Friday Footy Frenzy - The Courier - May 10, 2024
Join CHFL and BFNL reporters David Brehaut and Greg Gliddon ahead of round 5 of the 2024 season.
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00:00 Welcome to Friday Footy Frenzy. I'm David Brio and I'm joined once again by Greg Glidden. Good afternoon Greg.
00:07 Good afternoon David. Lovely to be here. It's not quite as sunny as I thought it was going to be but hopefully we have a lovely day out at the football tomorrow.
00:14 Yeah, footballers and coaches are always looking at the weather aren't they and it's been a wet couple of days but the weekend looks like being pretty good.
00:22 We've had a charm run weather wise for the season so far. Been games in ideal conditions. Blue skies, not much wind.
00:31 No wind, yeah, that's the thing. You haven't had any big winds so far so let's hope it stays that way.
00:36 That's right. Okay, so we're into round 5 in both competitions and there's a couple of interesting games in the Central Highlands.
00:44 One of those will be between Bungaree and Dunstown. Two close rivals, neighbours and they always provide a real contest.
00:57 But we'll talk more about the Central Highlands in a moment. Let's go straight to the Ballarat Football Netball League where we've got a match of the round down in the Eastern Block.
01:08 Down to Clark Oval for the match of the round this week. Sunbury North Ballarat looks an absolute cracker on paper. Games are not played on paper of course.
01:17 Sunbury probably look to be the most improved team this year. Obviously just missing the finals last year they've obviously got a point to prove.
01:25 New coach Matt White has been playing a brand new game plan. Not quite as short kicking as they were in the past.
01:32 They're a bit more contested, a bit more surge, a little bit of that Damien Hardwick, Richmond sort of surge mentality with Sunbury this year.
01:40 They're a much stronger side. They're up against North Ballarat. Get this for North Ballarat, in the first four games they've played, they had a bye in the first round.
01:51 They've played Melton, they've played Daly and they've now played Sunbury.
01:55 So they've probably got their three biggest challenges all in the first month of the season. It'll be a really good test to see exactly where they are.
02:02 Probably the big test though is for Sunbury though. Their wins have come against teams that Matt White didn't like me saying when I said should yesterday.
02:10 But it was actually teams that I would have predicted Sunbury to have beaten. So let's just put it that way.
02:16 Well teams they needed to win before were going to take that next step.
02:19 Exactly. I think Matty's very keen on every game you go out there you want to win. You shouldn't have to win every game.
02:25 You shouldn't have to, should win a game. But it's one of those situations where I think this will be the real big test for Sunbury just to see how improved they are.
02:35 Should be a cracker. While we're on that game, the netball. Absolute blockbuster netball game as well with those two sides.
02:43 Rebecca Hicks has made such a difference to the Sunbury goal shooting this year.
02:49 They were already top four side. I think they're one of the real challenges to North and Daly for the crown.
02:56 And I just think this game against North again will be a great test to see where Sunbury is at in terms of the season ahead.
03:04 Ok, excellent. Alright, well we're down the road from Ballarat. We've got another game at Daly.
03:11 We have got a game at Daly. Now there's a little bit of interest in this one against Redan.
03:16 Of course Redan just signing up Gary Leamoth to another two years so the stability of the club is there for the next few years.
03:23 But interesting one here, Daly the reigning Premier. You'd say, oh Daly a favourite to win.
03:27 Redan has actually won the last two games they've played at Daly Park so there are no fears at all for the Lion Cubs.
03:34 Are they home and away games?
03:36 Home and away games, yeah. There's no fear for the Lion Cubs. They know exactly how to play the ground out at Daly.
03:44 And it'll be very interesting to see how they go this round. Daly has to start favourites.
03:49 They were so super impressive against Ballarat last week.
03:52 But an upset would not be beyond the realms of possibility this weekend.
03:58 How do you see Redan in the early weeks of the season?
04:01 Yeah, good. Last week I thought they were probably lucky to get the points against Sebas in the end.
04:06 Sebas probably wasted a lot of opportunities but I think at the same time Redan, they're 2-2.
04:11 They're doing their job. They're winning the games. Again, they should win.
04:15 Whether they are quite there yet, but they've probably got four or five players still to come back in.
04:20 So they're in the mix. Unlike the other two games, the other two teams, the team that they defeated last week.
04:27 Sebas, who meets Bakas Mas in what looks like a really big match as well.
04:31 A bit of trouble at Burra, aren't they?
04:33 Yeah, 1-3. Both teams actually go into this game 1-3. 1-4 is a really long, long way back into the season.
04:41 2-3, you're in the season, aren't you? So I would say that it's a really hard one to pick this one.
04:49 So it's Sebas and Bakas Mas at Marty Bush.
