Desperate times as Senior Comp reaches do or die Finals
Image courtesy Brad Greenshields (Green Shoots Marketing)
The Finals Series of the Senior Competition is upon us, and like most things in this year of COVID, the Finals will take a slightly different shape.
In Seniors, Women’s, and Under 17 the top placed team has automatically qualified for the Grand Final, with second and third left to compete for the other place in the season decider. In Reserve Grade there are two Semis, with the winner of each facing off seven days later in the Grand Final.
The Grafton Tigers are through to their first Senior grade Grand Final since 2012 and will now sit back and watch with interest to see if they will be up against Coffs Harbour Breakers or Sawtell Toormina Saints.
Local derbies don’t get much bigger than one where the winner claims a spot in the Grand Final. Having already played three times this year, Sawtell holds the head to head advantage having won two of those contests. One such victory was by a solitary goal in the dying stages of the match and there is every expectation that this match could be as close.
Breakers have had an inconsistent season but seem to have turned a corner and are on a four match winning streak. During this run they have claimed the most recent derby contest and also beat minor premiers Grafton in the last round. Their confidence will be up that they can keep the winning run going and make their fifth consecutive Grand Final.
In the Women’s competition, Northern Beaches Blues are up against Sawtell Toormina Saints in what could represent a changing of the guard.
The Saints have featured in the Grand Final in both years of the competition’s existence and were the inaugural Premiers. They face the risk of missing playing on the last day of the season for the first time, however they were able to overcome this challenge twelve months ago and will be looking to Senior players with experience of that day to lead the way.
Northern Beaches Blues are in their first year of existence as a stand alone entity having been involved in a joint venture with Grafton last season. By virtue of the fact that they have won three of the four previous meetings with the Saints in 2020, including the most recent three, they go into this match as favourites to progress to the Grand Final. This would be an incredible achievement for a team in it’s first year.
Whichever team progresses faces a formidable foe in the unbeaten Coffs Harbour Breakers, who are looking to become the third team to etch their name onto the premiership in three years.
Reserve Grade sees two Semi Finals to be played, with first placed Nambucca Valley Lions taking on fourth placed Northern Beaches Blues, while Coffs Harbour Breakers are up against Sawtell Toormina Saints in the battle of second and third.
The Lions returned to the Senior Competition this year after an eight year hiatus and have proven to be a revelation. Having completed an unbeaten home and away season they are the raging favourites for the flag and will be assisted in their Semi Final endeavours by a home ground advantage.
Northern Beaches provided the blue print for the Lions, making their own triumphant return to Reserve Grade last season and capping a memorable year with a Grand Final victory. The Blues have found season two a little more challenging and go into this key match knowing that the Lions proved too strong at the same venue just last week.
In the second local derby of the day, Coffs Harbour Breakers will host Sawtell Toormina Saints in another do or die encounter.
In two meetings this season the ledger stands at one win apiece, with each claiming the win on home territory. The last of these encounters was in round 6 so there’s no recent form to draw upon, but the home ground advantage for Breakers could prove to be the decisive factor.
In the Under 17 competition, Sawtell Toormina Saints are already through to the Grand Final, so Grafton Tigers and Coffs Harbour Breakers are left to battle it out for the other spot.
Grafton have won all four clashes with the Breakers this season, and will be favoured to taste victory. Many of these players also double up in Seniors, and with that team having the benefit of a rest this week, it’s expected that the Tiger cubs will be able to throw off the shackles and go full throttle at the Under 17 match.
As reigning Premiers in this age group, Breakers have endured a challenging season due to many of last season’s Grand Final heroes having graduated to open age footy. The club will be buoyed by last week’s come from behind win in the Under 15 Grand Final, with several of those players being involved in the Under 17 team, and will also draw on the experience of last year’s unexpected Grand Final victory to try and spring a surprise.
Semi Final details (Saturday 3 October):
Fitzroy Oval: 10:00am Grafton Tigers v Coffs Harbour Breakers in Under 17, 11:50am Northern Beaches Blues v Sawtell Toormina Saints in Women’s, 1:20pm Coffs Harbour Breakers v Sawtell Toormina Saints in Reserves, 2:50pm Coffs Harbour Breakers v Sawtell Toormina Saints in Seniors.
EJ Biffin Fields: 1:20pm Nambucca Valley Lions v Northern Beaches Blues in Reserves
To view the AFL North Coast COVID Safety Plan for the Semi Finals at Fitzroy Oval please click here.
