Keith and Border Districts were the big winners of the first weekend of the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara finals.
Keith faced Mundulla on Saturday in the qualifying final at Kingston and came away with an impressive 68 point victory.
Mundulla started the game strong in the first quarter and attacked hard to try and put scoreboard pressure on the Crows.
Elliot Jaeschke, Daniel Noll and Jake McGrice got plenty of the ball in the first quarter.
The Crows did a good job defensively to keep Mundulla from having a bigger lead at quarter time.
The Crows got on top in the second quarter as coach Lewis Hender had a big term and provided a lot of drive and pin point passing off his left foot.
A six goal second quarter by the Crows was a strong response as they held the Tigers to two goals.
Keith went into half time 22 points ahead.
Travis Wilson, Will Schreiber and Daniel Bibby were very influential in helping turn the game around into the Crows’ favour.
Riley Wilsdon and Alex Schiller were good focal points for the Crows during the second quarter.
Mundulla tried hard to get back into the game early in the third quarter.
The work Jaeschke was doing around the packs for Mundulla was great.
Without either of the Mosey brothers in the team, Jaeschke lifted to try and cover their loss during the game.
McGrice, Harry Kuchel and Travis Wagenknecht continued to fight hard and keep Mundulla in the game.
The Crows were looking dangerous when they got out and ran the ball.
Wilson, Jack McAuley, Charlie Hanneman and Bibby continued to be in many plays that ended up getting the ball going the Crows’ way.
A three goal to one quarter by the Crows pushed the margin out to 31 points by three quarter time as the Crows looked to be on top in the contest.
Keith played some of their best football in the fourth quarter to put the result away.
Some of the ball movement was very slick and it ended up with the Crows kicking seven goals.
Crows forwards Wilsdon and Alex Schiller were finishing off the good work of the midfield.
Jacob Graetz led a Keith backline that for the most part kept the Mundulla key forwards quiet for the game.
Experienced SANFL guns Aaron Young and Cameron Craig were solid during the game and contributed when called upon.
Mundulla fought the game out as Daniel Noll, Jaeschke, Fred Stephen and Wagenknecht fought hard for the Tigers.
The Crows’ leading goal kickers in the victory were Wilsdon (5 goals), Schiller (4 goals), Daniel and Hender with two goals each.
The Crows best players were Wilson, Will Schreiber, McAuley, Bibby, Hannemann and Graetz.
The Tigers found it tough to get a consistent avenue to goal during the game.
The Tigers had just one multiple goal kicker in Billy Wiese who put through two goals in the contest.
The Tigers best players were Daniel Noll, Jaeschke, McGrice, Harry Kuchel, Stephen and Wagenknecht.
Border Districts kept their back to back premiership dream alive after they defeated Bordertown by 33 points at Frances in the elimination final.
The Roosters and Eagles played the first half in tough conditions before the weather opened up in the second half.
The Roosters and Eagles could only manage one goal in the opening quarter.
Sam Pridham was the Eagles’ goal kicker while Jacob Eats kicked Bordertown’s goal.
The weather made it hard for both teams to score.
The Roosters had more chances to get goals but a score of 1.4 hurt their chance of having a bigger lead at quarter time.
Curtis McCarthy, Harrison Fromm and Troy Blackwell started well for the Roosters.
Dylan Schoenmakers, Fraser Adams and Bart Nolan were strong contributors for the Eagles.
Bordertown led by three points at quarter time.
The weather got worse in the second quarter as both teams found it tough to get good play going to set up quality shots on goal.
The Roosters were the only team to kick a goal as Eats was able to kick the major during the second quarter.
Joshua Richards, Gabriel Burden, Fraser Adams battled hard for the Eagles.
Troy Blackwell, Bryce Damin and Eats were trying their best in the conditions for the Roosters.
Bordertown went into half time nine points ahead.
Border Districts struck first in the third quarter as the conditions begun to get better as the Eagles kicked the first two goals of the quarter through Ben Walter and Brodie Adams.
Isaac Hewson, Adams and Joshua Richards gave the Eagles great work around the ground.
The Roosters hit back as Curtis McCarthy kicked a goal to give Bordertown the lead back.
Jaidan Kappler, Harrison Fromm and Kyle Emery were important players for Bordertown trying to keep them in the game.
