Nangwarry v Kalangadoo
Can Nangwarry achieve a “Steven Bradbury” result and knock Kalangadoo out of the finals when the Mid South Eastern Football League minor round ends on Saturday?
The Saints will be looking to emulate the feat of Bradbury who rode his luck and beat the odds to win a gold medal for Australia in the 1000m speed skating at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002.
His opponents literally fell to the ground and allowed Bradbury to skate past them into games history.
A win by the Saints at the home ground of the Magpies would be the upset of the 21st century in the MSEFL.
After all, Nangwarry is the away team, it has just lost to bottom-placed Kongorong and will be without incoming coach George McWaters (suspension) and co-captain Jake McKeon (recovering from knee reconstruction surgery).
The Magpies have the home-ground advantage, are fresh from a bye and are still in the mix for a hat-trick of flags to go with their three-peats in 1982-84 and 1950-52.
A victory cannot be assumed for the black and whites as a few factors work in the favour of the visitors.
Wet weather has been about for the past week and a heavy oval will play into Nangwarry’s hands.
There is still some bitterness in the Nangwarry camp about some player transfers from a few years ago.
The Saints will be keen to give a strong farewell to their 2023 and 2024 coach Shane Raymond who is arguably the club’s best coach since the 1990s when Lee Capewell and the late Phil Muhovics guided them to four premiership pennants.
Some savvy recruiting and junior ranks graduates have boosted the playing stocks but it is the positive approach of Raymond which has benefitted them most of all.
Another motivation for Nangwarry is a win would guarantee they would avoid the dreaded wooden spoon.
Kongorong are still able to climb off the bottom if they defeat Port MacDonnell at home.
If Nangwarry co-captain Joel Virtanen, Jack Pudney and Andrew Hyland all have pearlers and Kalangadoo reverts to its early season inconsistency, perhaps “September Specialists” Mount Burr might yet reach the finals at the expense of the reigning premiers.
Glencoe v Mount Burr
Between them Glencoe and Mount Burr have won almost as many A Grade premierships as the other seven clubs put together.
However, 2024 has not been the best of years with only a few glimpses of good form.
Like every club, they have had their share of injuries and availability issues.
You can be sure the Mozzies will act in the time-honoured manner and pass the hat around to buy slabs of beer if Nangwarry can pull of that unlikely win at Kalangadoo.
Glencoe were well in arrears of Mount Burr in their round nine encounter and so the Ian McInnes Memorial Shield stayed at Mick and Jean Walker Oval.
The home ground will assist the Murphies but they are likely to be without their ace forward Alex Hentschke on account of injury for the second game in a row.
Hentschke currently shares the MSEFL goalkicking tally of 50 goals with Hatherleigh’s Paddy Chay.
If neither kick a goal on Saturday, it will be the second-lowest winning tally since the MSEFL began collecting goalkicking statistics in 1960.
The lowest winning tally was recorded by Hatherleigh’s Anthony Driessen with 47 in 2004.
While the Mozzies still have a chance of finals, they will not lose on the road.
Tantanoola v Hatherleigh
The Tigers can throw everything but the kitchen sink at the Eagles as they will be reaching for the mothballs for their jumpers at 5pm on Saturday.
On the other hand, Hatherleigh is assured of the minor premiership and does not want any injuries, suspensions or the embarrassment of losing to the seventh-placed team.
With the Limestone Coast Football Netball League finals getting under way this weekend and Millicent having a week off, you can bet a big contingent of Saints supporters and players will be heading on down to Tigerland.
Tantanoola co-captain Brayden Pitts is set to mind ace Hatherleigh forward Paddy Chay.
In all likelihood, Chay probably only needs one goal to claim the league trophy.
Hatherleigh has had six other winners: Brian Potter in 1961 and 1963, Tony Thompson (1968), Craig Skeer (1986), Anthony Driessen (2004) and Dave Green (2008).
The Eagles should win well.
Kongorong v Port MacDonnell
This final round could be dubbed rivalry round as near neighbours are opposed in all four games.
Kongorong has the home ground benefit as well as a morale-boosting victory over Nangwarry as they seek to wrest back the Bruce Lightbody Memorial Shield from Port MacDonnell.
It has not left the Bay for around 15 years and I do not think there is any current Demon with the possible exception of ex-skipper Zack Williams who has ever played in a losing side on the home ground of the Hawks.
The verdict is a win to the visitors.
