Wimmera: Southern Mallee Thunder and Stawell mid-season blockbuster
Refreshed after a bye, Wimmera league premiership challengers Southern Mallee Thunder and Stawell do battle.
The two biggest threats to Wimmera league reigning premier Ararat meet on Saturday as one tries to end a flag drought of more than two decades and the other attempts to capture its first premiership since entering the competition.
Ararat sits on top of the ladder after taking out the flag last year with its two biggest challengers, Southern Mallee Thunder and Stawell doing battle at Beulah.
Southern Mallee Giants lost the grand final to Ararat last year and merged over summer with Jeparit-Rainbow to become the Thunder.
It has played one less game than Ararat and Stawell, which is looking to win its first flag in 24 years.
Stawell will be without ruckman Josh Fowkes, who starred in its first round win against Ararat.
Fowkes crossed from Mininera District club Navarre this year, but hurt his ankle in round four.
“We won’t quite be at full strength, but we will be pretty close,” Stawell coach Tom Eckel said.
“The bye (last weekend) was good to just freshen up.
“We’ve got a lot more depth this year.
“(Southern Mallee) is pretty consistent the whole way through.
“There are no weak links.”
After just missing finals last year, Stawell has topped up with former Port Adelaide midfielder Marlon Motlop since the start of the season.
Stawell’s only loss this season to Horsham Demons came the week after Fowkes went down.
Thunder lost to Ararat in round three by 15 points.
Former Jeparit-Rainbow quartet Tom Clarke, Xavier Oakley, Tom Schumann and Simon Clugston have made the step up to the Wimmera league.
“Being a merged club it’s taken a few weeks to get to know each other and learn how we play,” Thunder coach Kieran Delahunty.
“But we’ve had a really solid last month and strung together some good footy.
“We’ve now got a really big month ahead.”
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