Senior Semis: Breakers claim Men’s, Port take out Women’s

Photo: Dean Kirby

 

Coffs Harbour Breakers and Port Macquarie Magpies shared the spoils in the Seniors and Women’s Qualifying Semi Finals, with each club seeing one team progress to the Grand Final.

The Seniors match was close throughout and had the big crowd on the edge of it’s seat for much of the second half. Breakers led from start to finish and looked as though they would claim the win for large portions of the match but couldn’t shake the stubborn Magpies.

At half time, the Breakers held a 12 point lead and looked as though they would go on with the job. However the Magpies lifted their intensity in the third, taking the game up to the Coffs side and narrowing the gap to three points at the last change.

The last quarter was see-sawing, with the teams trading goals. The key moment in the match came with nine minutes to go and with Port trailing by less than a goal. The Magpies were streaming along the half forward flank with players free inside 50m and with only one defender to beat but the kick went straight to Chris Frangos who launched a counter that resulted in a Breakers goal. This seemed to deflate the Magpies and saw Breakers add two late goals to seal a 21 point win.

The result could have been much closer but for inaccuracy in front of goal by the Port team which only had one less scoring shot for the match.

Chris Frangos really stood up for the Breakers across the half back line when the game was on the line, while Brad Giri was busy inside the forward 50m. Nick Stanlan-Velt kicked five goals with Liam Paige adding three.

Braden Saggers and Tom Marmo were both in the middle of the majority of Port’s good passages, with each kicking two goals. This effort was matched by Kye Taylor.

Coffs Harbour Breakers 13.8 (86) defeated Port Macquarie Magpies 9.11 (65)

The result of the Women’s match was reversed, with Port Macquarie sealing a come from behind victory to book a Grand Final appearance for the second year in a row.

Coffs Harbour Breakers used the breeze well in the opening term to kick two goals and lead by 16 at the quarter’s end. Port couldn’t take as full a toll in the second term and only managed to cut the deficit in half.

The third quarter saw a major and completely legal collision between two key players, Chris Kirby from Port and Katika Adams of Breakers, that left the latter dazed on the ground. Shortly afterwards Adams seemed to have gained her composure as she coolly slotted a major for the Breakers but there appeared to be a delayed onset of symptoms that reduced her output for the remainder of the match. When Tahlia Goodwin goaled for Port to round out the scoring for the stanza the eight point margin remained but Port had the benefit of the breeze at their backs.

Breakers knew this would make it challenging for them and set about trying to hold on rather than attacking the match. Port took full toll, led by a two goal quarter from Cambridge McCormick, to run out 19 point victors.

In addition to McCormick’s and Goodwin’s goals, there were singles to Katherine Winterbottom, Tania Slack-Smith, and Casey Miosge.

Adams finished with two goals for Breakers, with Amy Johanson kicking one.

Port Macquarie Magpies 6.5 (41) defeated Coffs Harbour Breakers 3.4 (22)

A report on the Reserve Grade and Under 17 Semi Finals will appear online on Wednesday (28 August).

For full results click here.