The Eagles once again hit back as goals from Isaac Hewson and Sam Pretlove gave the Eagles a two goal buffer.
Fraser Adams, Pridham, Brodie Adams and Isaac Hewson lifted late in the quarter for the Eagles.
Border Districts held a 12 point lead at three quarter time.
Border Districts took control of the game early in the fourth quarter as they attacked hard and the Roosters had no answer for it.
Joshua Richards, Dylan Schoenmakers, Fraser Adams and Hewson were big contributors for the Eagles that helped to get the game on their terms.
Bordertown could not get anything going as the Eagles pushed away from them and the margin had opened up to 33 points by the time the final siren sounded.
Harrison Pretlove and Ben Walter led the Eagles’ goal kicking with two goals each.
The best players for the Eagles were Fraser Adams, Hewson, Nolan, Schoenmakers, Richards and Gabriel Burden.
Bordertown scored only the three goals for the game and Eats led the way with two off his own boot.
McCarthy was the only other goal kicker.
The Roosters’ best players were McCarthy, Ben Jarrett, Sebastian Trenorden, Harrison Fromm, Troy Blackwell and Bryce Damin.
THIS WEEKEND
The second week of the finals this weekend will see our first grand finalist being booked in as minor premier Kybybolite faces an in-form Keith team.
The Tigers have taken all before them this season as they have only had the one loss for the season.
The Tigers and Crows have faced off once this year and in that game Kybybolite won by 85 points.
This time around the game is expected to be much closer.
The Crows have not lost a game since that clash and are currently on an eight game winning streak.
Kybybolite is on an even bigger winning streak as they have not lost since round two.
The Tigers are on a 14 game winning run and will be hoping they can get it to 15 by the end of Saturday afternoon.
Coach Jack Kelly has done wonders at the Tigers and getting back Jack Trengove and Andrew Bradley has made the Tigers a very strong outfit.
Stephen Craig should be back into the line up on Saturday for the Tigers and it will be interesting to see who the Crows send to him.
Keith’s Aaron Young has been kicking goals for the Crows and I think this contest is made for him.
It is a big final and that is where you want your stars to shine.
Blake Read, Alex Schiller, Lewis Hender and Riley Wilsdon help form a strong goal kicking force for the Crows.
The Tigers can argue they have just as good forward power when you see Billy Laurie, Stephen Craig and Charlie Hiller kicking goals and powering a strong Tigers forward half.
Oscar Clark and Jared Deep have been great recruits for Kybybolite all year.
This game has stars everywhere.
Even though the Tigers beat the Crows at Keith earlier in the season, I think the Crows will like playing at home trying to get a spot in the grand final and I think they can figure out how to get across the line in a close game.
Mundulla face Border Districts in the first semi final on Sunday at Kybybolite.
The Tigers vs the Eagles is a repeat of last year’s second semi final.
The Tigers could not keep up with the Crows last Saturday and will face off against a confident Eagles team that will be full of confidence after their win against Bordertown.
The loss of the Mosey boys from the Tigers team showed in a big way on Saturday.
Mundulla could not get enough clean kicking going in the game against Keith and that is what the Mosey brothers are very good at.
If neither are back this week then Elliot Jaeschke, Jake McGrice, Daniel Noll and Nathan Studham will have to provide plenty of run from the midfield.
Border Districts will back their midfield against any in the league.
Zac Richards, Joshua Richards and Mark Quinn are elite ball users and have had great seasons again for the Eagles.
The grunt work that Fraser Adams does is important as well.
He lays tackles and gets the ball rolling the Eagles’ way on his left foot often out of a pack.
Dylan Auciello should get the first crack on James Hinge.
Auciello is a class defender for the Eagles and Hinge will be determined to bounce back into form for Mundulla.
Bart Nolan has been a good pick up also for the Eagles and his work rate cannot be underestimated.
The first time the two teams played each other this season Mundulla won by 11 points in a come from behind win.
The second time the Tigers won by 55 points at Goroke.
It is always hard to pick a winner when you do not have the team line ups at the time of print.
If you base it on the first week of the finals Border Districts looks like a strong prediction to select as the winner.
However, Mundulla are always hard to knock out in a do or die contest and at Kybybolite I think they might just find a way to get the win.
