It’s the final round of the GVL this week and we have an Elimination Final a week early between Benalla and Rochester, with the winner possibly finishing as high as 4th and the losing team having mad Monday 36 hours later.
The last time these two sides met was back in round 7 and Benalla thumped the Tigers by 11 goals at Moon Oval, with Brody Webster kicking 6 goals.
At that stage, the Saints sat in third position and looked like a genuine contender while Rochester sat in 8th position on the ladder and a season with no finals looked a real possibility.
As it stands after 17 rounds, Rochester sit in 6th position and for the first time this year, Benalla finds itself outside the top 6 and needs to win to make the finals. The Tigers are in great form and will travel to the Benalla Showgrounds full of confidence.
This game is not the only one that will have a huge impact on where sides will finish in the top 6. Tatura (5th) play Shepparton (3rd), and Kyabram (1st) play Seymour (4th), in what is going to be a sensational final round of Goulburn Valley footy.
With how the top 6 finals system works in the GVL, this is one of those seasons where 4th or 5th could quite easily find themselves in a second semi final if 6th defeats 3rd in the first week of the finals series.
Lots to play for this week and looking forward to how it all unfolds.
