Week two of the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Football League finals ended with both Tigers teams recording victories during the weekend’s contests.
Second Semi Final – Kybybolite v Keith
In the second semi final Kybybolite won a thrilling game to book a grand final spot after a Keith player missed a shot after the siren to win the game.
The game was played at the home of the Keith Crows and it was the Crows who got on the scoreboard first through Aaron Young. Both teams went hard at the contest and the opponents as you would expect in a final. Kybybolite got on the scoreboard after Jared Deep kicked their first goal. Billy Laurie then inserted himself into the game when he set up teammate Remi Brown to kick the Tigers’ second goal and give Kybybolite the lead.
The Crows hit back and tied the scores after Riley Wilsdon slotted through a straight kick.
The Crows got great service and work rate out of Daniel Bibby, Young and Seb Schreiber early in the game.
The Tigers kept forcing the issue and Kybybolite hit the lead late in the quarter when Brown kicked his second goal.
Jared Deep, Oscar Clark and Remi Brown were strong performers in the Tigers opening quarter and Kybybolite led by five points at the first break.
The Tigers started the second quarter strong as they were the first team to score through Laurie. Kybybolite opened up an 11-point lead early in the second quarter. The Crows slowly but surely started to hit back and get on top in general play and began to put the score on the board.
Two goals each to Blake Read and Wilsdon in a 15 minute patch of play had the Crows pull ahead by 16 points and looking like they had control of the game. Bibby, George Johnson, Seb Schreiber and Will Schreiber were all important players during the turnaround of the game.
Ryan Bartlett and Cameron Craig were defensive rocks for the Crows during the quarter as the Tigers found it hard to break through. Jack Trengove was strong in the contest for the Tigers.
Kybybolite was able to hit back late as William Shepherd kicked a goal to bring the Crows lead back to nine points.
Matt Black was another player who had a good second quarter for the Tigers as the minor premiers went into half time nine points behind the Crows.
Kybybolite must have got a great pep-talk by coach Jack Kelly at half time as the Tigers came out at the start of the third quarter breathing fire. Charlie Hillier kicked the first goal and Stephen Craig worked his way into the game by kicking two goals in a row as the Tigers took a 10 point lead and looked like they had swung things right around. Trengove and Bill Munn were doing a power of work for the Tigers. Deep, Clark and Tom Woodard were also important in helping get the Tigers back on top. The Tigers kept attacking hard and could only kicked two behinds in a row to add to the score.
Ryan Bartlett and Cameron Craig were standing up defensively for Keith.
The Crows were able to strike late in the quarter as Wilsdon kicked a goal to get the Tigers’ lead back to six points.
The drive the Crows were getting from Will Schreiber was important.
Seb Schreiber, Young and Johnathon Wilson were also helping the Crows stay close in the contest, with Kybybolite up by seven points at three quarter time.
The game was close and tight and everything you would expect in a second semi final. The Tigers pushed hard early in the fourth quarter to try and break the game open. A couple of behinds were kicked before Andrew Bradley kicked a goal for the Tigers to push the lead out to 13 points. Clark and Laurie continued to get the ball going the Tigers’ way. The Crows pushed hard to stay in the game. Seb Schreiber was running around and helping get the ball going the Crows’ way often.
There were many tackles as both teams did not want to give an inch. Time was running out for the Crows to get closer and they were working hard to get scoring shots, but only kicking behinds. The Tigers were trying to tackle and hold the Crows up as Keith attacked. Young then gave the Crows life when he kicked a great goal at the 22 minute to bring the margin back to five.
Both teams were scrambling in the dying stages to get something going their way. Kybybolite was tackling hard and Keith was trying to score.
The Crows were able to get the ball forward in the dying stages and a free kick was awarded just before the siren sounded.
Keith had a shot after the siren to win the game but the kick missed and the Tigers held on to record a four point victory and book a place in the 2024 KNTFL grand final.
First Semi Final – Mundulla v Border Districts
Mundulla ended Border Districts’ season on Sunday at Kybybolite with a strong performance in the first semi final.
Border Districts’ run as the reigning premier came to an end as the Tigers took control of the game in the first half and the Eagles were never able to recover and challenge the Tigers as the game went on.
The Tigers were switched on right from the opening bounce as the put the Eagles under enormous pressure every time they went near the ball. The Tigers were the only team that looked dangerous when going into the forward lines. Three first quarter goals from the boots of Lincoln Weatherald, Dylan Mosey and Harry Kuchel gave the Tigers a 19 point break nearing quarter time.
Nathan Studhame, Dylan Mosey, Elliot Jaeschke and Harry Kuchel started in great touch for the Tigers in the opening quarter.
Border Districts tried hard to plug the gaps but the Tigers were in control. Isaac Hewson, Gabriel Burden and Dylan Auciello battled hard for the Eagles during the first quarter.
Mundulla led by 18 points at quarter time.
The second quarter was very much like the first as the Tigers continued to attack. Billy Wiese kicked the fourth goal for the Tigers and when James Hinge found Devon Ridgway for another major, Mundulla were 30 points clear. Jaeschke, Jacob Grosser and Mosey were getting plenty of the ball around the contests and driving it towards the Tigers forward line. Border Districts kept trying to set up attacking plays but the defence of the Tigers stood tall.
