TAILEM Bend’s coach Mathew Dent must have nightmares about Jervois.
Each time the Eagles have lined up on them this season the margin has increased.
In round one the margin was 59 points, it increased in round two to 74 points, so on the law of averages the margin increases by 15 points every time they play.
Fortunately, this is the last time this season he will see the Bluds.
Jervois will be without gun centre half forward Reid Beeching as he copped a one-match suspension from the tribunal on Tuesday night.
Beeching, who needs four games to qualify for finals, will still have enough games in hand to qualify after serving his suspension.
Jervois has still got the great man Trevor Rigney who is in vintage form.
Rigney has the best overhead mark in the competition and he has this ability to work his way to the front of the pack sometimes from four players deep and take the impossible grab.
He is a match winner and Tailem Bend doesn’t have anyone to go with him for four quarters.
Tailem Bend had a go last week, but in the vital third quarter they just got run over.
They finished off in reasonable style, but they run into a Jervois team that is not in full swing just yet.
Jervois has got experience on every line.
James Lyon and Ben Woodhouse have played at a higher level and they have got a midfield of Ewer, Jagodnik, Jarvis and Moller who are all experienced players.
Even though they are not in top form at the minute they are pretty smart and you can bank on them come September.
Patrick Gabb is a big man, but he doesn’t have the finesse of Jason Bayliss.
Bayliss can direct the ball from the stoppages, while Gabbs’ best bet is to use his size and strength to belt the ball forward and hope his runners in Dylan Hogarth, Damien Raidis and 10-goal Toddy Downs can get on the end of it.
The time to be subtle and nice is finished for Tailem Bend.
In the 1990s the Eagles won a succession of premierships by intimidating teams and Jervois used to be one of them.
The wheel has turned and at the minute Tailem Bend couldn’t blow wind up Jervois.
If Jervois have a bad day, expect the margin to be in the vicinity of 60 points, but realistically they have too much class and they are too smart for the Eagles and it would be a major surprise if the margin was less than 100 points.
Meningie v Mypolonga
No Pedlers, No Mypolonga.
That’s what the Meningie Bears are hoping.
There is a chance all three brothers may be chosen in the South East team for the SA Country Championships, but the Tigers should still have enough in hand to roll the Growlers.
The Growlers are hoping their big man Jack Lewis gets back this week and the inclusion of John Derrington from Sturt via Wallaroo should strengthen them up.
The Growlers were smashed in the midfield last week, they couldn’t get a clean possession and when then they did their delivery was poor and they turned the ball over.
The Tigers have Brad Martin licking his chops in anticipation.
Twice this season he has bagged double figures against the Bears.
Twenty-one goals in two games, 55 for the season and the Bears have no one to man up on him.
The Tigers are expecting the return of Caine Lynn, Brendan Corrie and Daniel Kelly which gives them a better balance around the ground.
Joel Eckerman put in his best performance two weeks ago against the Roosters; Mark Oborn and Cameron Wells have the height to worry the smaller Bears, while Ash Martin is regarded as the number one stopper outside of the AFL, but there is not a lot to stop at Meningie.
‘Erroll’ Flinn is a pretty solid boy and he picks up a lot of possessions, but he just lacks that vital yard of pace to rip a side to bits.
They are very nice people the Tigers and they will travel to Meningie knowing that they could not lose this game if they tried.
Lewis and Derrington will take time to find their feet, Mallard can be a dangerous forward, Greenwood has got some talent, but he hasn’t got the body strength to go with the stronger Mypolonga forwards.
Meningie is everybody’s second favourite team.
I just hope the Tigers go down there, scoff down a couple of mullet sandwiches at half time, enjoy the day and come home with a 91 to 100-point win.
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