Border Districts v Kingston
Saturday’s Kowree Naracoorte-Tatiara Football grand final will feature two teams who have never previously won a premiership since the merger of the two leagues.
Border Districts have featured in one grand final in the new league.
The Eagles made the grand final in 1999 where they lost the decider to Mundulla.
Kingston has made two previous grand finals when they featured in the 1997 and 2000 deciders against Mundulla.
Both club’s fans have been starved of success in recent times as both have spent time on the bottom of the ladder at different times over the last 10 years.
Border Districts are looking for their first premiership since 1991 when they had stars like Peter Lueth, Andrew Jude, Kyle Atkinson, Donald Dickie, Richie Oliver and Craig Prelove running around on that famous day for the club.
Kingston is in the same boat as Border Districts when it comes to looking to end a premiership drought.
The Saints have not won a premiership since 1984 when they won three premierships in a row from 1982-84.
Players such as Bill Armfield, Frank Armfield, Evan Flint, Craig Stanbridge, Lew Schinckel, Alby Gluyas and Robbie Scott were a part of that magical era for the Saints.
Border Districts and Kingston enter this game in great form, both coming off great inspiring victories against Mundulla in their respective finals.
The Eagles and the Saints have played against each other twice and both times were tight and hard-fought affairs.
Border Districts have been the team to beat for most of the season as they spent most of the year on top of the ladder until they lost the top spot in the last minor round game when they lost to Naracoorte.
The Eagles have shown in both of their finals that this did not bother them as they defeated Keith and Mundulla in the two finals they have played.
The Eagles ran both games out strongly when recording victories.
Kingston has had a very different route to the grand final.
The Saints finished fifth after the minor rounds and always had the belief they could challenge if they got healthy and their best team together at the right time.
The Saints played some great football against Naracoorte and Keith in their first two finals to set up the biggest challenge in a final in the KNTFL when they were set to face Mundulla for the right to make the grand final.
The Saints did an amazing job of getting across the line against the Tigers in overtime to book their place in the grand final.
Both teams match up on paper as evenly as you would hope to see on the biggest day in the league.
Border Districts have lots of firepower with Dylan Schoenmakers, Mackenzie Bower and Mark Quinn all capable of kicking a bag of goals on their day.
The Eagles also have the 2023 league medallist Zac Richards in the midfield and he will no doubt be feeding his teammates the ball often around the ground to try and set up scores for the team.
How Kingston sets up their defensive structure will be important to see if they can stop the Eagles from getting good looks at the goals.
Jarryd Hill played on Dylan Schoenmakers the last time these two teams met and did a pretty good job.
Dylan has been playing more midfield as the year has gone along and so Kingston coach Sean Jackson will need to plan for this to happen at times on Saturday.
Kingston also has a strong scoring punch to it as well.
Todd Lockwood, James Siviour, Jack Harding and William Wiseman provide strong targets to aim for.
Ben Warner and Ethan Murdock are two players who can also hit the scoreboard when needed.
Both teams have strong defensive setups.
Dylan Auciello and Chase Bower were superb in the second semi-final against Mundulla.
Auciello will most likely get the job on Kingston forward/ruck James Siviour to start the game.
The Saints will look to get the ball in quickly to their forwards.
Kingston will try to carry the defensive work they did in the overtime period against Mundulla into this game against the Eagles.
Jack Armfield, Ben Rogers and Orestis Gambranis were strong in defence for the Saints last Saturday when the Saints were hanging on against Mundulla’s attacks.
Kingston likes to get the ball into Campbell Watts’s hands often as he sets up a lot of plays by running the ball off the half-back line for Kingston.
The midfield battle will be a big key to the result of this game.
Kingston has good depth in the centre of the ground with William Watts, Chris Draper, Thomas Matsouliadis and Chad Wood having strong years for the Saints.
Border Districts will look to Isaac Hewson, Fraser Adams, Zac Richards and Dre Stirling to impact the contest for the Eagles.
This game is a hard one to tip as the only scalp the Eagles are yet to figure out and defeat is Kingston.
Border Districts will fancy themselves and be as confident as ever they can get across the line and win the premiership.
I feel the Naracoorte oval will suit Kingston’s running game a bit more and the Saints just might end their long premiership drought.
I would not be surprised if Border Districts get across the line but I’m picking Kingston by six points in another close game between the two teams.
