PLACE PREVIEW - MAGPIES LOOK TO FINISH YEAR ON HIGH

MAGPIES KEEN TO END SEASON ON A POSITIVE NOTE

The Western Magpies will be looking to emulate last week’s effort when they take on finals bound Morningside at Hawthorne on Saturday.

Recent encounters with Morningside have generally been hard fought with the game up fro grabs late, only for an inexperienced Magpie outfit to let them slip late.  However if the Pies can take the same intensity into the match that they displayed last week against ladder leader Labrador then they will give themselves a chance at an upset.

Despite the Pies now being out of the finals race, coach Brydan Morgan maintained standards and dropped Brady Allen and Jake de Winter for disciplinary reasons –  missing training without a valid excuse —and brought in strong young forward Jeremy deRooy for his first senior match and veteran Gabe McKinnon for his first senior match of 2017. Also in are Redlands listed Jack Goodall and young tall Matt Mazarolle.

Dom Beer misses with a shoulder injury and 16 year old forward/midfielder Caleb Franks returns to the Colts to prepare for finals when the young Pies meet the Panthers in a 1 v 2 top of the table clash at 9.30 am on Saturday—well worth an early start to the footy.

The injured Drew Mitchell, Charlie Pershouse and Lachie Dennis did not come up and will sit out the final match of the season. Brodie Easton passed the concussion test on Thursday night and will take his place in the side.

The versatile Goodall adds to the line up as he can play back or forward and young DeRooy gets his chance after consistent Reserves form. He can take a big grab and despite a somewhat awkward kicking style is an accurate kick for goal.

The Pies’ engine room of Gareth Crawford, Ben Jaenke-Cain, Tom Ielasi and Logan Murray were instrumental in the Pies fightback last week and with ruckmen Aaron Highlands and Liam Dwyer both in good form the Pies will need all of them on song to match the experienced Morningside on-ball brigade.  

With Franks and de Winter both out, the goalkicking options will fall to Goodall, Riley Easton, DeRooy and Brenton Saunders with the dangerous Val Pope always able to bob up with a few majors.

The Morningside tall forwards posed a major problem for the Pies late in the game a month ago and Mr Reliable Harry Marshall and the resurgent Matt Dillon will have a big job curtailing the Panthers key forwards.

The move of stand-in skipper Matt Davis and Luke Mitchell to the wings has rejuvenated both and they have been key players in recent weeks for the Pies and offer another route to goal.

The task in front of the Pies is daunting but with only pride to play for the Pies will be keen to end the season on a winning note and put a dent in the Panthers confidence leading into the finals. 

Western Magpies v Morningside at Hawthorne on Saturday, August 19th at 2.00 pm

B: Billy Johnson Harry Marshall Rohan Smith

HB: Mitchell StallardMatt Dillon  Gabe McKinnon

C:  Matt Davis ©  Ben Jaenke-Cain Luke Mitchell

HF: Brenton Saunders Liam Dwyer Jack Goodall

F: Riley Easton Jeremy DeRooyVal Pope

Rucks: Aaron Highlands Gareth Crawford

Rover: Tom Ielasi

I/c: Logan Murray, Matt Mazarolle, Brodie Easton, Kurt Vine