Blues Master Wet In Qualifying Final
KEILOR will play in its third Grand Final since 2016 after storming home to defeat Aberfeldie on Sunday.
The going was tough at a wet and blustery Windy Hill and when the rain was most prevalent in the first half, only five combined goals were registered.
Four of those majors belonged to Aberfeldie entering the second half but once the conditions dried up, the undefeated Blues found their groove.
Led by Matthew Clark (three goals), Stefan Radovanovic and Todd Stevenson, Keilor started their comeback with three goals to two in the third quarter before finishing the game with the breeze at its back.
With Reynolds Medal favourite Kane Barbuto and fellow midfielder Dylan Joyce kicking goals in the last, Keilor finished the game full of running and emerged a 14-point winner, booking a second consecutive grand final appearance.
Aberfeldie was well-led by Jayden Foster (two goals), Josh Pound (two) and Ryan Allan, but will now have to front up in Sunday’s Preliminary Final at Windy Hill against Strathmore to keep its three-peat hopes alive.
KEILOR | 1.3-9 | 1.6-12 | 4.7-31 | 9.13-67
Goal Kickers: M. Clark 3, D. Joyce 2, K. Barbuto 2, J. Mc Mahon 2
Best Players: S. Radovanovic, T. Stevenson, D. Joyce, J. Papalia, B. Iles, B. Stillman
ABERFELDIE | 2.4-16 | 4.6-30 | 6.10-46 | 7.11-53
Goal Kickers: J. Foster 2, J. Pound 2, J. Peters, S. Cattapan, J. Cubillo
Best Players: R. Allan, N. Cattapan, J. Cubillo, D. Thompson, C. Hislop, J. Braddy
Mores Into Prelim After Huge Defensive Showing
STRATHMORE held Pascoe Vale to just one goal in a stunning defensive performance in Sunday’s Elimination Final.
Pascoe Vale’s only goal, kicked by Matthew Watson, wasn’t scored until the final term in tricky conditions at Coburg City Oval.
The wayward Mores were in control for much of the day but their poor conversion rate inside 50 kept the Panthers in the game.
At three-quarter time the margin was 25 points in Strathmore’s favour, before play opened up in the last.
With Alex Grima returning to the line-up and kicking two goals alongside one each for Adam Iacobucci, James Saville, Will Jury and Sean Callander, the Mores successfully held off Pascoe Vale to score an impressive 40-point win.
Strathmore will now take on Aberfeldie in Sunday’s Preliminary Final at Windy Hill, with the winner to advance to the decider against Keilor on September 21.
STRATHMORE | 1.4-10 | 3.7-25 | 3.9-27 | 6.13-49
Goal Kickers: A. Grima 2, W. Jury, S. Callander, J. Saville, A. Iacobucci
Best Players: A. Vavra, L. Cavanagh, X. Allison, A. Tsialtas, A. Horne, A. Iacobucci
PASCOE VALE | 0.1-1 | 0.1-1 | 0.2-2 | 1.3-9
Goal Kickers: M. Watson
Best Players: M. Stillman, L. Foster, J. Hemala, N. Keating, E. McConnell, J. Polizzi
PRELIMINARY FINAL
ABERFELDIE v STRATHMORE
🎥 Broadcast Game 📻
Sunday 2:15pm at Windy Hill
Undermanned Cougars Storm Demons In Prelim
EAST Keilor will play in this weekend’s Division 1 Grand Final against Craigieburn after pulling off an impressive 10-point win over Tullamarine in Saturday’s Preliminary Final at Coburg City Oval.
The Cougars entered the game without star players Nick Grabowski, Josh Grabowski and Nathan Lyons, while Tullamarine was unchanged from the week before.
In what was a wind-affected game, Tullamarine failed to make the most of its forward entries in the opening term and was punished for it in the second, as East Keilor piled on four goals to one to establish a handy 21-point buffer by half time.
The Demons steadied in the third to make it a close game through to the end, but the Cougars held firm in the last to win it by 10 points.
Dion Hill returned to form with three goals while Lachie Langwell and Ben Caluzzi starred further up the ground.
Anthony Prestia and Brad Allen both kicked two for Tullamarine.
The Cougars will take on Craigieburn at Windy Hill in this Saturday’s decider.
EAST KEILOR | 1.2-8 | 5.9-39 | 7.10-52 | 10.14-74
Goal Kickers: D. Hill 3, P. Tsavdaridis 2, J. King 2, L. Bektash, B. Caluzzi, L. McCormack
Best Players: L. Langwell, B. Caluzzi, J. Madden, D. Hill, A. Arrowsmith, N. Kennedy
TULLAMARINE | 1.6-12 | 2.6-18 | 7.9-51 | 9.10-64
Goal Kickers: A. Prestia 2, B. Allen 2, C. Harward, J. Marcy, R. Pretty, C. Hare, J. Hardman
Best Players: J. Hardman, T. Matson, O. Klemm, A. Scott, B. Allen, T. Barresi
GRAND FINAL
CRAIGIEBURN v EAST KEILOR
🎥 Broadcast Game 📻
Saturday 2:15pm at Windy Hill
Roos Stay Perfect In Division 2 Decider
THE Sunbury Kangaroos completed a stunning perfect season in Saturday’s Strathmore Community Bank Division 2 Grand Final.
In blustery conditions at Windy Hill, Sunbury mastered its use of the scoring end in the final term with four goals to two, stretching its one-point three-quarter time lead out to 16 by game’s end.
Moonee Valley was a brave challenger in the decider, staying with the raging hot favourite for much of the day.
The Fog kicked the opening three goals of the game to open up a 12-point lead by quarter time, before the Kangaroos clicked into gear in the second.
From there the Roos made their move, booting four consecutive goals to start the second quarter.
Read Adem Saricaoglu’s full match report here.
SUNBURY KANGAROOS | 1.1-7 | 7.10-52 | 8.10-58 | 12.15-87
Goal Kickers: J. Corso 3, J. Young 3, L. Baddeley, L. Kaye, C. Monaco, N. Agnello, D. Gregory, T. Borg
Best Players: B. Sutherland, J. Corso, D. Gregory, M. Quigley, T. Cuffe, J. Young
MOONEE VALLEY | 3.1-19 | 4.1-25 | 9.3-57 | 11.5-71
Goal Kickers: J. Faba 3, O. Taylor 2, B. Padmore 2, R. Ferraro, K. Thomas, S. Milne, J. Moussa
Best Players (Supplied by EDFL Media): B. Padmore, C. McGrath, L. Ryan, J. Moussa, N. Wilson, J. Newman