Mundulla defenders Reagan Tink and Tom Gaden were on top of their defensive powers as they would not give the Eagles any easy forward moves of the ball. Zac and Joshua Richards tried hard for Border Districts to give them a lift.
Mark Quinn, Bart Nolan and Burden were three other Eagles players who were working hard to keep the Eagles in the contest.
The Tigers pushed hard in time on to get a match winning lead as they put through three goals through Mosey, Studham and Jake McGrice to open up a 46 point lead.
Mundulla was getting contributions from a lot of their players as Darcy King, Travis Wagenknecht, Tom Gaden and Jacob Grosser contributed to the great team play from the Tigers. Mundulla went into half time 46 points ahead and in control of the contest.
The game might have been out of Border Districts’ reach, but the Eagles started the third quarter with better pressure and ball movement. The Eagles finally got their first goal of the game through Joshua Richards as Border Districts looked to find a way back into the contest.
The Eagles were all of a sudden going harder at the contest and doing better at getting the ball forward. Goals from Sam Pridham and Zac Richards had Border Districts making a run and the margin was cut back to 27 points.
Quinn, Zac Richards and Joshua Richards were doing a power of work for the Eagles trying to lift them. Mundulla got a steadying goal through Wiese as Hamish Young and Hinge combined to get the ball to Wiese who finished off their work.
Tom Gaden, Studham and Wiese were putting in some good work in the third quarter for Mundulla.
Border Districts continued to fight and get back into the game.
The Eagles got an important goal as Dylan Schoenmakers put through a goal to give the Eagles a fighting chance heading into the final quarter.
Mundulla led by 28 points at three quarter time and came out in the fourth quarter as a switched-on unit to put the game away. Goals from Wiese, McGrice, Kuchel and Studham in the opening 15 minutes of the fourth quarter put the Tigers 59 points ahead and in control of the game again. Studham, Mosey, Jaeschke and Grosser were doing some damaging work around the stoppages and driving the ball Mundulla’s way.
Nolan, Quinn Dylan Auciello continued to fight the game out for Border Districts.
Joshua Richards was gathering plenty of the ball for the Eagles and getting it going forward.
Border Districts worked hard and were rewarded with the last two goals of the game through Harrison Pretlove and Schoenmakers.
Mundulla put on a clinical performance to win by 48 points.
Preliminary Final Preview
Keith v Mundulla
For the third time in four years Keith will face Mundulla in a preliminary final at Lucindale for the right to play Kybybolite in the grand final.
Both teams will be determined to make the grand final after recent finals exits.
The Tigers’ most recent preliminary final was in last year’s extra time loss to Kingston.
The year before that it was Keith that ended the Tigers season in the preliminary final.
These two football clubs have met in a lot of finals in the past 10 years and should be used to facing each other by now.
Two weeks ago Keith defeated Mundulla comfortably at Kingston in the qualifying final as Crows coach Lewis Hender put on a masterclass in the second quarter to turn the game the Crows’ way.
The Crows will need to get over the disappointment of Saturday’s loss to Kybybolite quick and focus on a Tigers outfit that was impressive on Sunday against Border Districts.
Both teams are stacked with talent and from a neutral view of the game, I hope both are at full strength.
The Mundulla midfield duo of brothers Dylan and Nick Mosey missed the qualifying final against the Crows and their importance to the Tigers team is valued around the league.
Dylan returned to the team in their victory against Border Districts and had an impact on the victory.
The Crows were close to victory on Saturday and with a bit of luck they could have been in the grand final already.
The Lucindale oval should once again provide some open and free play.
The weather might bring a bit of rain but should not impact how this contest is played.
The two X-Factor players on either team for me are Will Schreiber for Keith and Nathan Studham for Mundulla.
Schreiber can play almost any position, but he likes to get out and run the ball for the Crows and set up the play.
Studham has a deadly left foot and if you give him enough space and touches he will carve you up when using it.
There really is a lot of talent in both teams. The Crows forward line consists of Riley Wilsdon, Blake Read and Alex Schiller.
Wilsdon has been huge in the finals so far and arguably he has been the Crows’ best player in the first two weeks of the finals.
Read and Schiller provide different looks needed for a forward line to be complete.
Coach Hender can play in there as well but he has been playing further up the field recently.
Mundulla’s defensive leaders of Tom Gaden, Lachlan Duell and Tim Ballinger will have a huge job to do during Saturday’s contest.
Down the other end the Tigers forward line of Darcy King, James Hinge and Billy Wiese is dangerous.
Everyone knows what Hinge and King bring to the table, this is why Wiese adds to those two nicely with his zip and goal sense.
Wiese has kicked 51 goals this season in a great performance and it will be interesting to see if he is tagged closely to stop him from being a factor.
Keith’s defensive unit will be ready as Cameron Craig and Jacob Graetz lead the defensive set up for the Crows.
How the Crows use Aaron Young will be another thing to watch out for.
Young can push forward and kick goals or play purely as a midfielder setting them up.
Aaron Young vs Jake McGrice head-to-head would be great to see.
Picking the winner out of the two teams is always almost impossible.
There are arguments for selecting either team in a prediction.
Mundulla looks like they have found their finals ‘mojo’ again and might go into this game as slight favourites.
The Crows on the other hand will be determined to get another crack at Kybybolite and that alone might drag them across the line in a very tight game.
