ground performance last week.
The Tigers have got bigger fish to fry than Tailem Bend.
The water allocation has dropped, the price of a lamb roast has been raised, but the Tigers got around it by putting a cap on the gravy.
Patrick Gabb has a wonderful chance to set up this game for the Eagles from the opening bounce.
It’s a simple game, this sort of football, but some coaches complicate it. They watch too much AFL.
Gabb has to give his runners every chance to get the footy first.
Dylan Hogarth has got some pace.
Damien Raidis has to crank up and bring others around him into play.
Tony Lynch has been the best of their recruits, while Ben Hansen bobbed up with three goals last week.
His dad was a champion, I know because I saw him play and he must have told me at least 50 times over his playing career.
I’m going for the Tigers because their “home” boys are better than the Eagles’.
Joel Eckermann, Cameron Wells, Mark Oborn, Caine Lynn and Ash Martin will get the Tigers home because they have a more even spread over the ground.
Mypolonga 21 to 30 points.
Meningie v Jervois
There is no way Jervois can lose this game if they try.
Coach Sam Mahony would be the first to admit Jervois is not exactly flying at the minute, but they have enough experience around the club to do what is required.
They don’t want to peak too early.
Five first-choice players were missing last week and they still got the money.
Reid Beeching returns from suspension and he is excited because it’s his first trip to Meningie.
He will get to sample the local delicacy, the mullet sandwich.
They might substitute a carp and hope he gets a fish bone in his neck and then withdraws, because I reckon he is good for five goals this week.
Trevor Rigney is the consummate player because he can take a mark standing on your head.
He can scout the packs with the best of them and is a long accurate kick for goal.
They might look a bit thick at times at Jervois, but they are very football smart.
Sam Mahony lulls every opponent into a false sense of security.
They all fall into the trap of believing this little fat bloke, who wears shorts that they could hire out as Ashton’s circus tent, who waddles over to shake your hand before the game commences, cannot play.
They don’t pay him the respect, he continually chops up opponents, and, the bigger the game is, the better this man plays.
Jervois at full strength look an impressive unit, with Lyon at full back, Woodhouse at centre half back, Jagodnik, Ewer and Jarvis rotating through the midfield, Beeching at half forward and Rigney to finish off.
Is there any better spine in South Australian country footy?
The Bears were smashed last week.
Their inability to score goals just kills them.
On Saturday they can pack the defence and restrict the damage or just have a crack at it and lose by 100 points.
To John Derrington, Robert Payne, Evan Smith and Tim Saddlier, the RMFL cannot award the George Cross for bravery.
One feels we should do something for this team, especially if you restrict the damage to less than 100 points.
Maybe we could persuade the petrol baron, Meningies’ most generous man, Roger Hurle, to buy the players a drink.
Come to think about it the George Cross is easier.
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