Saturday August 31, 2024 - Qualifying Final
Fish Creek (1st) v Yinnar (2nd) @ Newborough
As good as both of these two teams have been for the entirety of the 2024 season, none of it might amount to anything if they were not able to take the opportunity that was on offer on the weekend, and that was a direct route to the MGFNL Grand Final and a weeks rest to prepare.
The reigning premiers taking their chances, some small but impressive patches of play in each quarter, enough to get the job done in a workmanlike manner.
Fish Creek, twenty two point winners, 8-5-53 to Yinnar 4-7-31.
Their performance on the weekend now has them on top of the hill waiting for just one last challenge.
Jarrod Walker, Kangaroos coach “A great team game yesterday, had even contributors across the ground with a couple of stand out performers. Our defensive game and pressure was at a level it needed to be for finals and we were able to sustain that for the whole game. Yinnar were able to get momentum going there way throughout the game but it was good that we were able to slow the game down and close it out.
In blustery conditions it was Yinnar, that got off to a start that would have seen as satisfactory, a two point lead at quarter time in a game that hadn't hit any lofty heights, indicated it might be a match that was more about effort and work rate than classy ball use.
However in the second quarter, Fish Creek showed some flashes of brilliance, two goals inside the first two minutes showed in no uncertain terms that the Kangaroos were ready to play.
Yinnar just could not find a way forward as the discipline and shape of the reigning premiers made it impossible to break through, the Kangaroos had five different goal scorers for their handful of goals, before a lift in work rate and attack on the ball saw Kane Grinstead Jones, who was shaping as the Magpies best, convert two majors in time on, sending his side into the main break, trailing by just twelve points and still within striking distance
Sam McCulloch, Yinnar coach "Fish creek certainly handled the conditions better than us and had a lot of the play in there front half. Three early goals in the second quarter to Fish Creek was what broke the game open and we were never able to peg the margin back.”
A well organised unit, Fish Creek worked well with and without the ball, their spread a killer more times than not and a part of the game that Yinnar found hard to counter, two quick goals in the early part of the third quarter really started to turn the screws on the Magpies who continued to show resilience.
Some really good attacks on the body slowed Fish Creek but didn't stop them as they went into the three quarter time break leading by sixteen points.
The final thirty minutes played out pretty much as the first three quarters did, Yinnar honest in their efforts, but just not quite at the level to reel the Fish Creek side in.
Jarrod Walker, Fish Creek coach “Looking forward to another week off and a chance to get a good training block in and get prepped for the grand final”
The Kangaroos are now perfectly placed to win back to back premierships, as they wait another week to confirm their opponents.
Sunday September 1, 2024 - Semi Final
Foster v Newborough @ Yinnar
Contrasting wins had these two teams ready to rumble in yet another do or die clash, the Tigers class had been too much for MDU, whilst the Newborough side had to beg, borrow, scratch, bite and steal to get past Morwell East just seven days ago.
The match promised plenty and delivered most of it with Foster proving too strong, ending the season of the Bulldogs with a seventeen point victory.
Foster 8-6-54 to Newborough 4-13-37.
Still riding the emotion of their "after the siren" win of a week ago the Bulldogs started as well as they could have expected, getting themselves into the groove and matching it with the highly rated Tigers' outfit in the first thirty minutes and leading at the first break albeit by a point.
Foster kicked into gear and made more of their chances in front of goal during the second adding three goals one to Newboroughs' one goal three, the inaccuracy of the Bulldogs proving to be a problem that would hound them throughout the afternoon.
Craig Skinner, Newborough coach “Both teams had their chances today. Unfortunately we didn’t make the most of ours and when it’s an elimination final you don’t get another crack if your skill level isn’t at the level required on the day."
In fact the Bulldogs could only manage a single goal in each of the four quarters, and although they had a total of three more scoring shots they could not apply the necessary scoreboard pressure to both worry Foster and find that bit extra in themselves to steal a victory for the second week in a row.
Sam Davies, Foster coach “We got the job done, it definitely wasn’t pretty and we were probably outplayed for periods but good teams find a way and we took our chances when they came. We keep copping injury but we keep having blokes stand up and play their role which is a credit to them and our process. A strong Yinnar group awaits us, bring it on
Foster now moves one step closer to the ultimate opportunity, while Coach Craig Skinner bows out as coach of the Bulldogs having led an honest, disciplined team to three finals campaigns in a row, "I couldn’t be prouder of the group over the last 6 weeks and am grateful for their effort and opportunity the club has given me to coach them. Today wasn’t our day but they will regroup and give it another go in 2025."
Between then and now ,the weekend ahead between Foster and Yinnar promises plenty, but only for one team.
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