GFNL Wash Up Finals Week 2
Semi-Final 2: St Mary’s vs Newtown & Chilwell
Although Newtown & Chilwell had early ascendency in the first term, the pace soon quickened. St Mary’s responded in the second quarter and then kept bridging the gap in typical Saints fashion. In the end, it was another convincing win to St Mary's by 30 points.
Jarryd Garner (30 disposals), Zak Sherman (26 disposals), and Jesse Travaglini (26 disposals) dominated the possession count. Patrick Dowling showed his prowess up forward kicking four majors, with Tom Lang kicking three of his own.
Mathieson Medalist Harry Benson was named the best for St Mary’s with nine clearances, ten tackles, and 17 contested possessions.
Matthew Boag (28 disposals) was a ball magnet for the Eagles, with Braden Hocking (23 disposals) and Blake Sutterby (19 disposals and 11 tackles) being the other major influences for Newtown & Chilwell.
St Mary's win gives them another week off before they challenge for the Holy Grail.
Best
St Mary’s: H. Benson, C. Sprague, N. Nott, J. Garner, J. Travaglini, Z. Sherman
Newtown & Chilwell: M. Boag, B. Hocking, B. Sutterby, L. Bond, C. Karpala
Goals
St Mary’s: 4 P. Dowling, 3 T. Lang, M. Augerinos, H. Kol, T. McMullan, B. Moloney, C. Sprague
Newtown & Chilwell: 2 C. Harris, 2 Ned Harris, 2 T. Panuccio, J. Walters
Final Score
St Mary’s: 12.16 (88)
Newtown & Chilwell: 7.16 (58)
Semi-Final 1: Colac vs Leopold
After their past two games, Leopold are every chance to contend for the Premiership. The Lions' attack against Colac was nothing short of relentless. The damage all started from the opening bounce, as the Lions piled on six goals to two in the opening quarter. The Tigers just could not get back in the game as Leopold's defensive and offensive efforts proved too great.
All Leopold's superstars came to play, Mitch Patten (5 goals), Tom Feely (10 clearances), Trent West (46 hit-outs), and Jai Thompson (25 disposals), all played a major part in their 70-point win over Colac.
Colac’s best was Bailey Scott with 20 disposals, nine tackles, 12 contested possessions, and one major. Darcy Lang also had a good game with 24 disposals, 15 contested possessions, and seven clearances.
Best
Colac: B. Scott, B. Mahoney, D. Lang, T. Woodmason, A. Walters, K. Spokes
Leopold: O. Tate, M. Burgess, C. Giddings, M. Patten, J. Thompson, T. Thompson
Goals
Colac: 2 F. O’Gorman, 2 J. Simpkin, A. Garner, B. Scott, T. Woodmason, Z. Zdybel
Leopold: 5 M. Patten, 3 J. Pitt, 3 B. Williamson, 2 T. Feely, 2 C. Giddings, 2 L. Herbert, M. Burgess, S. Hughes
Final Score
Colac: 8.7 (55)
Leopold: 19.11 (125)
Preliminary Final: Newtown & Chilwell vs Leopold
The way the Lions have played finals so far, it’s hard to see them as underdogs going into this upcoming match. Newtown & Chilwell have been nothing short of exceptional all year, they have beaten Leopold twice in the Home & Away season.
The last time was in Round 13 where the Eagles won by a bare margin of five points. But Leopold had a similar situation against Colac where they had lost both their encounters earlier this year, yet they beat the Tigers well in the Semi-Finals.
This should be a genuine battle. Leopold’s Mitch Patten and Marcus Thompson can turn a game on its head. On the other hand, the Eagles have weapons of their own in Matthew Boag, Blake Sutterby, and Braden Hocking, just to name a few. St Mary’s awaits the winner in the Grand Final