Football
11 September, 2024
HDFNL GF Preview: Can the Bombers stop the mighty Southern Roo?
Noradjuha Quantong is the team that stands in the way of Harrow Balmoral winning their 36th consecutive match and back-to-back premierships when both teams go head-to-head at North Park in Stawell in the Horsham District Football Netball League grand final on Saturday.
The last time Harrow Balmoral and Noradjuha Quantong faced off in the grand final was in 2019 when the Southern Roos won by 91 points.
Only three Bombers players who will take the field on Saturday played on the day back then: Jason Kerr, Jack Vague, and Nigel Kelly. Dusty Cross and Wade Francis also played but are under question marks for the grand final due to injury.
Harrow Balmoral has nine players: Nick Pekin, William Plush, Michael Close, Dalton Burns, Peter Staude, Clinton Robinson, Scott Addinsall, Anthony Close, and Cody Deutscher.
This is a new Bombers outfit from back then, and coach Damian Cameron said everyone is ready.
"We are in the grand final, and being there is a great feeling. When we run out on Saturday, everyone will be ready," Cameron said.
"Harrow Balmoral are a tough outfit, and they are on top for a reason. They have good run-off halfback, their forwards are good, and they can rotate well through the midfield and forward."
While Nigel Kelly should get the job on Michael Close, Cameron said that and a few matchups they will talk about during the week.
"For a size thing, that matchup looks good as he has the reach to stop Michael, so you would think Kelly has to be the one. The last time we played them, Michael was a handful," Cameron said.
"He is not the only one you need to worry about as they have Nick Pekin and Jai Thompson and others that can rotate through the midfield and forward."
When asked who will have the job on Pekin, Cameron said it depends on where Pekin lines up, but if he is forward, Brandon Ellis may be the guy.
"The last time we played them, we missed Brandon, so if he plays up forward, Brandon will get the first crack on him, but if he plays through the midfield, we have to work out who has the pace and smarts to go with him," Cameron said.
"There are a lot of matchups over the ground, so we need to change a few things that we haven't needed to change in the last few weeks.
Jai Thompson is the best player in the competition, and it was confirmed on Monday night by the umpires and his peers as he won the Dellar Medal for the league best and fairest and was voted the best opposition player.
Cameron said it's all about stemming the flow with Thompson.
"You can't stop a guy like Jai as he works well under his left side and also under the packs, so all you can do is just try and nullify him a bit and curb the influence," Cameron said.
Cameron is confident in his forwards but knows they must still work hard. The Southern Roos' defence is quality, so they must stop their run and carry off halfback while trying to score themselves.
"When you play against good teams like Harrow Balmoral, you can't sit yourself in a position and think you can kick goals," Cameron said.
"You need to be able to stem the flow of their halfbacks, and we have to be our best to do that, as well as those small things we must do to win the match."
Cameron thinks Jayden Besford is the wildcard.
"He is tough, fast, and silky on the outside, and he always flies under the radar, and he is an a-grade footballer," Cameron concluded.
Having won 35 games in a row, going for 36, Harrow Balmoral coach Jai Thompson is not getting complacent and knows that Noradjuha Quantong will come out hard and will be a significant challenge.
He watched them defeat the Swifts in a close game at Natimuk Showgrounds on Saturday, so he knows what to expect.
"They are a good young team, and they have been gaining momentum and playing good football, so getting a good look at them has been good. We will take a lot from it," Thompson said.
Dylan Shelley has been Noradjuha Quantong's best on the ground in the last two weeks, so Josh Dawson and Clint Robinson will take the job, depending on where Shelley lines up.
"If he plays high up the ground, we will look at Josh Dawson, but if he plays close to goal, it might be Clint Robinson who managed to keep Paul Summers to two goals two weeks ago," Thomspon said.
"He is a talented player and gets a good jump at things, so we must see what unfolds."
Matt Jones, who didn't play against the Swifts, and Michael Close, who hasn't played since round 16 on August 3, will be back in the team, giving Thompson and the other coaching staff a tough decision on who to omit.
"There are always these tough decisions this time of the year, and unfortunately, it's the way it is," Thompson said.
"Everyone has contributed to get us here, but someone has to miss when two quality players come back in.
"We will see how it goes at the selection table, as anything can happen this week."
With Close coming back in, Thompson is not phased by the fact that he hasn't played for over a month and is looking forward to stretching Noradjuha Quantong in defence.
"He will come back firing. He had the same preparation last year, only to come back in the preliminary final, and then got the best on in the grand final," Thompson said.
"It doesn't take him long to hit his straps, and to have him in the forward line will be massive as we can stretch them with height up forward.
Thompson knows the youth will be ready.
"They have improved throughout the year and are coming along in leaps and bounds," Thompson said.
"You saw how they stood up against the Swifts in the qualifying final, and we know they will play their role on Saturday."