04:51 At Marty Bush. It's a really hard one to pick this one because you've got Sebas, who showed plenty last week.
04:57 They had about 120 more positions in Redan but didn't get the job done.
05:00 Bakas Mas have been super competitive in every game they've played.
05:03 It really could come down to the last kick in this one. It's going to be a desperate match.
05:07 And to be honest with you, whoever wins this one, I think they can actually get them on a bit of a roll.
05:12 They can actually just get the four points. I think that's what both these teams need.
05:16 Quickly, we'll just run through the other two games. The Lakers are at home to East Point.
05:21 Still not sure about East Point. They've had a big win over Sebas, they've had a big win over Mountain South,
05:26 and they had a big loss to Dali. So we're just not sure where they stand.
05:30 They should be getting the job done here. Lakers are a young team on the up.
05:34 They're pretty competitive. They showed plenty against North Ballarat for a half last week, but they ran out of steam.
05:40 East Point, they look like they've got the run and game going.
05:44 Again, what have we seen? We saw them defeat Sebaspol on a very slippery night.
05:49 Not a lot you can take out of that. We saw them hold Mountain South to just one goal last week.
05:53 So again, where do they sit? I think East Point will get the job done.
05:57 I think they'll get the job done pretty comfortably, but I think the big tests will come to them in the next three or four weeks.
06:02 And the final game, Ballarat, they would be really disappointed with their performance against Dali last week.
06:08 They've got another huge test this week. They travel down to Melton, and of course, Melton are coming off the bye.
06:13 So well rested. It's going to be a really big test for Ballarat.
06:17 Melton were telling me yesterday that they could have up to 17 players return to their squad across the two grades.
06:25 Their reserves haven't been winning, but if they get a few players back into the reserves,
06:29 there's going to be a lot of fighting for positions in that Melton senior team.
06:33 I expect Melton to get the job done. You said 17?
06:36 17 across their two teams, they were telling me yesterday, that they had out from the previous round.
06:42 But they've had the bye, and they could get up to 17 back in the next couple of weeks.
06:47 So I expect Melton to get the job done here, but Ballarat would want to show a lot more than what they did against Dali,
06:53 because they're a better team than what they showed against Dali last week.
06:56 Okay, and just a reminder of course, that this edition of Friday Footy Frenzy is brought to you by Sheds and Shades by Design,
07:05 our sponsor of our football coverage this season, and our live broadcasts of Central Highlands matches of the day.
07:14 So thanks very much to Sheds and Shades by Design.
07:18 Okay, let's talk about Central Highlands, so let's get into it and we'll run through those games.
07:23 Not much time left, because Craig just got on a roll there, didn't you mate?
07:30 We get on a roll mate, and you know what it's like, don't you?
07:33 Yes I know, okay, so we better whip through our games.
07:37 I mentioned there's some interesting match-ups this week, round five.
07:44 Still early days, and not enough games yet to really get a feel,
07:49 but there is a big group of teams in the Central Highlands in the middle of the table.
07:54 I think there's six on two wins.
07:56 So they're just a couple of games, or one and a half games off that top group, but look comfortably above the rest.
08:05 We're getting to the point now where you want to keep your win-loss ratio in the affirmative.
08:12 Quite a few of these teams are two and two, so they don't want to go two and three, they want to be three and two.
08:19 So some interesting match-ups, and we'll go first of all is Carnham and Linton and Springbank.
08:25 This game is the first of the season at Snake Valley, so they head out to Carnham and Snake Valley for this game.
08:33 Springbank of course, they're really staring down the barrel.
08:38 After two grand final appearances, we knew it was going to be a little bit tougher this year.
08:42 I thought they'd slide, but so far, no wins on the board.
08:46 They're coming off a bye, but gee they don't want to be zero and four,
08:49 because the way the draw works, I wouldn't rule out them making the finals, even if they're zero and four.
08:57 But I tell you what, it starts to look pretty hard, and they've only got to drop the odd one from then on
09:02 to suddenly really be staring down the barrel.
09:05 It's one of those ones where you have to beat those sides around you, around that seven, eight, nine, ten.
09:09 Well this is one of those games, even though they're not in that group, you feel like they are.
09:15 So Carnham-Lynton, I think the Saints could get the win.
09:20 They need it, they need to bounce back.
09:23 I've found it impossible to catch them.
09:26 I've selected them, and they've lost, and I go against them and they win.
09:30 So what they have got is stability, and they've got Brad McDonald back there, goal kicker from Queensland.
09:36 The Saints will be happy if you don't pick them at all, then save the things, David.
09:39 That's right, but I'm going for Carnham-Lynton.
09:41 Okay, next cap off the rank is Creswick up against the reigning Premier in Gordon.
09:48 And yeah, look, this is at Creswick.
