Round Eight sees a reasonable number of fixtures on offer. The highlight by far is the clash between Hilton and Cockburn, to be held at the home of the Hawks, just down the road from the Roosters home ground. First versus fifth in this one. The second game that catches my eye is the clash between the Lions versus the Millers, sixth playing fourth here.
The three other games also offer some interest for Saturday.
SPEARWOOD v MANNING
SPEARWOOD
I Unkovich, M Hodzic, N Silich, B Bavcevic
K Nadilo, I Dragicevich, B Dropulic, N Sokol
D Tomasich, T Mathein, T Gimblett, M Krajancic
I Perica, B Vidovich, J Stojan, T Fiamengo INS: M Hodzic OUTS: B Yakas
MANNING
M Piggott, S Adams, P Bowden, P Barrow
D Mcllheney, B Griffiths, S Salamon, B Connell
M Carey, G Hogg, A Lill, S Lambert
G O'Brien, W Heldt, N Rees, M Hoskin INS: P Bowden OUTS: M Ellis
The selectors at Spearwood appear to have made significant changes to their teams. The skips are the normal stalwarts in Tomasich, Nadilo, Unkovich and Perica, fair enough I guess. The Eagles would be really smarting after their loss last week, they come in with a very similar lineup. Alan Pryce still absent I notice, a big out for the visitors. The Eagles have a strong front end still, but the demotion of John Evans is a mystery to most. Spearwood have let me down before, they appear a demoralised lot to me. The visitors, but only just.
Manning 6-2
THORNLIE v KALAMUNDA
THORNLIE
J Stean, D Innes, J Walker Jnr, J Mitchell
M Yates, G Beckwith, D Slade, M White
G Vaughan, G Collier, C Penaluna, A Williams
P Pohe, M Separovich, J Thorn, P Riggio INS: No changes OUTS:
KALAMUNDA
A Burt, R Pringle, H Clifford, M Thomas
B Brandsma, R Cooper, T Price, T Mountford
D Wooltorton, I Quayle, G McDonald, M Clancy
A Bartlett, P Townsend, B Farrant, V Hughes INS: A Burt OUTS: W Olive
Both teams come in to this game with their lineups now fairly stable, no Rewell for the Ravens still. A new skip for the Cougars though, with Olive out and Burt in. Not sure where Alex Burt comes from. The Ravens and the Cougars both having good wins last week, but with this game to be played at the nest of the Ravens, I will pick them to win convincingly.
It would be a good game if the Yates and Brandsma rinks were to draw each other.
Thornlie 7-1
HILTON PARK v COCKBURN
HILTON PARK
C Standley, R Hunter, B Smith, T Maxwell
T Simpson, Daniel Newton, Dave Newton, R Fortini
R Foy, G Dodd, L Onley Jnr, R Butler
K McKay, H McKay, C McMahon, S Farrell INS: K McKay, Daniel Newton OUTS: K Willis, I Gray
COCKBURN
M Simunovic, M Musulin, D Gurr, D Dobb
J Marevic, I Mateljak, M Krajancic, A Edwards
W Tepania, D Ravlich, S Srhoy, B Blagaich
K Wylie, J Ricci, M Zusman, D Topine INS: No changes OUTS:
The Hawks have really loaded up for this tantalising clash, to be held at Hilton on Saturday. Game of the round, without any doubt whatsoever, Fourth versus First, wow.
Hunter, Daniel Newton and Kevin McKay all return, three good back end players. Robbie Hunter playing as a three, that hasn’t happened for a while. Father and son McKay together also, a formidable combination. Not forgetting about the Roosters, they are not on top of the table for nothing, they have earned it. Tepania, Simunovic, Musulin, Mateljak, Srhoy, Zusman, can all put a very good bowl down, plus others in their sixteen.
The home ground advantage is important here, so the Hawks for mine.
Hilton 7-1
FREMANTLE v ROCKINGHAM
FREMANTLE
T Krajancic, D Golem, B Ciccotosto, J Trigwell
B Coote, M Lindsay, M Starcevich, A Hocken
S McCormack, J Stewart, B Wright, B Sumich
P Wachmer, M Ngui, K Bowden, J Chessell INS: M Starcevich OUTS: M Gill
ROCKINGHAM
S Hutchinson, K Tremlett, V Arriagada, D Poole
B Edwards, M Peters, T Threlfall, G Roberts
M Devenny, P Villa, S Wales, J Laukkanen
R Costello, J Lethlean, M Wilson, T Rubery INS: V Arriagada OUTS: L Atkins
The Mariners host the Rams in this interesting game, probably to be played on a windy day at the port city of Fremantle. Both sides should be used to the wind, but I guess that does not make it any easier some days. The lineups for both sides have been relatively unchanged of late, but the visiting skips have a better record overall than the home sides skips. Interesting as Freo sit above the Rocky boys on the ladder.
Edwards and Krajancic would be a good clash you would think.
I still can’t quite gauge Freo, but they just might prevail.
Fremantle 6-2
LEEMING v SOUTH PERTH
LEEMING
N Shannon, D Clayton, B Flynn, D Cleal
K Vandersluys, P Boys, D Johnson, W Birrell
G Ford, J Bowden, B Eather, R Bellis
J Newton, G Burgess, A Andersson, P Hickey INS: B Flynn OUTS: A Anderson
SOUTH PERTH
B Roelefs, D Bandy, J Cook, J Percival
M McRae, M Petrich, G Reagan, M Hughes
S Kelly, D Calvo, I Rennie, B Owen
V Santostefano, A Durrant, J Galipo, L Moretti INS: I Rennie, J Cook OUTS: R Negus, T Percival
This game should be a ripper, as both sides lost last week surprisingly, so they will be keen to rectify that. The Lions have had a topsy turvy year, so they might just fire up for this clash against there arch rivals in the Millers. Not often that the Vandersluys rink gets well beaten like last week, so expect them to come out snarling. Both sides possess some good skips, with the Millers front end maybe a bit more steady. I reckon it will be a close one, but the visiting team might just prevail in a close one.
