Sport
24 August, 2023
MCDFNL Finals - Week One Football Previews
The finals are finally here after 16 rollercoaster rounds, with finals set to be played in Castlemaine and Newstead across the weekend! On Saturday, the top four will be looking for a direct passage into the preliminary final, with Harcourt and...
The finals are finally here after 16 rollercoaster rounds, with finals set to be played in Castlemaine and Newstead across the weekend.
Qualifying Final 1 — Harcourt V Natte Bealiba
One might be forgiven for thinking it’s just half time of this game, with Harcourt holding a 25-point lead.
Such is the quirk of the fixture, that we find both Harcourt and Natte Bealiba playing once again after playing last week.
However, reality can be a funny thing, and indeed, it’s an all-new ball game this week.
Either way, expect this game to be a good battle, as recent clashes between both these teams generally end up being.
It’s the Lions, however, who have had the better of the last three meetings, stemming back to last year’s preliminary final, where they were able to end the Swans’ hold on the premiership by taking a 41-point victory in what was a dominant outing.
This year, the Lions have been able to win twice, although they’ve had to put up a fight to win both of those games, including their 25-point victory last week, and a 38-point win in round three.
Looking at both teams this week, supporters will be in for a treat.
The Lions have been far from full-strength from the middle of the season onwards, but have regained their best team at the right time of the year, in particular, Cameron Anderson, who lit up the first half of the year before a holiday. He has returned, and has immediately made an impact. Then there’s the likes of Kaleb McBride, Kal Huntly, Darby Semmens and Brayden Frost, who continue to shine across the midfield.
Alex Code had a mid-season purple patch in front of goal, while Jed Rodda has been finding the goals in recent weeks, including a haul of four in their win over the Swans last week.
However, the Swans aren’t going to be pushovers.
Jye Mortlock is in contention for individual honours after enjoying an outstanding season, while Austin McKenzie has been consistent. Daniel Vadala has been in good form in recent weeks, and Jayden Templeton has settled back in to the lineup.
The Swans will be hoping leading goalkicker Will Holt is fit to play, as he’ll add another dimension to the Swans’ forward mix, which will also contain playing-coach Trent Mortlock.
Qualifying Final 2 — Carisbrook V Trentham
There are many ways this qualifying final could go this weekend.
If both teams play to their attacking mindset, this could yet be a very open game, with both teams able to show off their plethora of goalkicking options.
However, when these two teams meet, it’s normally a battle of their equally-elite defensive units, and so it will be interesting to see how this game will be gauged.
There’s just been the one battle for both these teams this year, and it was a beauty.
In round 11, Carisbrook made the jump, holding a 16-point half time lead, but that was erased when Trentham kicked four goals to nil to see the Saints lead by nine points at the final change.
Brook fought back, however, and they were able to finish up with three goals to nil to win in what was Nick Wright’s 200th game.
That was the second straight win for the club against the Saints, after their 74-point demolition job in the preliminary final last season, which is a bit of an outlier in the recent history between these two clubs.
As should be the case in a game of this magnitude, there will be superstars all over the park.
Carisbrook have batted deep throughout the year.
While Anthony Zelencich has been a star with his 112-goal season, others that have stood out have included Zak Rinaldi, who has scored 28 goals and looms as a serious contender for individual honours, while Harry Butler is another that has stepped up this season. In recent weeks, Matt Bilton has proven to be a wildcard, and has kicked seven goals in three games, including four in their win against Dunolly.
Trentham, too, are stacked with star power, as they seek to end a premiership drought that has now lasted since 1994.
Joel Cowan has enjoyed another supreme season for the club, while Jake Keogh has relished playing further up the ground, while still finishing with 69 goals for the season. Harrison Knight, Nathan Rodgers and Joel Dovaston has enjoyed some very good form throughout the year, while Dylan Holden is playing well at a good time of the year for the club.
As one should come to expect between these two, this one should go right down to the final siren.
Elimination Final 1 — Navarre V Newstead
Navarre and Newstead meet for the second week in succession, and many will be hoping for a much closer affair than last week.
After quarter time, the Kangaroos were simply no match for the Hoppers, who again loom as the most dangerous team outside the top four, and eventually finished up 102-point winners.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. The Kangaroos certainly had their opportunities in the first term, kicking five behinds, and if they are able to take any lessons out of that, then they will be able to make a game of it from the outset this time around.
However, defeating Navarre is a difficult prospect.
They still boast some considerable finals experience among their playing group, and have the ability to take it right up to any team in the top four. If they are able to win this game, they will be confident going into meeting the loser of Harcourt and Natte Bealiba.
The team has plenty of different options that can take over games, including Josh and Jayden Fowkes, who have enjoyed excellent seasons, as well as Billy Driscoll, Brady Tillig, Louis Hannett, and Cody Driscoll finishing off their good handy work up forward.
In recent weeks, Billy Hawkes has emerged as a wildcard, and has loomed as one to watch, particularly after his four-goal haul last week.
In essence, Newstead have struggled, losing their past seven games, although you can’t afford to lose sight of their stunning start to the season, which included wins in seven of their first nine games, including a 20-point win over Navarre in round three.
Tyler James has emerged for his best season at senior level since his arrival in 2021, kicking 55 goals for the season, which has included eight hauls of four or more goals, while playing-coach Joel Smith, Anthony Robins and Rhys Smith has played consistent footy throughout the year.
Angus Mayes might be considered a strong chance for the best and fairest, particularly given he has enjoyed a strong finish to the season in such a tough run for the club.
Elimination Final 2 — Maldon V Lexton
It feels like deja vu from 2022, but again, it’s Maldon and Lexton meeting in an elimination final.
There is a bit of a different feel going into this game than there was in the corresponding week last year.
On that occasion, it was Maldon that was on its feet as the finals approached, while Lexton was starting to really get into some solid form throughout the back end of the season.
Fast forward 12 months and it’s Maldon that have been flying this time around, while the Tigers have had more of a battle to make it.
Nevertheless, expect this to be a very tight affair.
It’s been an improved season for Maldon, who have emerged as an attacking threat, scoring the fifth-most points in the competition.
Having a greater spread up forward has been a key difference-maker for the Dons, who have enjoyed the return of Rhys Ford after missing much of the second half of 2022, while Brodie Leonard-Shannon has really found his step in the second half of the year, scoring 25 goals in his past three games.
Others to have impressed this year include Jordon Collins, Seb Greene and Matthew Gray, and a finals win here would be the perfect way to cap off what’s been a good 150th year for the club.
However, Lexton have the know-how to win finals at this time of year, and they will be determined to get their way on Sunday.
The Tigers will need to greatly improve in the scoring aspect, ranking 10th in the competition for offense, with Darren Cook their leading goalscorer with 24 goals. Couple that with Maldon being one of six teams to concede under 1000 points, and the Tigers have a battle on their hands.
However., the likes of Josh Sargent — who has enjoyed a fantastic season, Thomas Cullinan and Jaykeb Lench will be determined to ensure the Tigers will be in it from the start.
The two have met just once this year, all the way back in round five, and the second quarter was the key difference-maker, with the Dons kicking four goals to one to eventually record a 26-point victory on their home deck.