In form: Shepparton Park’s Sue Tyson will be in the club’s Allan Matheson Shield squad this weekend.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Things are set to heat up in the Allan Matheson Shield this weekend — in more ways than one.
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While the threat of a heat cancellation hangs over the round nine fixtures, the Goulburn Valley Weekend Pennant division one sides are still preparing for a mouth-watering return to action.
In the weekend’s headline game, top four sides Shepparton Park and Tallygaroopna are set to do battle on Park’s home deck.
Twelve points apart on the table, Saturday’s contest is sure to have finals implications and both teams will be looking to pick up some much-needed points.
Speaking ahead of the contest, Shepparton Park team manager Ash Williamson said with six rounds of action left the side’s destiny was in its own hands.
“We sort of really set up our season well in the first half of the year, banking a few wins early and beating the teams that were sort of on a similar level to us,” Williamson said.
“Playing at home on our grass we think that we can go in and maybe try and pinch a couple of rinks.
“When you split the rinks that sort of gives you a bit of a chance to maybe grab the overall win as well.”
Park will welcome Dennis Beck and Sue Tyson into its squad, with Tyson fresh off winning the club’s ladies singles championships at the weekend.
The home side will not be the only team with some fresh faces in its line-up, with Tallygaroopna set to be missing the experienced Mitch Sidebottom and Rod Still.
Back in the line-up: Tallygaroopna’s Joey Lia is one of a number of inclusions in the club’s division one side this weekend.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Despite the major outs, the inclusion of Joey Lia, Daniel Brophy and Trevor Serafini is sure to boost a squad that Redlegs’ chairman of selectors Mark Ryan said was “shaping up well” despite the unavailabilities.
“The team we’re putting on the green will be more than competitive,” Ryan said.
“We know it’s going to be a huge game, if we want to finish in that top four we’ve got to beat one of the finals contenders.”
While it has been almost a month since the last round of weekend pennant, Ryan said a number of players had kept in form through other tournaments during the break.
The Tallygaroopna mentor said with the round two match against Park called off he was unsure of how the Parkers would line up.
"I’m not sure if they’ve changed much in the last 12 months, but I imagine them to be very competitive and they’ve pushed some sides and been up on the top end of the ladder for a while, so we expect them to be more than competitive,“ he said.
Elsewhere in round nine action, ladder-leading Shepparton Golf is set to play host to East Shepparton, while Tatura will welcome Mooroopna in a seventh against eight showdown.
In the weekend’s other game Kyabram will travel to Stanhope.
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