WANGARATTA Rovers co-coach Sam Carpenter has tipped Wodonga Raiders to “do a bit of damage” if they clinch an Ovens and Murray finals berth.
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The Raiders stormed back into the top five with a 51-point win over the Rovers at W.J. Findlay Oval on Saturday and Carpenter said if Daryn Cresswell’s charges can get over Myrtleford and North Albury in the final two rounds, a preliminary final berth isn’t out of their reach.
“They’re not a bad side, Wodonga Raiders, and I think if they make the finals they’ll do a bit of damage in there,” he said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they won a couple of finals.
“They’ve got a really good midfield, they’re pretty well coached and they’re quick.
“You get the good weather in the finals, where the games are a bit quicker, and I think it will really suit them.”
The Raiders finished third after the home and away season last year but crashed out of the finals series in straight sets.
Cresswell said they were hitting form at the right time of the year and were better prepared to attack the finals series than they were last year.
In order to feature in September, they must first defeat the Saints at Birallee Park on Saturday.
“Last year, coming into finals, we weren’t in great form and we had a lot of sore blokes,” he said.
“This year, we’re coming in fresh.
“We’ve got blokes now who are really hungry.
“You want to play good teams going into finals so it will be another big challenge against Myrtleford.
“Their form has been proven.
“We’re starting to really hit our straps and the thing that excites me the most is the footy we played today.
“We’ve got some real speed on the ball and when we can get the ball and run it, particularly on our big ground, we’re going to be pretty hard to stop.
“The dry ground helps our style as well, everyone knows that.”
Xavier Mardling
Xavier started at The Border Mail in Albury-Wodonga in 2001, covering sport and general news before moving to the subs' desk. He was editor of his hometown masthead from 2016 to 2020 before swapping the Murray for Merewether. He returned to The Border Mail as editor in 2023.
Xavier started at The Border Mail in Albury-Wodonga in 2001, covering sport and general news before moving to the subs' desk. He was editor of his hometown masthead from 2016 to 2020 before swapping the Murray for Merewether. He returned to The Border Mail as editor in 2023.
