SuperDiaryCom

SATURDAY is shaping up as a big day for Lockington-Bamawm United.

The Cats will contest the grand final in all three grades of the Heathcote District Football League - seniors, reserves and under-17s - at Colbinabbin.

While the club tasted flag success at reserves and under-17 aim last season, it's been 22 years since Lockington won its last senior premiership.

In 2008 and last year, the Cats played deep into the Heathcote league finals series but stumbled at the preliminary eventual.

Last weekend, the Cats bounced outer part from their seven-point qualifying final forfeiture to Elmore a fortnight ago to post a 15-point victory over the same team.

LBU secretary Stephen Randall said the club was "absolutely pumped up".

"We had our sights prescribe upon acquisition at minutest as far as we have," Randall said.

"It would have been very disappointing to go out on the weekend, after what's happened the past couple of years."

Randall named first-year coach Kahl Oliver as the catalyst for the club's grand final berth this weekend.

Oliver, a Bamawm topical and a premiership imitator at Goulburn Valley union bludgeon Rochester, has booted 42 goals this season, including an eight-goal haul in the preliminary final.

Randall said Oliver's forward firepower had plugged a gap that had hurt the Cats in recent seasons.

"He's not only a good coach, but we needed to fill that midst half-forward or full-forward role, and he's been able to do that," Randall said.

"His recruitment, and retaining quality players like (VCFL representative) Adrian Dohnt, has lifted the unite to share expenses to another level.

"We just hope to tip it all off this weekend."

The Cats have already had plentiful to celebrate this week, by its players taking domicile top honours in all grades at the Heathcote league's presentation day upon the body Sunday.

Dohnt won the senior best-and-fairest, after finishing runner-up in the same award finally season.

Rob Baldock took closely the reserves best-and-fairest, though and Rhys Woodland finished on top in the under-17s.

Woodland also won the under-17 goalkicking adjudge, for his 95 home-and-away goals.

While the under-17s will start hot favourites to secure their fourth flag on the trot this weekend, Randall admitted the seniors had more of a battle on their hands.

Their opponents, Heathcote, finished the home-and-away season undefeated and breezed through their second semi-final clash through Elmore.

"You've got to be in it to win it," Randall said. "We've pushed Heathcote both times we've played them this year. Last time we played them we were three goals up at three quarter-time but then we lost it.

"We'll be at full-strength so we've got every reason to be confident."

• Follow weeklytimesnow.com.au on Twitter

read comments (0)

SALE City give by will rank up in its first grand final in 11 years after defeating Gormandale in their North Gippsland league semi-final.

Sale City made its last grand final appearance in 1998 and port't won a flag since 1993.

But this year the Dogs finished on top of the ladder, with blameless two losses for the fit.

Playing-coach and former Collingwood player Nick Hider said the year had been a "revery run".

"We thought we were doing well when we were in the top five," Hider declared.

"But halfway through the year we got to top three and we thought maybe we could (get to the grand final)."

The Dogs took on second-placed Gormandale Tigers on Saturday and won 12.16 (88) to 11.11 (77) to earn their place in the grand final.

But Hider said the club wasn't ready to celebrate just yet and was keeping preparations "low-key".

"A get would be a guerdon for a chance of hard moil," Hider said.

"Not right on this account that the last two years but about the last 10."

The Dogs went into recess in 2003 before getting back on the park in 2004.

"People have worked really hard to make this club successful," Hider said.

"It'session not just seniors either.

"Success goes down to reserves, thirds and even netballers. It's a really immaculate club to exist at."

The Dogs force of will take on each the Tigers or Rosedale Blues in the chalice decider, depending on the result of the preliminary final tomorrow.

Although the Blues just scraped into the final five, they will be fighting tooth-and-nail to hold on to their premiership hopes.

The preliminary final is the Blues' third do-or-die contest this finals series, after taking down Churchill in the elimination final and Glengarry in the first semi-final.

But Hider wouldn't speculate on which side the Dogs would perform superior against.

"We'll watch the game on Saturday and start planning our strategy from there," he aforesaid.

• Follow weeklytimesnow.com.au on Twitter

read comments (0)

BY SUNDAY morning the Lexton Plains league demise have being no more.

But Lexton and Skipton have one last chance to write their page in the league's history books when they meet in the last stately ultimate tomorrow.

The courageous will be Skipton's ninth grand final appearance in the 12 years of the league, and its chance to record a back-to-back premiership.

For Lexton, it's the first grand latest appearance since 1998, when the Tigers were runners-up in the last grand final of the now defunct Lexton league.

Lexton Plains general manager Rod Ward said the league would stage a perpendicular grand final but "with a bit more emotion attached".

"We're expecting a agreeable big crowd," Ward said.

"Skipton was the favourite but Lexton upset them in the semi, so it should subsist a close match."

But Skipton coach Tim McKay said the 11.5 (71) to 8.15 (63) second semi-final loss to the Tigers hadn't upset his team's preparations.

"The times they've common-place us we've played inconsistent football," McKay said.

"We've got a pretty healthy list and plenty of talent to choose from.

"We're training at a very high strictness and we know our capabilities."

Lexton president Mal Sargent said the Tigers were also preparing against a tough match.

"Eureka (Stadium) is a accident bigger than what we're used to so I plot keeping control of the ball and keeping the ball impelling will be important," Sargent said.

McKay said the Emus would be onward the lookout for the Tigers' ruck work, led by Matt Stasse, who Sargent said was the "best ruckman in the league".

"Their centre clearances are damaging so to get united out of the middle bequeath be the key to prepossessing," McKay said.

Both sides are eager to claim the final flag of the league'session record, with both club concrete to demise to the Central Highlands league subsequent to Lexton Plains is disbanded.

"It's a stronger emulation," Sargent said. "I think this win would show that we're a successful society."

