HATHERLEIGH V PORT MACDONNELL
There is some chance the Eagles and the Demons will meet again in the cut-throat first semi-final.
That is why Hatherleigh and Port MacDonnell are both hell-bent on securing second position and the double chance.
The seasiders will be welcoming back their inspirational skipper Daron McElroy after he received a three-match penalty from the independent tribunal following an incident at the Bay against Glencoe on June 19.
Hatherleigh looks in better shape than on May 15.
The long injury list of the Eagles is being steadily reduced with Gerard McGrath, Darcy Bateman and Sam Telfer resuming in the Reserves in round 13.
No MSEFL club was more disappointed than Hatherleigh when the COVID lockdown forced the cancellation of its July 24 home match against its oldest foes Glencoe.
The Eagles entered the MSEFL in 1947 and their very first opponent were the Murphies on May 3 that year.
There was to be no fairy-tale entrance to the competition as Hatherleigh lost by 75 points.
The Eagles reached their first grand final in 1949 but again lost to the Murphies by 15 points.
Revenge finally came in 1971 when Hatherleigh defeated Glencoe at Mount Burr for its breakthrough premiership.
The 10 surviving members of this team were due to have their 50th anniversary reunion at Hatherleigh on July 24 along with the 1971 Hatherleigh Reserves who were runners-up to Port MacDonnell.
KONGORONG V GLENCOE
Glencoe stands a good chance of defeating the home team at Kongorong for the first time in 2021.
When the Murphies and the Hawks last met in round six, it was a very uneven contest.
Kongorong won by 41 points on that day but the team has since lost key players lie Brad Cordy and Scott Fleming to injury.
As neither team can reach the finals, expect to see plenty of youngsters getting a taste of A Grade action.
NANGWARRY V MOUNT BURR
Mount Burr has one of the best defences in the MSEFL and Murray South East zone representative Sam Wallis will probably be given the task of minding rookie Nangwarry coach Luke Thomson.
He booted a round-leading six goals in the wet at Glencoe in round 13 and this haul was almost as many as the total combined output on that day of the majors of Mount Burr and Kongorong.
The Saints booted 11 goals and this was their best score for more than six years and in a month when the Glencoe region received as much as eight Imperial inches of rain.
The Mossies are heading to one of the best wet weather playing surfaces in the SE and will not repeat the 117- point win from May 22.
ROBE V KALANGADOO
Plenty of factors favour the away team when undefeated ladder leader Kalangadoo visits Robe.
It is being said the bookmakers are not taking any more bets on the 2021 premiership as the Magpies are short-priced flag favourites.
They have not defended a premiership since the hat-trick of the 1980s almost four decades ago The Magpies accounted for the Roosters by 40 points at their last meeting on May 8 but that win was achieved without Robe having the services of star SANFL recruit Billy Lawrie.
The red-and-whites have had a five-week break from and Saturday action on account of their scheduled bye as well as the competition-wide break for the SA Country Championships at Victor Harbour and the COVID state-wide lockdown.
The notable exception was Rooster ruckman/ defender Tom Wachtel who put his hand up for selection in the Murray South East zone team and played well.
Although not 100pc fit, Wachtel also played for the MSEFL against the Western Border at Millicent in June.
