It’s finals time, and what a finish we had to both our senior football and A Grade netball seasons. Just who was playing whom in this weekend’s first round of finals wasn’t unveiled until the final siren, with several different outcomes in play right up until 5pm on Saturday. This weekend there will be three different venues for football and netball: Tatura on Saturday afternoon and Rochester on Saturday afternoon/evening, then Euroa on Sunday.
SEYMOUR v MOOROOPNA
Saturday at 2pm, Tatura Park
They have only played once this year, in Round 8, when the Cats were 23-point winners after Seymour had two more scoring shots but kicked 17 behinds. Seymour was goalless in the first half but outscored the Cats in the second half. Riley Mason, who has recently returned from injury, kicked four goals and six behinds. Tom Stapleton had the better of Liam Betson in the ruck, but Coby James and Dom Gugliotti were outstanding in defence and held off the Lions after the Cats set up the win through Dan Tuddenham’s goalkicking exploits. Tuddenham kicked five in that game, with Jack Johnston on VFL duties at the time. Mooroopna has the third-best defence in the competition and will be hoping for a low-scoring game in order to advance to week four of the finals. Seymour players Dylan Cook (my tip for the Morrison Medal) and Nic Quigg go into this game after both scoring 200+ ranking points in the final round of the season.
Prediction: Seymour by 18 points.
BY THE NUMBERS
Leading goalkickers: Seymour: Riley Mason 42 goals (12 games), Jaron Murphy 29, Jack Murphy 23. Mooroopna: Jack Osborne 22, Will Emanuelli 17.
Average scores: Seymour: FOR 87 & AGAINST 70. Mooroopna: FOR 74 & AGAINST 69.
Highest-ranked players: Seymour: Dylan Cook 15, Tom Stapleton 19, Nic Quigg 21, Huw Jones 29. Mooroopna: Liam Betson 9, Keelin Betson 20, Kai Madgwick 26, Isaac Dowling 43.
SHEPPARTON BEARS v ECHUCA
Saturday at 5.30pm, Rochester Recreation Reserve
Shepparton has lost just one game this season, to Echuca in Round 8, with the Murray Bombers winning by 10 points in a game where the teams had exactly the same number of disposals. The Bears dominated the ruck, clearances and uncontested marks, but it was Echuca that had 10 more inside 50s and secured the win thanks to the brilliance of key defender Curtis Townrow and midfielders Sam Reid, Tom Evans and Jack Evans. Luke Smith was the highest-ranked player on the ground, but he goes into the first week of finals after registering his lowest ranking of the season, only the third time this year he hasn’t scored more than 100 ranking points. He kicked four goals against the Murray Bombers in that Round 8 loss and has the likes of Jackson Stewart and Lachlan Hogan, both defensively minded mids, to keep him in check this weekend. Smith is just one half of the Bears’ dynamic goalkicking midfield duo, the other being Lewis McShane. If McShane lines up on Sam Reid, that will be a battle worth watching. If any defence can handle the Byrne brothers, Angus and Hugh, Liam Tenace and Malik Gordon, it is the Bears. This one should be a beauty, and I think the Murray Bombers can make it two from two. Opposition clubs have scored an average of just 51 points against the Bears this season.
Prediction: Echuca by 8 points.
BY THE NUMBERS
Leading goalkickers: Bears: Luke Smith 41, Lewis McShane 26, Trent Herbert 19, Liam Broom 17. Echuca: Malik Gordon 33, Darby Jones 23, Hugh Byrne 16.
Average scores, Bears FOR 96.5 & AGAINST 51. Echuca: FOR 97.8 & AGAINST 58.8.
Highest-ranked players: Bears: Lewis McShane 3, Luke Smith 6, Ash Holland 25. Echuca: Jack McHale 4 (has only played two games), Tom Evans 17, Hugh Byrne 18.
SHEPPARTON SWANS v KYABRAM
Sunday at 2pm, Memorial Oval, Euroa
When these teams met in Round 2, the Swans kicked 97 points, the third-highest score against the Bombers this season, and won by 24 points. Kyabram turned that result around when they met again in Round 12, in a game dominated by Rhys Clark, who has not played since Round 13. Clark kicked five goals in the Bombers’ 34-point victory. The Bombers have also been without Anthony Depasquale since Round 9, with the goalkicker producing his best VFL game of the year when he kicked seven majors last weekend. After six wins and a draw from their first nine games, the Swans sat comfortably inside the six, but they then lost five of their next six. Thanks to three straight wins to end the season, they finished fourth. They face an in-form big-man duo of Zac Norris and Aidan Robinson, but have in-form defenders in Ethan Warburton, Adam Fichera and Max Clohesy. Kyabram seems to have been treading water for a few weeks now, but I think a spark will be ignited as we approach September and they will win this narrowly.
Prediction: Kyabram by 5 points.
BY THE NUMBERS
Leading goalkickers: Kyabram: Anthony Depasquale 32, Riley Ironside 28, Aidan Robinson 27, Charlie Barnett 23, Rhys Clark 14. Swans: James Auld 42, Harper Simpson 23, Nathan Rachele 21, Joeve Cooper 13.
Average scores: Kyabram: FOR 94.9 & AGAINST 72.1. Swans: FOR 72.3 & AGAINST 78.2.
Highest-ranked players: Kyabram: Zac Norris 2, Jack Russell 12, Kaine Herbert 31. Swans: Ethan Warburton 28, Ollie Warburton 36, Max Clohesy 45.
NETBALL
SEYMOUR v MANSFIELD
Saturday at 2.15pm, Tatura
Mansfield hasn’t made the finals for 13 years and faces a Seymour team with a pair of VNL stars in Ally Black and coach Elle Nexhip. The Eagles are a well-organised team that beat Seymour by 11 goals only four weeks ago. They defend well and are close-checking through the midcourt, but if Ruby Martin gets on a roll she will be difficult to stop in goals.
Prediction: Mansfield by 1 goal.
ECHUCA v SHEPPARTON BEARS
Saturday at 4pm, Rochester
Echuca was on top only a couple of weeks ago, but a shock loss to Shepparton United and a draw with Mooroopna on the weekend saw them drop to third. They now face Kim Borger and her Bears in a do-or-die final. The Bears lost five games in a row midway through the year but won their way back into the six in the final round and now have a chance to defend the title they won last season.
Prediction: Echuca by 7 goals.
EUROA v MOOROOPNA
Sunday at 2.15pm, Euroa
The Magpies get to play this qualifying final on their home court, having shot 107 goals in the final home-and-away round to finish the year in top spot.
They have Mia Sudomirski and Bec Colwell in attack, that pair matched by the Ellie Warnock and Tylah Marchbank defensive combination. The Cats have the best defensive pair in the competition in Caitlin McLachlan and Dayna Williams, but it will be the ability of Ash Lancaster to shoot a winning score on which they will be hanging their hats.
Prediction: Mooroopna by 2 goals.