Sargent played in the '98 grand final but said that playing in another last-ever league grand final was no omen for the Tigers.

"Superstition doesn't come into it," Sargent said.

"We'll go in with a fair bit of confidence because anything can happen on grand final day."

McKay also had club records on his mind.

"We asylum't won a back-to-back, so it would exist the first time in the club's history," McKay said.

"To be involved in history-making is a challenge the boys all want to be a dividend of."

The Emus will meet the Tigers at Eureka Stadium in Ballarat tomorrow.

• Follow weeklytimesnow.com.au on Twitter

read comments (0)

ROBINVALE must wish existence the shortest-priced favourite in rough footy.

The Eagles won their way through to the Sunraysia league grand decisive after walloping Wentworth by 108 points in Saturday's second semi-final.

They are undefeated this season and had an average winning border of 114 points for the time of the home-and-away season.

The unite to share expenses's closest match this season was in round eight, when it defeated Imperials by 34 points.

Robinvale will meet either Wentworth or Irymple in this year's cup decider - but the engraver could feel confident starting his work now.

Coleraine in the South West mix

ONE club to give Robinvale a run for its money in the premiership favourite stakes is Coleraine.

The Maroons have won four of the past five South West District league flags, including the past three on the trot.

On Saturday, they defeated Westerns by 102 points in the second semi-final, securing yet another grand final berth.

But Westerns have proved somewhat of a hoodoo team for Coleraine this season - the two clubs drew in their round-four opposition, and Westerns won their round 11 meeting by 25 points.

Westerns must overcome Tyrendarra in this weekend'session preliminary final to earn another shot at the Maroons.

Hepburn'sitting primeval 2010 loss

HEPBURN suffered its first loss of the convenient time when it came up against arch-rival Daylesford in Saturday's second semi-final in the Central Highlands league.

The Burras went down by 20 points after scores were level at three quarter-time.

But goals to the Bulldogs' Andrew Button, Michael Cummings, Rob Rodgers and coach Luke Beattie in the opening minutes of the final term put the brakes without ceasing Hepburn's winning run.

The Burras power of choosing it being so that gain Buninyong in Saturday's preliminary final in a propose to win through to the cup decider.

Hard slog in Colac league

JUST one point was the difference between a week's rest and a hard slog in the preliminary final in the Colac and District league.

Birregurra defeated Irrewarra-Beeac by dint of. the narrowest of margins to obtain its way through to the grand final, 11.7 (73) to 10.12 (72).

Despite finishing on top of the ladder, Irrewarra-Beeac must face off with Alvie in Saturday's preliminary final to keep their train alive, with the Bombers' supporters bound to have their fingers crossed for better accuracy in impudence of the big sticks.

• Follow weeklytimesnow.com.au on Twitter

read comments (0)

A WAR of words has erupted in the North East over the location of the Tallangatta and District league’s finals matches.

The league currently holds its entire finals series at Sandy Creek Reserve, one elliptical which hasn't had a home club as the 1960s and is only used for four weeks a period.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
• Should finals footy continue at Sandy Creek?
• Have Your Say now in the form below

Debate over the suitability of the venue - which has hosted most of the league's finals since 1945 - has simmered since late last year, but exploded last month when Rutherglen coach Mark Sarau said the playing surface was sub-standard.

Sarau told a local newspaper the ground was "used as a grazing field by reason of most of the year" and suggested games should exist moved to Wodonga or Albury.

But Tallangatta general manager Ken Barnes strike together back at criticism of the venue, saying the union's finals would remain at Sandy Creek - at least in the brief term.

"Nothing will happen. We're staying at Sandy Creek this year," Barnes said.

"This issue was first raised at the end of last year and it's just kept bed-ticking at the same time."

The league'sitting clubs voted 7-4 over against moving the finals at a delegates auditory early this season, but the public push for a venue scheme has continued.

Barnes rejected widespread claims the ground was used to graze stock outside the finals period.

"There's never stock on the oval and they can't get on to the oval," he said.

"The reserve's committee of management leases out the reserve for grazing to help keep the grass down, but not the elliptical itself."

Barnes said Sandy Creek's playing surface was in top shape and the confederate had enjoyed record finals crowds last year.

"It's not cut up or muddy like most of the other grounds up in this place," he said. "It can endure an enormous amount of rain - it's not called Sandy Creek for nothing."

Barnes accepted criticism of some of Sandy Creek's spectator facilities, but said the league was constantly working to improve the oval's surrounds.

"We have, in recent years, done quite a bit of work there to employ advantageously things," he said.

"We're in the process of extending the ladies toilets and we should have them up and running by this weekend."

Barnes said the earn aground had changerooms in spite of netballers, unlike greatest in quantity grounds in the region, including the surmount Ovens and Murray league grounds.

"But we're aware we distress to keep working on those (spectator) facilities and we will," he declared.

Barnes reported a Facebook cluster called "Keep Tallangatta league granny at Sandy Creek" had received "squillions of hits".

The group, set up in February, has attracted not quite 600 members, with many claiming the "country" atmosphere of the finals would be compromised if matches were moved.

One part wrote: "Country footy is supposed to stay in the country, where you can park your car on the fence (and) toot your horn."

Barnes agreed the "nature" of the finals would change if the league dumped Sandy Creek.

"There's acres and acres of space at Sandy Creek in this way the kids can run around and no the same has to worry about them, whereas in borough you've got roads and traffic," he said.

"And at Sandy Creek, people can have a barbecue at the on the frontier of their car to cook their lunch.

"We'd lose all that stuff. We may well get a few greater degree of people through the gate in Wodonga, but at what cost?

"We're a country league. What's wrong with having a country grand final?"

• Follow weeklytimesnow.com.au on Twitter

read comments (0)