Last-minute shuff les before finals
It was the last chance for Horsham District Football Netball League footballers to shuffle their side up the ladder or prepare for finals at the weekend.
And while there was not much shuffling to be had once all sirens had blown on Saturday afternoon, Edenhope-apsley, through some fortune and good play, did move itself a position higher on the ladder.
It was just how the draw had played out for Edenhope-apsley, which had a comfortable run home, and now books itself an elimination final against Jeparit-rainbow rather than Harrow-balmoral.
That should make the Saints leadership happy because the chances of passing through the elimination rounds just became a little more possible.
The Saints defeated Natimuk United to slide up from sixth to fifth, while the Swifts, the more unfortunate of the two sides, lost to minor premier Rupanyup by 78 points, and were bumped from fifth down to sixth.
Those two games finalised this weekend’s elimination finals.
Edenhope-apsley will meet Jeparit-rainbow, while Swifts will play Harrow-balmoral.
It was a more sedate round of football across the round-16 draw at the weekend, where top-end sides met lower-ranked rivals on a wet day to finish off the home-and-away season.
The weather did not prevent some large scores from being posted, however, with Rupanyup, Kalkee, Noradjuha-quantong, Harrow-balmoral and Jeparit-rainbow all topping the tonne.
Kalkee had it all its own way against Taylors Lake, with an impressive 16-scoring shots to one in the first quarter – the Lakers’ first-quarter goal the only scoring shot they registered for the day.
Noradjuha-quantong was just as effective during a second-quarter scoring frenzy against Pimpinio, where the Bombers kicked 10 goals to nothing before a third and fourth quarter slow down.
Harrow-balmoral played no burst football like the Bombers and kicked true and consistently all day to register a mammoth 190-point scoreline – a huge total on a rainy day on Kaniva’s wide ground.
Jeparit-rainbow was too clean for Laharum at Rainbow and ended the Demons’ season with a 94-point loss.
It leaves the equation simple for the six sides that have qualified for the league’s first finals series since the 2019 season.
Rupanyup and Kalkee have a weekend off, while Harrow-balmoral, Jeparit-rainbow, Edenhope-apsley and Swifts have one game to prove why they deserve to progress to week two.
Every loss this weekend results in elimination for the defeated and for every team playing this weekend, it will take three wins to reach the grand final – and of course a fourth to win the flag. It will be a mighty task. This week: Harrow-balmoral v Swifts at Edenhope on Saturday, Jeparit-rainbow v Edenhope-apsley at Natimuk on Sunday. Last week: Edenhope-apsley 14.14 (98) d Natimuk United 8.11 (59), Rupanyup 16.19 (115) d Swifts 5.7 (37), Kalkee 23.20 (158) d Taylors Lake 1.0 (6), Noradjuha-quantong 19.16 (130) d Pimpinio 5.5 (35), Harrow-balmoral 29.16 (190) d Kaniva-leeor United 4.3 (27), Jeparit-rainbow 16.8 (104) d Laharum 1.4 (10). Ladder: Rupanyup 60 points, 235.11 percent; Kalkee 56, 226.36; Harrow-balmoral 56, 213.37; Jeparit-rainbow 48, 207.28; Edenhope-apsley 38, 176.21; Swifts 38, 145.67; Noradjuha-quantong 32, 127.96; Natimuk United 12, 57.94; Pimpinio 12, 48.07; Laharum 12, 46.40; Kaniva-leeor United 12, 38.01; Taylors Lake 8, 31.93.