Mount Burr v Robe
THE red-and-white army will be on the road to “Mick” and Jean Walker Oval to see if the Roosters can defeat the Mozzies for the fourth time in succession.
Robe’s wins have only been by a handful of points and have come in the 2018 second semi, 2018 grand final and the 2019 opening round.
As the scores indicate, these matches have been keenly contested and luck has played a hand in the outcomes.
Both sides moved positions after round nine with Robe jumping into second place while Mount Burr entered the top four for the first time this season.
The Mozzies won’t surrender this ranking and will be hell-bent on securing a top two ranking by the end of the minor round.
Only two points separated the sides at their seaside meeting on April 6 with two key Mozzies missing on this day.
Cory Gamble was having a stint at SANFL zone team Glenelg but is now back playing at Mount Burr.
At the other end of the age and experience spectrum, Nick Morrison played in Mount Burr’s B Grade team in the season opener.
Morrison is back in A Grade and his team is richly benefiting from his presence in attack and on the ball.
This clash is the match-of-the-day and will draw a huge crowd.
It would be fitting if veteran umpire Ben Young was chosen to officiate as his 500th A Grade game occurs this weekend.
Kalangadoo v Tantanoola
THE Magpies would bank on a repeat of the April 6 result at Tigerland when they secured a percentage-boosting and confidence-boosting victory by 84 points.
Kalangadoo needs a similar result if it is to return to the top four, but it is far from a certainty.
The heavy ground will limit the scoring while the Tigers are playing a better brand of footy than back in April.
Tantanoola has lost a number of key players to injury, but the remaining players are keen to avoid the easy-beats tag.
Although not necessarily shown on the scoreboard, the Tigers are willing to do the “one percenters”.
At the mid-point of most football seasons from the elite AFL competition, there emerges teams which are said to “shape the top four” rather than “make the top four”.
In other words, there are clubs which are capable of causing the occasional upset and Tantanoola is one of those.
It showed on Saturday at Mount Burr’s fortress at “Mick” and Jean Walker Oval it could match the Mozzies for most of the opening three quarters before fading.
Much of the credit can go to assistant coach Sam Haniford and veteran forward Robbie Versace who applied the scoreboard pressure.
They have missed much of the season, but these two forwards, of varying styles, are potential match-winners.
Tantanoola will welcome 2016 Encounter Bay premiership ruckman Matt Allen to the starting 18 as he has secured work with a Millicent firm.
If an ounce of luck comes the way of Tantanoola such as winning the toss, it could cause an upset.
Kalangadoo has not missed a major round for several seasons and will start the game as the favourite.
It is also hopeful of securing its 2016 Mail Medalist Jack Casey who has recently lodged a clearance from Goolwa/Port Elliott in the Great Southern Football League.
Round 10 has been nominated by the MSEFL as the Zaidee Rainbow Foundation day to promote awareness of organ donations and member for MacKillop Nick McBride may be a guest umpire at Kalangadoo to promote the event.
Nangwarry v Glencoe
ADDED interest in the meeting of the Saints and the Murphies on Saturday has been created by the awarding of the Phil Muhovics Memorial Shield and Medal.
Nangwarry and Glencoe take it in turns each year to host the fixture which honours the memory of the popular identity who coached both clubs as well as East Gambier and Robe.
At the end of the game, his brothers will confer with the officiating umpires and decide on the winner of the memorial medal.
It is not necessarily awarded to the best-on-ground but to the player who best exemplified the fine spirit in which Phil Muhovics approached his football.
He is a revered figure at both clubs as he began his career in underage ranks with the Murphies while he coached Nangwarry to their first three flags in 1993, 1994 and 1997.
Glencoe is at unbackable odds to take the premiership points and make amends for a poor showing at Hatherleigh in round nine.
With top spot on the line, the Murphies conceded nine goals in the third term and did not register any majors in the last quarter.
The loss pushed the maroon-and-golds down to third place and a double chance berth is in jeopardy.
Round nine also brought a lot of scoreboard pain for Nangwarry as it managed just two scoring shots against reigning premiers Robe.
The Saints went into the forward 50m scoring zone on 20 occasions but could not convert.
The team was also unsettled on the morning of the match with the withdrawal of four players due to illness and other reasons.
Nangwarry is unlikely to win the Phil Muhovics Memorial Shield for the first time but it can honour his memory with a stout-hearted effort on the oval.
Hatherleigh v Kongorong
THE Eagles have maintained top spot and will not surrender it by losing at home to the Hawks.
The ladder leader has just lowered the colours of the Glencoe Murphies which were close to full strength
That come-from-behind victory was the best effort by the blue-and-golds in a few seasons and is an ideal launching pad for the second half of the minor round.
Players of the calibre of Sam Waring, Jack Sullivan, Josh Wight, Matt Fabris, Joe Ferguson-Lane and Todd Watson were on the sidelines.
The fact that the Eagles have only lost one game in 2019 has provided a wonderful start to the coaching career of Gerard McGrath.
Meanwhile, Kongorong’s Will Whitty has also taken up the mentoring role for the first time this season after more than 300 senior games at Tantanoola, Mount Burr and Millicent.
Whitty has to devise ways to narrow the 93-point loss which was inflicted on Kongorong by Hatherleigh in the opening round of the season.
Meanwhile, there will be plenty of interest in the outcome of the curtain-raiser between the Eagles and the Hawks.
They played off for the B Grade title in 2018 and Hatherleigh claimed a narrow win.
