By TOBIE CHAPMAN
ABERFELDIE is one victory away from back-to-back flags for the first time in the club’s history after a dominant performance against last year’s runner up Greenvale.
A last quarter blitz blew the margin out to 86 points in Saturday’s Preliminary Final at Coburg City Oval.
Abers kicked the last 10 goals of the game to embarrass the Jets, running away with a 17.18-120 to 4.10-34 victory to take them through to their fourth consecutive Premier Division Grand Final.
Aberfeldie outclassed Greenvale for the entirety of the game, dominating the midfield battle and restricting their opponent’s forward opportunities.
Luke Blackwell was best-on-ground with a prolific performance through the midfield. He was supported by Jesse Laurie and Mark Lynch off the back of Ben Mabon’s ruck work.
They combined to control the game, not allowing the Jets midfield to get a look in. Fabian Deluca was beaten in the ruck and Fort Caruso was injured early and did not return.
Nick Lower battled manfully to be the Jets’ best player, but even he made uncharacteristic mistakes as a result of unrelenting pressure.
Livewire forward Kyle Reimers did not get up to play but Al Kefford was unstoppable, finishing with five goals. Wayne Patak found reward for time spent forward with three goals.
Greenvale swingman Matthew Smith started forward again, but was switched to the backline early in the first term in an attempt to steady the ship. His absence was felt in the forward line as the Jets struggled all day to find structure.
Jacob Thompson was dangerous but by half time he had taken four shots for only a single goal, two shots failing to register a score at all.
Josh Toy and Ryan Allan had little difficulty intercepting and rebounding off the half back flank, the Jets’ forwards often overcommitting to attacks and failing to provide defensive efforts.
Both sides struggled for accuracy in front of goal despite good conditions. In the end it was simply weight of numbers that saw Aberfeldie break the game open.
They were on top in the first half but struggled to make it count on the scoreboard, kicking 6.11 to 2.6. They began to turn it around in the third term as the Jets began to fall away, before piling on 8.3 in a blistering final term.
The 2015 Grand Final ended with a 76-point margin, but this result will hurt Greenvale even more. From the opening bounce they looked overawed by the occasion and were unable to handle Aberfeldie’s pressure, appearing to have learnt no lessons from that heavy defeat.
The Jets continually turned the ball over across half back and through the midfield with fumbles and misjudged kicks.
The likes of Trent Shinners, Matthew Vasilevski and Samuel Zumbo had no influence on the game and their side was left wanting as a result.
For Aberfeldie, it was the win they needed heading into next week. Their last two games had been tight losses against Keilor and this should provide them with a confidence boost.
It was a showcase of how dangerous their offensive game is, but it also highlighted how well their defence can shut down sides completely.
Although the Jets will be disappointed with their inaccuracy in front of goal, Aberfeldie’s defensive set up and control of the corridor meant that their shots came from distance and from the pockets of Coburg City Oval.
ABERFELDIE | 17.18-120
Goal Kickers: A. Kefford 5, W. Patak 3, A. Grigg 3, C. Sharp 2, Z. Hislop, J. McNamara, N. Cattapan, J. Binns
Best Players: L. Blackwell, J. Laurie, M. Lynch, W. Patak, B. Mabon, R. Allan
GREENVALE | 4.10-34
Goal Kickers: J. Thompson 2, A. Maric, N. Lower
Best Players: N. Lower, B. Stillman, J. Smith, C. Spinella, N. Caruso, C. Farchione
