Seymour v Euroa
At half time of Saturday’s semi-final, Mooroopna could have been forgiven for thinking they were a real chance of causing a huge upset by knocking reigning premier Euroa out of the premiership race.
About 20 minutes later they would have been hoping just to maintain a respectable scoreline after the Magpies scored 18 goals to 7 in the third term. The teams were level at the first break and still dead even at half time.
Star goaler Olivia Morris (21 first-half goals) then shot 17 goals in the third term and the Magpies’ defensive partnership of Ellie Warnock and Kellie Davidson took a stranglehold on the game. Ash Lancaster and Claudia Platfuss had kept their team in the game at one end, with brilliant defence from Dayna Williams and Caitlin McLachlan at the other keeping the Cats in the game.
Samantha Kreltszheim, Sophie Owen and Hollie Reid took control of the ball movement in the third term and despite Mooroopna being outscored by just four goals in the last term the Magpies were 16-goal winners – 58-42.
They will now face off against Seymour in the preliminary final, after the Lions were also right in the game for three quarters. The unbeaten Bears, who the Lions had tied with only a couple of weeks earlier, trailed by a goal at ¼ time and despite leading by three at half time were just two goals in front at the final change.
A 12-goal final term from Kim Borger, in a low-scoring game, saw the Bears eventually scoot clear and win by 10 – 53-43.
Molly Kennedy and Kelsey O’Dwyer clamped down on Ellie Fuhrmeister and Ruby Martin in the final term as Seymour managed just five goals.
Seymour was impressive in week one of the finals, with a 19-goal win against the Swans, and had great form coming into the finals – having drawn with the Bears in Round 18 and beaten Tatura, United and Euroa in the three weeks before that thrilling match.
In that Round 15 game the Magpies were without key goaler Mia Sudomirski, who scored just seven goals in the winning semi-final – but put on a passing masterclass.
A big feature of this weekend’s game will probably occur early in the game, with Olivia Morris sitting on 985 goals for the season. That may see the Magpies take their eye off the ball slightly and give the Lions an in to earn another crack at the undefeated Bears.
Seymour will be relying on Sarah Szczykulski and Martin to hold Morris and Sudomirski at bay. That is probably the Lions’ best chance of denying Euroa a shot at back-to-back titles.
My prediction is for Euroa to take the win by 3 goals.
