Round 2 Preview – HAVAL Black Diamond Cup

Written by Ryan Stanton

After an exciting Round 1 based at the new Central Coast Regional Sporting and Recreation Complex the Haval Black Diamond Cup moves to a true home and away format. We preview Round 2’s matches below;

 

Killarney Vale vs Newcastle City, 2pm @ Adelaide St Oval

Killarney Vale host reigning premiers Newcastle City which could be a defining game for the Bombers. Faced with playing the preliminary finalists over the first four rounds is a daunting task for any club. Killarney Vale matched it with the fancied Cardiff last week going down by only 7 points. Killarney Vale have been buoyed by the return of B. Edwards and H. Bernleitner and the promising youngster L. Hassall to the club. T. Oosterhoff was superb last week and a similar display will give the Bombers the strike power they will need to win. Don’t be surprised to see C. Keast leave the forward line and use his size and strength in the ruck to thwart the jumping power of the current Elliott Davey medallist.

Newcastle City did the job against Maitland but as usual they know when to peak and it isn’t in March. The Blues started strongly with N. MacDonald kicking 2 first term goals as they led by 4 goals at quarter time. Assisted by C. Haswell and C. Keast with 3 goals apiece, N. MacDonald finished the day with 5 majors. The Blues will be happy with this goal sharing as they refigure their forward line without 2018 Maurice Goolagong Trophy winner P. Gillingham who is travelling for the season. Last year P. Gillingham kicked 10 goals at Adelaide St Oval and the Bombers wont care for his absence. Newcastle City will be keen to continue this forward line success however Killarney Vale will have other plans defending the smaller pockets of their fortress. This game should be a beauty.

 

Wyong vs Gosford, 2pm @ Don Small Oval

Gosford travel to Don Small in a grudge match against long-time rivals Wyong Lakes. Gosford did not have a good day in round 1 as they failed to kick a goal after a promising first quarter against the might of Terrigal. Gosford are renowned for hanging in there even when they are outclassed but this did not happen last week. They will be more than happy to put this game behind them and will be expecting a much closer outcome this week.

Wyong on the other hand would have walked away looking at the positives after an emotional week leading into last week against the Bulldogs.  Without many new faces at Tacoma new coach M. Solomons would have been proud of his troops. The Magpies know if they can hustle and scrounge and just get the ball into the forward line the class of J. McPhan and James Roach will do the rest. Travelling teams always find it a tough day at Don Small Oval and Wyong will be confident of celebrating with the 4 points come this Saturday evening.

More information on Back to the Don Day: WLAFC – Media Release – Back to the Don Day

 

Warners Bay vs Nelson Bay, 2pm @ Feighan Oval

Warners Bay will welcome the Battle of the Bays as a game they feel confident will be a success. Warners Bay were one game away from a grand final last year but having lost several key players in the offseason the Bulldogs 2019 campaign remains unknown. With new recruit B. Scowen making an impressive debut and Jake Roach kicking goals, Warners Bay will need to be respected by their foes as the Magpies found out in a great tussle last Saturday.

Nelson Bay would have been looking forward to getting the first bounce underway after a preseason which saw their Plate team put on hold and their Women’s team unable to field a team Round 1. But the wet weather which inundated Singleton overnight and throughout the morning did not allow either team to showcase their skills. The talk of the town was the return of Craig Bird and he did not disappoint. The Marlins will be hoping B. Barton and Bird will perform again and will need a real team effort this week if they are to overpower the Bulldogs.

 

Singleton Vs Terrigal Avoca, 2pm @ Rose Point Park

Following a big preseason by the Roosters many of their new recruits swapped footballs for brooms as they swept the water off the oval to ensure the game went ahead last week.  Singleton is bubbling with the best squad they have put together in years however this meant little last week trying to play with a ball so water logged you could hear it slap off the players boots. The Roosters would have been happy to start the season with a victory but overjoyed to see courageous T. Bates return to the field to kick an inspirational goal despite the fact he was collected heavily in the first quarter. On a drier track this week Singleton will be keen to test themselves against the powerhouse we know as the Panthers.

Terrigal Avoca put the disappointment of last year well and truly behind them with a clinical display in Round 1 against the Tigers. C. Bishop has built this team with solid structures that can adapt to any situation with talented players who can fill a number of matchday roles with ease. New recruit and best on ground N. Belbin showed the Panthers depth would remain their greatest asset. This weekend’s match will act as a better bench mark towards the possible fortunes for both of these teams in 2019.

 

Cardiff Vs Maitland, 2pm @ Pasterfield Sports Complex

Cardiff will open their wonderful new facility Pasterfield Sports Complex after 14 years of anticipation. Cardiff were the talk of the preseason as they boosted their squad under new coach N. Tomlinson. A windy match at Tuggerah would not have been the order of the day as they faced a committed Killarney Vale outfit. Scores were level at half time and although the wind picked up and marquees took flight, the Hawks dug deeper and held on for a 7-point win. Cardiff will be confident they will have Maitland’s measure and will be hell bent on starting their new chapter at Cameron Park with anything but a victory.

Football teaches us that anyone can win on any day and Maitland will be happy to go in as the underdogs and spoil the party. Maitland were solid under lights at Tuggerah but lacked consistency against the premiers. The 5 goal haul by J. Rory was special and he was ably assisted by W. Pankhurst with 2 majors. The signs are looking positive for the Saints and if they can kick a winning score they will back themselves to hold out the Hawks. Look for P. McMahon to lift to another level and if S. Jordan can go back to back with a solid display it could well be a great afternoon for the Sainters.

 

Be sure to tune into the Bar TV Match of the Round at 2pm between Cardiff vs. Maitland in the HAVAL Black Diamond Cup.

Bar TV Link Cardiff vs. Maitland (2pm) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVH08mkrXvk

Earlier in the day Bar TV will also stream live the Hunter HAVAL AFLHCC Women’s match between Cardiff vs. Nelson Bay at 10am and the HAVAL Black Diamond Plate match between Cardiff vs. Maitland at 12pm. It should be an exciting day at the new Pasterfield Sports Complex.