Coopers Friday Night Footy Preview - Woodsmen take on Roos in Semi Final
Andrew Thomson
After their quality win vs Morningside in last weeks semi final, the Woodies have named an unchanged side for the first time in club history as they prepare to take on their 2018 Grand Final opponents, Maroochydore in another knock-out final.
In a remarkable turn of events, at this stage there are no casualties from last weeks team due to work, injury, family commitments, coaching etc so an unnamed side has been named! Not a bad effort for a side that used a total of 79 players through the one side during the home & away rounds!
Having said all that, if you’re named an emergency for the Woodies, you strap the ankles and bring the boots!
Recognising the difficulty in getting up the Bruce Highway on a Friday evening, especially in the week of the ‘Ekka Flu’ - the game has been scheduled for an 8pm start, but the Woodies have been ready for this one for quite some time.
Last week there were a couple of players in Hockley and Prior who rose from their sick beds to play superb games, this week its a clean bill of health and the Woodies will have 22 fit and ready to go in enemy territory.
The engine room of Judson, Woods, DeNys, Curtis and Morrison created a potent ball winning midfield who are hard at the footy and apply plenty of tackling pressure to go with their ball winning ability. There is speed on the wings via Verma, Fuentes and potentially Banim and Davis who may push up there, while the usual miserly defence will again be functioning well without changes to the side.
Green has been in and out all year due to work commitments, but with this being his 3rd game on the trot he will be in prime form and form a quality defensive wall across half back with the likes of Young, Davis, Bilko and La Burniy, while the ever reliable Prior and Hopkins will mop up in the last line of defence.
Up front is where the real danger may lie with potent twin talls in Hockley and Evans creating aerial options and the experienced Mihalopoulous an option both in the air and at ground level. The irishman will be his usual electric self, while resting mids love to get forward for a goal.
Friday marks the 10 year anniversary to the day when the Woodies famously defeated Jimboomba in the 2009 Grand Final after the skipper Sean Toohey celebrated the early arrival of twins on the morning of the match. There are 3 surviving members of that side taking the field in Green, Thomson and Verma and they will be looking to mark the occasion with another quality win away from home.
Go Woodies!
