Can Keilor be stopped?
That is the big question heading into the Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division Grand Final between Keilor and Strathmore on Saturday at Windy Hill.
While these two clubs have built up a really strong rivalry, the Blues will go in red-hot favourites to claim the premiership.
The Blues have had one of the strongest seasons in recent history in the EDFL and are aiming to go through the season undefeated.
The Blues averaged nearly 133 points per game, the clear best in the competition. Defensively, they conceded a miserly 47 points per game.
While sometimes those figures can be blown out by big margins in games, for the Blues they did it against everyone.
In 18 regular season games and one final, only three times has the Blues winning margin been less than 50 points.
Their first final against Pascoe Vale, they were as clinical as they had been all season.
For the Mores, their premiership defence started slowly with more than 40 players getting their opportunity at senior level.
They were able to build into the season and while they finished the season in third, they entered the finals the second most in form team.
During the season, they had the second most points on the board and conceded the second least points, both behind Keilor.
Since Round 11 they’ve had just one loss, to Keilor, while they had a draw with Aberfeldie in Round 17.
Both of the Mores’ finals performances have been impressive, with East Keilor and then Pascoe Vale proving no match for them.
In both matches they put the game away in the first half before running away with big wins.
All their stars are back and the side will back themselves to match it with Keilor.
Coach Marty Allison would be happy with what they’re putting together at this time of the year.
If the Mores are to cause an upset, they will have to change things from during the season.
On Good Friday, the Blues led by 15 points at half time before going on to win by 73 points against the reigning premier in an early statement.
In Round 13, the margin was 76 points with the Blues leading by 50 points and keeping the Mores to just one goal in the first half.
It was a couple of their young guns in Keighton Matofai-Forbes and Jovan Petric who led the scoring for the Blues in those games.
Will Jury, Daniel Mighell, Athan Tsialtas, and Lachlan Johnson missed the last game between the two sides for the Mores, but on the other side Damian Cavka, Darcy Cassar, and Riley Ham missed for the Blues.
Surprisingly it’s the first time since 1998 that the two rivals have played each other on Grand Final day.
On that occasion Strathmore came away with the premiership in a big win and halted Keilor’s dreams of a fourth flag in a row.
On Saturday, the key to the game will be in the middle of the ground.
The Mores need to shut down the Blues run and carry which leads to plenty of inside 50s.
Both sides have class in the middle of the ground with Nick O’Kearney, Will Jury, Corey Ellis three that will see a lot of the ball.
If it becomes a shootout, the Blues will most likely come out on top.
The Blues have an unpredictable forward 50 with different options across the board.
Six players have kicked more than 20 goals for the Blues this season led by Matthew Clark with 52.
All six of those players have kicked bags of six or more.
Only the Mores’ Tom Condon has kicked more goals than Clark, with 63 goals from one less game.
He is one of just four players for the Mores to score more than 20 goals. Condon is the only player to kick six goals or more in a game for the Mores.
If the Mores get up, they will need someone to step up and kick a bag.
Strathmore will bring plenty of experience into the match and will know that last year’s grand final thriller will hold them in good stead.
Fourteen of last year’s premiership side played in last week’s Preliminary Final with most, if not all to feature in the grand final.
For the Blues, they have plenty of premiership heroes too in their side. Eight of the 2019 premiership team played in the first week of finals.
Allison will be hoping for his first premiership as Strathmore coach in his second stint at the club, while Mick McGuane is going for his fourth premiership.
The two club’s seniors won't be the only ones in action that day either. The two clubs will face each other in the Reserves, while Strathmore is aiming to win the AGA Under 18.5 premiership as well.
The Blues have already claimed the Thirds and Under 16 Division One premierships, with both clubs again having successful seasons.
Come Saturday, that will mean little with the biggest prize up for grabs.
There’s little doubt that most people believe Keilor will come away with the premiership, but we’ve seen stranger things than a massive upset on the middle of the turf at Windy Hill.
