Where: Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee
When: Sunday, 28 August
Time: 2pm
Coverage: Follow VFL reporter Justin Cooper on Twitter: @justinr_cooper for scores and tune in to SAINTS.com.au post-game for a full match report.
Development League:
11am.
Form guide:
It’s been a really tough second half of the season for Sandringham, with last week’s nine-point loss to Richmond handing the Zebras a 1-5 win-loss record since Round 15. The sole win in the past six weeks came against North Ballarat (53-points) at Eureka Stadium in Round 18. Sunday’s clash against Werribee presents the Zebras with an opportunity to go into finals with a win, but a top-four finish is out of the question due to the string of losses in recent weeks.
Conversely, Werribee has struggled in recent weeks also. The Tigers have lost their past three games to the Box Hill Hawks (37 points), Casey Scorpions (105 points) and Footscray (63 points) to find themselves in bottom four of the VFL ladder with just six wins. Werribee will want to finish 2016 on a high at home on Sunday, therefore posing a threat to any Sandringham win running into September.
Last time they met:
Sandringham 17.18 (120) def. Werribee 12.11 (83) at Trevor Barker Beach Oval, Round 7 2016.
Goals: Lonie 4, Minchington 2, Kreymborg 2, Simpkin, Cook, Templeton, Lee, Shenton, Curren, Murdoch, Pierce, Lok.
Best: Lonie, Acres, Templeton, Murdoch, Minchington, Cook, Pierce.
Selected teams:
WERRIBEE
(* marked next to North Melbourne-listed players)
B:48 N Meredith 34 J Tippett* 39 M Hibberd*
HB:1 B McKenzie* 23 B McKay* 37 W Fordham*
C:25 D McFarlane 11 M Hanson 42 D Mountford*
HF:51 R Nahas* 35 A Black* 27 E Petterwood
F:41 C Wagner* 18 J Porter 22 S Durdin*
R:31 B Preuss* 13 R Clarke* 4 T Gribble
Int:6 B Speight 12 J Wilson 5 I Conway
56 R Barrack 15 B Iles 10 J Maishman
49 F Ray* 28 M Brett 24 M Munro
64 J Williams 26 D Nielson 33 E Vickers-Willis*
23RD PLAYER: 59 B Houlihan
SANDRINGHAM
(St Kilda-listed players highlighted)
B: 80 S Savage 69 L Delaney 20 E Le Grice
HB: 70 D McKenzie 35 T Lee 34 E Templeton
C:2 K Answerth 66 J Sinclair 68 J Saunders
HF: 39 C Shenton 47 J Fisscher 43 T Curren
F: 8 T Dennis-Lane 1 T Simpkin 32 J Lonie
R: 71 L Pierce 31 J Gresham 64 B Acres
Int: 36 B Payne 33 N Freeman 73 N Coughlan
63 N O’Kearney 14 T Grace 52 J Haidon
13 J Noone 75 B Rice 11 M Wilkins
78 J Baker-Thomas 74 B Longer 15 D Weickhardt
23RD PLAYER:59 J Wallace
Join the players and coaches at the 2016 best and fairest and celebrate an exciting season
Key match ups:
Werribee will feature several North Melbourne-listed players, a variety of talls including Joel Tippett and Aaron Black, along with young prospects Ben McKay and Sam Durdin that may stretch the Zebras’ own timber.
Mitch Hibberd and Brad McKenzie will give the Tigers plenty of run out of the back half, while the dangerous pair of Robin Nahas and Corey Wagner will need to be closely checked by the Sandringham back six.
Tom Lee is expected to have a key role in curtailing Aaron Black in the Werribee attack, with Luke Delaney likely to take one of either Sam Durdin or Ben McKay in important shut down roles.
The Zebras have lost Brandon White to AFL affiliate, St Kilda, who has earnt himself an AFL debut in his first season following a 26 disposal game against Richmond last week.
Players to watch:
Sandringham – Darren Minchington
The St Kilda-listed Minchington came back into the Sandringham side last week against Richmond and showed his value in the contest, gathering 22 disposals and laying six tackles to among the Zebras’ best. Sandringham love his toughness and tackling pressure in close, as well as his class on the outside that will play a crucial part if the Zebras are to beat the Tigers on Sunday.
Werribee – Mitch Hibberd
North Melbourne have high hopes for Hibberd and has shown his ability as a rebounding defender in 12 VFL games this season where he averages 19 disposals per game. One of the best in the Tigers’ loss to Footscray last weekend, Hibberd gathered 34 disposals, seven marks and two tackles and looms as a danger on Werribee’s home turf on Sunday for the visiting Zebras.
Conditions:
The weather is forecast to sunny, reaching a top of 17 degrees.
