Round 16 of the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara season has been played and set the stage for an exciting finals series that is set to start on Saturday.
Border Districts got ready for the finals by having a good tough win over Penola by 20 points.
Penola were playing in their last game in the KNTFL and put up a good fight during the game.
The margin was only two points at half time before Border Districts opened up a match winning lead in the third quarter by kicking five goals to one.
Harrison Pretlove kicked four goals in the win.
Mark Quinn added three goals as well to help out in the victory.
Border Districts’ best players were Harrison Pretlove, Zac Richards and Fraser Adams.
Penola only had three goal kickers for the day as they found it hard to get a bigger spread of scorers during the game.
Penola forward Brodie Foster kicked five goals to cap off his consistent season.
Sam Gartner with three goals and Scott Merrett with a single goal were Penola’s other goal kickers.
Kybybolite and Bordertown both had 23 scoring shots in their clash but the inaccuracy of the Roosters cost them as the Tigers recorded another victory.
Bordertown led by five points at quarter time but it could have been much more as they had five more scoring shots.
The Roosters had 15 scoring shots by the half but only two goals as the Tigers had an eight point lead by kicking straighter at goal.
The game was still close at three quarter time.
The Tigers got on top in the fourth quarter to dominate the play and record a 25 point victory and a week off to rest before the second semi final.
The Roosters would not be happy with the blown chance to gain valuable momentum before their elimination final this weekend.
Billy Laurie was a strong performer in the victory for Kybybolite with three goals.
Lucas Schultz was the other Tiger able to put multiple goals through for the game with two goals.
Jared Deep, Remi Brown and Thomas Jennings were Kybybolite’s best performers.
Kyle Emery and Curtis McCarthy kicked two goals each to be Bordertown’s leading goal kickers.
Harrison Fromm, Curtis McCarthy and Billy Hayes were the Roosters’ best players.
Keith recorded 10 goal kickers in their strong win over Padthaway.
The Crows overcame a fighting Lions team by pulling away after half time to record an 80 point victory.
Riley Wilsdon (four goals), Max Cunningham (three goals), Blake Read (three goals), Will Schreiber (three goals) and Aaron Young (three goals) were the main goal kickers for the Crows.
Will Schreiber, Aaron Young and Max Cunningham were great players in the Crows victory to be named best.
Padthaway’s scoring leaders were Tobin Cox (four goals), Nathan McCarthy (three goals) and Mitchell Minns (two goals).
The Lions best players were Jacob Fiebiger, Tobin Cox and Jarryd Dolling.
Tom Logan kicked 11 goals as the Lucindale Roos made sure Naracoorte did not get a win in 2024.
The game was close in the first quarter before the Roos opened up a four goal lead by half time.
The Roos then got on top and dominated the second half as they held Naracoorte to just 0-1 in the second half of the game as Lucindale piled on the goals and eventually ran out winners by 110 points.
Henry Tregoweth put through six goals in the victory as well for the Roos.
Lachlan Earl, Samuel Pitt and Scott Foord-Spriggs were Lucindale’s best players.
Aaron Slorach kicked four goals in a fighting effort for Naracoorte.
The Demons best players were Matt Willson, Kai Schmid and Joshua Koennecke.
Mundulla got ready for finals action by overcoming a fighting Kingston performance to record a 39 point victory.
The Tigers jumped out of the blocks in the first quarter to lead by 33 points at quarter time.
The Saints fought back in the second quarter to have the margin cut to 12 points by the main break.
Mundulla got on top after half time and took their chances in front of the goals to record a strong victory.
Darcy King was hard to stop all day as he kicked five goals for Mundulla.
Darcy King, Nathan Studham and Dylan Mosey were the Tigers’ best players.
Kingston battled hard all game and were led in front of the goals by Todd Lockwood and James Siviour who kicked two goals each.
William Watts, Chris Draper and Campbell Watts were Kingston’s best players.
With the 16 minor rounds finished we now focus on the first week of the finals this week.
At Kingston on Saturday the qualifying final takes place where Mundulla and Keith play each other.
The Tigers and Crows have had some big battles over the past four years in the finals and this game looks like it is set up for another cracking contest.
Both teams are very deep and stacked with talent across the lines.
Mundulla has a strong key forward duo of Darcy King and James Hinge.
Hinge has returned to the Tigers line up just in time for another finals campaign.
King has had a strong season as well and after five goals last weekend he will be in great touch heading into the contest against Keith.
Billy Wiese is another goal kicking force in the Tigers line up the Crows will need to stop.
Wiese kicked three goals the last time the two teams met and if he is in the side he will be dangerous around the goals.
Keith has a strong defensive line up to try and plan for the Mundulla forwards.
Cameron Craig has been a great addition to the line up defensively and will most likely get a job on one of the big key forwards for Mundulla.
It will be interesting to see where the Crows use Will Schreiber this weekend.
Schreiber has been pushing forward this year and has kicked 22 goals for the season so far.
Mundulla will be hoping Nick Mosey will be right for the game as he is an important cog in the strong Mundulla midfield that includes Jake McGrice, Dylan Mosey and Elliot Jaeschke.
Nathan Studham cannot be given too much room either or he will cut you up with his left foot kicking.
The Crows will need to have plans in place to try and nullify that.
The same as the Tigers will look to nullify Aaron Young’s influence.
Young has been a force in his first season for the Crows.
The Crows have a good midfield as well with Daniel Bibby in great form again this season.
George Johnson has been in form as well as he moves further down the field from the forward line to help with the Crows ball movement.
The weather is looking like it will be decent and that could suit Keith a little more.
The Crows might be in the best position to win this one and move into the second semi but I would not write off the Tigers.
On Sunday Bordertown play against Border Districts in the elimination final at Frances.
The reigning champion Eagles get to start their premiership defence at home.
The big question is can the Eagles bring four weeks of great football to win back to back premierships? Border Districts’ top five or six players in their team are arguably as good as the other four teams in the finals.
They need their stars to fire if they are going to have any shot of winning the premiership.
The Eagles defeated Bordertown by 63 points the last time they faced each other.
The Roosters were missing Billy Hayes, Curtis McCarthy, Thomas Whittlesea, Jaidan Kappler and Lochie Eats on that day.
That is a very talented bunch of footballers who will most likely be in the Roosters team this weekend.
Bordertown has some firepower with two big key forwards Jacob Eats and Tom Whittlesea who are hard to match up on.
Curtis McCarthy coming back only boosts the Roosters’ forward line even more.
Kyle Emery, Josh Searle and Harrison Jolly can all sneak forward to hit the scoreboard.
Border Districts’ defensive set up will be working overtime trying to stop the Roosters from getting enough looks at goal.
Dylan Auciello is a star defender for the Eagles and will get a job on one of the key forwards.
The Eagles will look to Mackenzie Bower, Chase Bower and Zac Richards to use their SANFL experience to help steer the Eagles towards victory.
Mark Quinn is the X-factor for the Eagles as they can play him either in the midfield or forward and he can have a big say on the outcome of the game.
Dylan Schoenmakers is the same as Quinn as he can influence a game from the midfield or the forward lines.
The run from Dre Stirling, Fraser Adams and Isaac Hewson for the Eagles will be very important in the game.
Having the home ground advantage is a huge thing for Border Districts in this final.
But as the Eagles know from last year’s second semi final, home ground advantage in the finals does not always mean you will win.
This is why I think Bordertown will get across the line in a close contest.
The return to almost their best team and getting players back might give them too much depth for the Eagles to handle.
