First week of Finals

The first week of finals produced the high level, high intensity football expected at this time of the year, where all teams were acutely aware that there would be no tomorrow for the losers.

All of the excellent work produced by all clubs over the home and away season was for this opportunity, where the pressure is immense but also a privilege to be a part of . 

Yinnar v Boolarra @ MDU (saturday)

Third placed Yinnar entered the first of the MGFNL finals as firm favourites, the Magpies form into their weekend was good as they could have been hoped, cutting through opponents as they pleased. Now, however was the challenge of confronting an enthusiastic Demons side still on a high from their last gasp victory in the final round of the home and away season that secured a finals chance, 

What unfolded was somewhat expected, the Demons staying in touch early, but with the quality of the Magpies proving too much late.

Yinnar 16-9-105 defeating Boolarra 11-8-74.

Brendan Mason, Boolarra coach “With Yinnar unable to select first choice mids in Scholl and Mills hopes were high for the Demons who for the first time this season went into a game with an unchanged line up. After imploring a fast start the coach was filthy as Yinnar jumped the Dees through Jaxon Notman. Mick Gerry was in everything early for the Pies and bar for inaccurate kicking the 3rd placed Yinnar may well have put the game to bed early.

Hearing nothing of a white flag the ageless Boolarra President James Holmes slotted his first for the day and the Demons were in the contest.

Young Yinnar gun Harvey McKay opened the scoring with a quick transition goal before the Dees president again stood up for Boolarra to kick truly.

After being held goalless when they last met Kane Grinstead Jones wasn’t going to be quiet in the rematch, especially being a final. When he marked and goaled it reflected the fact that the game had really opened up.

As if spurred into action it was the Demons with the next couple. Firstly it was Bailey Flanagan after high contact and then Lachy Smith, who may finally have the belief he belongs in the late game, booted one from the boundary to reduce the gap to just seven pints with 23 gone in the second term. kicks truly. Margin at 13 points 20 minute mark.”

The Demons hanging on for dear life, a much needed chance for a deep breath, a chance to compose one self and then give sixty minutes of their best.

Boolarra coach, Brendan Mason “The half time break gave both sides a much needed break with the difference between home and away footy and the finals version being apparent in a hotly contested first half. As good sides do though Yinnar dug deep. Firstly Cheffers set up Grinstead Jones and then Bugeja again turned on the jest and in the blink of an eye the margin was out to 14 points again.

After a scoreless few minutes Grinstead Jones again goaled and then after a late free kick he kicked yet another to all but end the contest with the Pies 25 up at the last change.

If the game wasn’t over it surely was when Cheffers found Geary only 90 seconds into the last to push the margin beyond 5 goals.

As if to close the circle it was left to Mick Geary so instrumental early to ice the cake and close the scoring. His goal extended the final margin to a tick over five goals and consigned Boolarras season to the history books.”

The Demons year, courageous, but just short of what was needed, Yinnar, on the other hand, with their enormous final experience, looked composed for most of the afternoon.

Sam McCulloch, Yinnar coach “Was a typical finals game with plenty of pressure from both teams. We got our game going and managed to get a bit of breathing space during the second quarter but to Boolarra’s credit, they were able to work their way back into it. 

Throughout the day we threatened to kick away, but as you’d expect in a final they never gave in and we were able to steady each time we were challenged. The composure of the group throughout these moments was very pleasing.”

Yinnar now prepare for MDU, a challenge from another team of Demons, this one more fierce than the last.

MDU v Thorpdale @ Fish Creek (sunday)

A fourth placed MDU, coming off a confidence building win just seven days earlier, seemed ready to go against what appeared to be a fragile Thorpdale team.

The Blues had been given a footballing lesson in the last round of the home and away season, but that loss masked a pre planned decision to rest many of their first choice players in order to give the underdogs the best possible chance of  surprising the favoured Demons, and for a period of the afternoon it seemed the Blues strategy might pay off.

The heat was on from both sides early, the intensity an expected high for an elimination final that had several lead changes within the first thirty minutes, but three goals deep into time gave the Demons some breathing space and a quarter time lead of twenty one points

The score

line MDU 5-5-35 to the Blues 2-2-14.

The Blues were never going to turn this one up however and the second quarter saw Thorpdale dig deep in an attempt to claw their way back into the game, the margin back to just eight points at the main break.

The third, the "premiership" quarter saw the best of the Blues, applying lifting their level pressure, showing composure when it counted and arresting the lead by a a five point margin with thirty minutes to go.

This is where the favoured MDU really flexed and found what was needed, the Demons finally managing to shrug off a courageous Thorpdale side to win by twenty points.

MDU 12-14-86 to Thorpdale 9-12-66.

Rhett Kelly, MDU coach "What a great game, I thought we had the edge on them early, but to their credit they just fought and fought and fought their way back into the game, but I was just so happy that our boys could find something in the last thirty minutes and get the prize of another step forward in the finals."

Daniel Taylor, Thorpdale coach "Always disappointing when the season comes to an end but proud we made the finals and put in a decent performance. We got outplayed in the first quarter and at quarter time it probably looked like MDU by how far. Proud that we got ourselves back into the contest and I felt like we had the game on our terms in the 3rd quarter but probably didn't capitalise enough on the scoreboard. Full credit to MDU though, they finished the game alot better and were deserving winners. 

In my opinion the best 4 teams are still in it which is good for the competition, I'm looking forward to seeing how it pans out.

The final four clubs are now Foster, Fish Creek, Yinnar and MDU, the field wide open for premiership glory.