By Russell Bennett
WEST GIPPSLAND FOOTBALL NETBALL COMPETITION
PREVIEW – FINALS WEEK 1
After all the trials and tribulations of the home and away season, the chance for the top five sides to be able to show what they’re made of on the big stage of the finals has finally arrived.
The class of A grade this season, Phillip Island, will take the weekend off this week as Kate Steel and her girls get to sit back and watch sides two through five battle it out.
Dalyston will go head-to-head with the Demons in a scintillating matchup at Denhams Road in the qualifying final, while in the elimination battle last year’s beaten grand finalist Korumburra-Bena will battle it out with Inverloch Kongwak at Inverloch.
Interestingly, due to a quirk in the fixture, the lower ranked sides in each matchup will be playing on their home courts.
With the exception of the top-ranked Phillip Island, Dalyston – statistically – has the best defence in the competition.
It should come as no surprise given the quality of the perennial powerhouse, which also happens to be the reigning A Grade premier.
And this clash looms as a contest between Kooweerup’s attack, and Dalyston’s defence.
When the two sides first played this season back in Round 4, the Magpies edged clear to win by just four goals in Dalyston.
In Round 13, however, the Demons returned the favour – this time claiming a 12-goal victory over Dalyston at Denhams Road… the scene of this weekend’s blockbuster.
The other A Grade final – Sunday’s elimination final – pits the Giants against the Sea Eagles at Inverloch.
Should the Giants make it through this week, they’ll be full of confidence for the remainder of the finals series that they could push any of the top three sides to the brink.
They comfortably defeated the Sea Eagles at the showgrounds – 62-34 – back in Round 4, and did the same in Round 13 at Inverloch – this time by 31 goals, 54-23.
They seem to have Inverloch Kongwak’s measure on the face of it, but finals don’t always play out according to plan.
In B Grade this week, Bunyip takes on Dalyston at Kooweerup, while Korumburra-Bena battles Cora Lynn at Inverloch.
In C Grade Inverloch Kongwak and Bunyip go head to head in the qualifying final at Denhams Road, while in the elimination clash at Inverloch Kooweerup is set to battle it out with Korumburra-Bena.
In the 17-and-under grade Bunyip heads into its clash with Phillip Island having dropped just two games for the season so far, while Kooweerup faces Dalyston at Inverloch on Sunday.
In 15-and-under, Cora Lynn battles Korumburra-Bena and Dalyston takes on Inverloch Kongwak on Saturday and Sunday respectively; while in the 13-and-under grade Inverloch Kongwak faces Kooweerup on its Denhams Road court, while Phillip Island takes on Bunyip at Inverloch the following day.
In the A Grade competition in Round 18, Phillip Island defeated Inverloch Kongwak by nine goals, 43-34; Kooweerup defeated a gallant Panthers outfit at Bass, 36-23; Dalyston got the better of Nar Nar Goon at Spencer Street, 48-40; Korumburra-Bena was too good for the Yips at Bunyip, 61-40; and Cora Lynn proved too strong for Garfield at Beswick Street, 72-30.
