GIPPSLAND POWER (2nd, 11-4) vs. OAKLEIGH CHARGERS (3rd, 11-4)
Sunday September 1, 1:30pm
Ikon Park, Carlton North

Match Preview:

A preliminary final berth is up for grabs when Gippsland Power and Oakleigh Chargers lock horns at Ikon Park on Sunday in the second qualifying final.

The Chargers scraped into this bout on the back of a stirring Round 17 comeback against Sandringham to qualify as the third-best team, with Gippsland also deciding its own fate to hold onto second spot with a win over Bendigo. With both teams finding themselves in precarious positions in those games, their ability to pull through in important moments will surely come to the fore again. Oakleigh’s top end has been a key part of its charge into the top three, but they had already found their groove over a month out from finals with five consecutive wins – including victories over Eastern and the aforementioned Sandringham. In the previous meeting between these two sides, Gippsland easily got the better of Oakleigh in a 46-point win, with the Power benefitting from having more of its representative top-end back in the line-up. The depth of both sides that had been tested during the middle part of the season held firm and will be required again here, given the evenness of big names spread across each line. Both teams will look to their twin towers up forward to lead in what may become a shootout, with Gippsland’s Josh Smith in good form, and Oakleigh’s Cooper Sharman and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan possessing rare ability inside 50. The holes, if any at all, appear for either side up the other end, meaning it could well become a game perfect for neutrals. The losses of Brock Smith and Charlie Comben are huge for the Power, though with Dylan Williams still missing for the Chargers, it means that it is only the ruck where bottom-ager Zach Reid will have a tough task up against Nick Bryan, with a chop out from Josh Smith.

Needless to say, getting on top in the midfield battle will go a long way to deciding this clash, with Oakleigh’s form last time out and wealth of big names putting them ahead on paper as it stands. Expect a highly contested but entertaining battle, with game-winners all over the park.

Prediction: Oakleigh by 7 points.

Key match-ups:

Sam Flanders vs. Noah Anderson

The two powerhouses of either side’s midfield, these two have flair in spades. Both enjoyed high-level national carnivals and have consistently proven their worth through midfield, while also providing little reminders of their abilities forward of centre – and they both may spend time inside forward 50. Anderson did so just last week with his game-winning effort against Sandringham to drag Oakleigh into this match-up, with Flanders hitting the scoreboard from midfield throughout the year. As the strong bodies of either engine room, a meeting between the two top 10 draft locks is likely.

Caleb Serong vs. Matt Rowell

Another mouth watering midfield match-up, Serong and Rowell are both tenacious and ridiculously consistent ball winners with great leadership. Vic Metro best and fairest Rowell was phenomenal in Round 17 with a game-high 34 disposals, while Serong is set for his first NAB League outing since Round 3 after an outstanding carnival for Vic Country where he was co-captain. The two are similar in size and love the contested side of the game, which makes them arguably their respective teams’ most valuable players and an ideal match-up for each other. While Anderson and Flanders may spend stints up forward, expect these two to remain in the middle all day.

Head to Head:

2019:

Gippsland Power – 1
Oakleigh Chargers – 0

Overall:

Gippsland Power – 15
Oakleigh Chargers – 22

Teams:

GIPPSLAND POWER

B: 36. M. Bentvelzen , 14. T. Hourigan, 37. H. Pepper
HB: 10. L. Connolly, 24. B. Maslen, 29. T. Rees
C: 15. R. Sparkes, 6. R. Baldi, 35. J. van der Pligt
HF: 21. M. McGarrity, 13. T. Fitzpatrick, 20. H. Neocleous
F: 7. S. Berry, 16. J. Smith, 19. F. Phillips
R: 22. Z. Reid, 4. S. Flanders, 2. C. Serong
Int: 1. R. Angwin, 30. T. Baldi, 26. C. Doultree, 8. B. McAuliffe, 9. W. Papley, 33. N. Prowd, 32. L. Williams
23P: 44. K. Robinson

In: N. Prowd, C. Serong, W. Papley, B. McAuliffe, C. Doultree
Out: B. Smith, C. Comben

OAKLEIGH CHARGERS

B: 49. H. Mastras, 36. R. Valentine, 34. V. Zagari
HB: 5. T. Bianco, 52. N. Guiney, 15. K. Schreiber
C: 27. J. May, 6. J. Lucas, 9. W. Phillips
HF: 39. R. McInnes, 25. J. Ugle-Hagan, 61. C. Stone
F: 29. F. Macrae, 73. C. Sharman, 77. N. Stathopoulos
R: 4. N. Bryan, 8. N. Anderson, 11. M. Rowell
Int: 58. Y. Dib, 18. F. Elliot, 22. T. Graham, 12. L. Jenkins, 30. S. Tucker, 17. G. Varagiannis, 1. L. Westwood
23P: 2. B. Laurie

In: G. Varagiannis, S. Tucker, K. Schreiber, B. Laurie
Out: J. Capetola