Omeo Benambra will go into Saturday’s Omeo and District Football Netball League qualifying final at the Omeo Recreation Reserve as warm favourites.
The Alpine Ranges have only been beaten once for the season and that was in round 10 when the Swampies outpointed the gents from the top of mountain by 19 points at the Lindenow South Recreation Reserve.
Plenty of water has gone under the bridge since with the Ranges outclassing South by 99 points at altitude in the final match of the season.
Lindenow South will be strengthened by the inclusion of players such as Jordan Hack, Mark Baylis and Corey Pescod, but the Ranges won’t be dormant at the selection table, with playmaker Ross Ansaldi, explosive half back Todd Redenbach and coach Josh Piper all certain inclusions.
Piper is delighted with the list he has accumulated and is looking forward to taking the field in search of an elusive premiership.
“We have a good side, one I think could be competitive with most sides in the East Gippsland Football League,” Piper said.
The forward line will contain big game player, James Gibbs, ex-AFL player Ryan Harwood and the competition’s leading goal kicker, Harry Warfe.
Piper and Ansaldi will be joined in the middle by Jordan Robertson and ruckman Campbell Ahsam, who will give the Ranges first use of the football, with his Swampie counterpart, Brad Pedder, unlikely to play.
Down back Omeo will have impassable big man Chris Wheeler controlling the air, with Brent Hartnell, James Cottrell, Redenbach and Riley Steenholdt running onto any balls that hit the ground.
The Swampies will be looking for another huge game from their go-to man, Nathan Pollard, who usually meets any challenge thrown at him, but even this one may be too big for him.
Developing players such as Will O’Keefe and Griffin Sherritt will be keen for big games, as will the consistent Shane Thorpe, Russell White and Daniel Howe.
Hack, Baylis and Pescod are capable of kicking a score, if given the opportunity.
It appears to be the Alpine Ranges’ to lose but we will know more by 5pm this Saturday.