09:52 Hard to see Gordon losing this one.
09:54 They're going along nicely, still a number of players to come back into the side.
09:58 They're not at their Premiership best yet, but I tell you what, they're just ticking along nicely under new coach Brendan Payne,
10:03 and they will win that against Creswick, which only a few weeks ago had the excitement of beating Roque with Corranderp.
10:10 And then last week they were pretty disappointing.
10:13 So it's Gordon over Creswick quite comfortably there.
10:17 Then the game I mentioned earlier, the unbeaten Bungaree up against Dunstown.
10:22 Bungaree, I'd expect them to win.
10:25 Dunstown, they've had a pretty tough draw to start off, so when they've lost, you know, the games have lost have been disastrous.
10:34 But again, they don't want to go behind the eight ball, but I think Bungaree, they're just flying at the moment.
10:42 So unbeaten on top of the ladder.
10:46 Who's going to stop them?
10:47 Well, at the moment, can Dunstown? Probably not.
10:50 But if Dunstown is going to make a statement early in the season, this is their opportunity.
10:54 But I think Bungaree's got a little bit more brilliance, so we'll go for the Demons there.
10:58 Dalshet, the other unbeaten side, what a season they've had.
11:01 Again, they haven't had a lot of big assignments yet, but beating Hepburn was massive.
11:06 And last week, they were solid against Learmonth.
11:10 You know, they've got quite a few players out and they've lost a couple more or won more this week through suspension.
11:17 They're up against Roque with Corandap, who are struggling.
11:20 They've really got their back to the wall, but they've copped injuries too.
11:24 They're not alone, but I think they're going to struggle to cover those injuries.
11:28 And I think a lot of players, they're down on form.
11:32 So at the moment, they've only got the one win.
11:34 They desperately need another win.
11:36 But I think Dalshet will get the points and perhaps what could be a fairly tight match at Dalshet's Victoria Park.
11:43 Bunningong-Learmonth, another one of those middle table games.
11:48 This is a really hard one to pick.
11:50 Bunningong keep getting injuries, but they have picked up a number of players,
11:54 particularly their three Northern Territory players have come back and they'll be back for about a month.
11:59 So that's good news for them.
12:00 That'll really boost them.
12:02 They're up against the Lakeys.
12:04 I'm going to stick, I think, with the Lakeys in a tight game.
12:07 They went far away against Dalshet.
12:09 They didn't win, but they could easily have won with a bit more luck.
12:13 So, yeah, I'll stick with the Lakeys.
12:17 Warbra and Ballan, this time last year, toss of the coin, and it still really is both got one win.
12:25 It's at Warbra.
12:27 I'm going for Ballan.
12:28 I think they're just playing the better football, probably a bit more solid defensively by the look of it.
12:33 So we'll go for the Blues to get home there.
12:35 Skipton and Hepburn, keep saying it's another one of those games, you know,
12:39 the teams in the middle ranks who want to get another win.
12:43 And this is important for these teams if they want to really press for the top four when it counts later on.
12:49 So who gets this one?
12:52 Well, I don't really know.
12:53 Hepburn, they won it last year, this clash.
12:56 And Skipton, I'll go for the Burrows, but, gee, toss of the coin.
13:01 I've said that a few times today, but that's the way it is.
13:03 And Clunes up against Beaufort.
13:05 Poor old Beaufort, they're having a tough time, the Crows.
13:07 Clunes, they're coming off a shocker.
13:09 Their coach, Luke Davidson, was really disappointed with their last outing.
13:13 It was totally out of character for what he's built up, the culture and the on-field culture that he's built up out there.
13:19 And they're looking to bounce back.
13:20 And that's the game I'll be at and calling live online.
13:25 So if you want to have a look at some live action from the Central Highlands on Saturday, that is our live game.
13:32 It is Clunes up against the winless Beaufort, who have got a very young team and they'll just keep battling on.
13:38 So there you go, Greg, round five in both the Ballarat and Central Highlands Football Leagues.
13:43 Plenty of really interesting games in both competitions.
13:46 It's still plenty of time.
13:49 It's only early, isn't it?
13:50 But it's wins at this time of the season that can make all the difference.
13:54 Teams are starting to sort themselves out, aren't they?
13:55 A little bit.
13:56 But some of these 50-50 games I'll talk about, these are the games you'll look back on and say, well, that could be the difference between making it.
14:03 Either making top four or making finals.
14:05 It's so tight.
14:06 So thanks for joining us.
14:08 This edition of Friday Footy Frenzy has been brought to you by Sheds and Shades by Design, in association with the Courier.
14:16 I'm David Breo.
14:17 This is Greg Clinton.
14:18 And it's a very good afternoon to you all.
14:21 [GREGORY ANNOUNCING NEXT EPISODE]