by Rob Popplestone

Our local teams Thorpdale and Hill End will meet on Saturday in round seven of the Mid Gippsland Football League.

Thorpdale v Hill End

They say winning form is good form and, in this clash, both sides are bringing exactly that, winning form.  But from entirely different backgrounds.

Thorpdale has managed success twice in the past fortnight for the first time in three years, and face opponents who have won five from five this season on the back of making a grand final appearance in 2019.

But if you are to judge a side on its last performance, Thorpdale might have some hope of causing the biggest upset in MGFNL history.

The Blues should be commended, not only for their first win in over 1000 days just two weeks ago, but more for their courageous victory last week against Stony Creek.  After trailing by three goals in heavy conditions away from home, they rallied, they fought and eventually succeeded in claiming another scalp against the odds.

Now Stony Creek are no Hill End.  But you can only beat who you have in front of you, and the Thorpdale boys did just that.

The Hillmen are a different proposition altogether, even when not quite at 100 per cent as is the case right now.  Several players short of their best, the Rovers have still managed to manufacture wins on the back of the club’s depth of talent and some astute coaching by Mike Santo.

Hill End will win this game, but Thorpdale will have a very clear vision of just how far they have come and what work is still to be done for finals to be a consideration.

Boolarra v Fish Creek

Boolarra hosting one of the better teams in the competition should be seen as an opportunity to beat one the better teams in the competition.

But I fear the Demons are sometimes beaten before a ball is bounced, not believing they can run with a top side for the four full quarters.

It’s been a frustrating habit of Boolarra, for all and sundry, but none more so than coach Tony Giardina.  Time and time again, he is forced to watch the team mix it for a patch of 10 minutes or so, maybe even a quarter or two, but not often the full 120 minutes with teams playing with a passion to be a part of finals.

Fish Creek let one slip last week after having Foster on the ropes.  The Kangaroos couldn’t quite keep their grip on the game, allowing the Tigers to steal a win.

That loss will have hurt the club which many believe will finish in the top four.  But the difference between top four and top two is exactly what alluded them on the weekend.

The visitors have a few avenues to goal and will rely on the likes of Ethan Park, Kairon Doring, Jack Hayes, Travis Manne and Jarrod Walter to also win the ball around the contest.

The Kangaroos will be ill advised to show up on a Saturday thinking this one might just be a walk in the park after their admirable showing against Foster.  Boolarra can’t be relied on to give an honest performance.  But if they happen to turn up ready to play, they can give the Fish Creek a scare.

Foster v Stony Creek

Foster will intend to make a disappointing season a whole lot worse for the visiting Stony Creek.

The Lions haven’t been horrible.  In fact, last week against Thorpdale they nearly snatched their first premiership points of the season.  But as competitive as you can be, the game is all about enjoying moments of success along the way.  As we quickly close in on the halfway point of the season, coach Jay Acardi will be hoping and planning for this to happen sooner rather than later.

It will take an almighty change in form for it to happen this week.

The Tigers seem to have just the right mix of experience and youthful, talented enthusiasm.  This mix can be quite devastating when a club has momentum, and you feel the Tigers are rolling ahead quite nicely and capable of even further improvement.

The 14-point win over a contender last week, will have Foster in the frame of mind that this week can be one for percentage.  And that’s usually the first slip up, especially for younger players.

Only with the same preparation, focus and effort will a comfortable victory be achieved.  It’s a learning along the way - the harder you work, the easier things become and even the luckier you get.

They might not need luck this week but anything less than 100 per cent would be disappointing for coach Sam Davies, who I'm sure has far greater goals to achieve further down the track.

Morwell East v Tarwin

Morwell East will be keen to bounce back from the bye with winning form.

The Hawks have managed four wins from their first five matches to be potential finalists.

The chance to play on their home deck will be appreciated, as will the opportunity to pounce on a game early.  On too many occasions to date, slow starts put the Hawks in compromising positions.  Only hard work and good coaching has got them out on top.

Tarwin will see this clash as one it can steal away from home.  After a good performance against Yinnar last week, the Sharks will look to the likes of Tom Van Der Kolk, Matthew Williams, Patterson - both Julian and Kaj, together with Tom Sheedy to again be in the thick of the action.  But their task will be a tough one against a very even and talented Morwell East midfield.

As the ladder starts to take shape, a handful of clubs currently sit outside the top six who see themselves sneaking into finals contention.  Tarwin is one of those sides, and it will be matches like this one determining whether they are deserving of being on the bigger stage or not.

Newborough v MDU

If premiership points were given for effort, Newborough would be hovering much higher on the ladder.  Its solitary win doesn’t truly reflect the work coach Peter Ainsworth’s men are putting in.

Sure there have been times they have been outclassed.  But never have they given up.  And that quality I’m sure is respected by both its supporters and, importantly, opposition clubs.

MDU is currently seventh on the ladder, only percentage outside of a coveted top six spot.  A win against Newborough remains crucial.

The Demons were good against the top of the table Hillmen just a fortnight ago and franked that form with a solid performance and win against Boolarra last week.

Like many clubs lingering around midtable, consistency within matches remains a problem that will occasionally bob up its head.  But recent efforts should have Peter Harris’ men ready to go from the opening siren.

The competition is hot this year and will only become hotter in the weeks ahead.  After this match, MDU face two clubs immediately above them in Yinnar and Morwell East, so the Demon’s fortunes might be known by the first week of June.

Yinnar v Toora

If Yinnar football club was a movie, it would be one of those “edge of your seat thrillers” where you don’t actually know “who did it” until the very last seconds of the production.

The Yinnar Magpies currently sit sixth on the ladder.  But that could have easily been second spot if not for their “after the siren” two-point loss to Mirboo North less than a handful of weeks ago and a three-point loss to Foster just a fortnight ago.

Follow that up with a heart stopping four-point win over Tarwin last week and you start to get the picture.  They have been the close finishes players love to be a part of, but only if you can finish on the right side of the outcome.

Magpies coach Daniel Taylor would have breathed a sigh of relief last week as the final curtain went down.  But the pressure continues this week against a Toora side with just one less victory than Yinnar and who see this clash as one that could put them back into finals discussion.

The Toora Magpies will be attacking Yinnar like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s Birds, another thriller that has you glued to the screen.  It might not be as scary at Yinnar’s home ground, but it will be entertaining to watch two teams of Magpies desperate for another win.