Bombers straight in
Yallourn-Yallourn North did the job they needed to do with a workman like performance against a gallant Hill End, winning through to the MGFL grand final with a 1419-94 to 9-8-62 win.
Sleepless nights would have troubled Rover’s coach Mike Santo ahead of the opportunity for the dream to continue against Yallourn-Yallourn North in the game that offered a short cut to the 2019 MGFL grand final.
There has been an air of confidence, but not arrogance, in the Bombers camp, given the top of the table side have been unbeaten for the season. And, with a week off in the first week of finals they were fresh and ready to go as they confronted a side over whom they have had the edge already on two prior occasions.
It was absolutely crucial that the Rovers kept in touch with the Bombers in the early minutes, and that’s exactly what they did, appearing to relish the step up to another level of finals pressure against a team that is unbeaten and possibly unbeatable.
At quarter time scores were close but the underdogs had established a slender lead of just three points compliments of a favourable stiff breeze helping their cause.
Barrie Burnett said it was a “hard fought game, very tricky in the windy conditions to play the style of game that we want, but we adapted pretty well.”
“Hill End were hard at it and made us earn everything we got, they didn’t give up and pushed hard all day, real good arm wrestle in the middle.
“James Deveriglio was a standout through there for us, the big forwards were great and D-mac kicked a goal that everyone at the ground won’t forget for a long time.”
The Bomber’s machine started to click into gear in the second term, as the big guns up forward also started to fire, Keenan Hughes and Dean MacDonald close to unstoppable and finding goals at times with ease, between them they would finish the day with five and four goals respectively, and prove to be the difference.
In 30 minutes Yallourn-Yallourn North turned a three point deficit into a better than five goal half time lead.
It would also prove to be the difference at games end, in fact at games end the margin was closer again than it was at the main break.
Hill End coach Mike Santo said “we were up for the fight in the first quarter and had more scoring shots with the breeze, they had a 10 minute patch with the wind where they dominated us.”
The loss was respectable, if you can have a respectable finals loss, but it also highlighted the improvement needed by Hill End within the space of just a fortnight.
Santo said “we regrouped after half time and again played some great passages of play.”
“We showed great heart and got within three goals in the last quarter before a horrendous umpiring decision by the goal and field umpire overturned a goal.
“We wanted to see how they react in a tight game under pressure, we couldn’t quite get close enough, hopefully we get another chance,” he said.
However, before they can turn their attention to that first weekend in September they need to find something special for a preliminary final victory against an opponent that meets them with winning form and the same goal of another crack at the unbeaten Yallourn-Yallourn North in the 2019 MGFL grand final.
Mirboo North b Morwell East
Mirboo north bounced back to their best with a comprehensive victory over a gallant Morwell East side 11-8-74 to 7-7-49
The best laid plans can quickly turn to mud, if discipline is ignored and instructions are not followed, and this is what Tigers coach Josh Taylor has had to deal with over the past seven days since their loss to Hill End was narrowed down to a handful of “incidents” resulted in opposition goals that cost the club dearly in week one of finals.
Morwell East were keen to “poke the Tiger” early in this must win first semi-final in the hope that the same lack of composure under pressure could be exposed to their advantage.
What they wanted however and what they got was miles apart as the more experienced Tigers jumped the hawks early in the match and applied the pressure at the body, in the contest and importantly on the scoreboard when they jumped out to a healthy quarter time lead of 19 points.
The break couldn’t have come quick enough for Morwell East coach Devon Soutar as he attempted to both settle his team from the onslaught they had suffered in the first 30 minutes and inspire them to respond in the second term so as to regain touch by the main break.
Morwell East had stopped the rot, but couldn’t impact the scoreboard despite them starting to look a little more comfortable in the pressure of finals.
A 22 point margin at half time certainly wasn’t the end of the world, but the Hawks were starting to find themselves in dangerous territory if they were planning to stage a comeback victory.
The third quarter was always going to tell the story for what could be expected in the fourth and final term of this knock out first semi-final, and it was to turn into a horror read for Morwell East fans.
Mirboo North lifted to another level after the major break and took to the Hawks better than at any other time in the match, increasing their lead and with the scent of victory in their nostrils stretched the lead into what would turn out to be unsurmountable 45 points.
Morwell East to their credit didn’t give it up, and did their best to reel the runaway Tigers in, but in the end, they run out of time, the damage had be done and the season for the Hawks was over.
Hill End would have been looking on, knowing that they would have some work to do as the race for the premiership was now narrowed down to just three contenders.
Yallourn-Yallourn North being one and the other to be decided in next week’s preliminary final between the Rovers and the Tigers, who that successful team might be, is anybody’s guess.