WHAT a weekend. We go Around The Grounds for a memorable weekend of football.
HEIDELBERG WEST ARE IN
It will be hard to top this as the on-field story of the year.
Heidelberg West – who have not made finals since 1994 – needed results to go its way in the final round.
Beating winless Lalor was probably the easy part – the Hawks did that in a canter, winning by 80 points at Heidelberg Park.
However, they also needed Old Eltham to beat Reservoir at Eltham College, with Reservoir trying to load up at a crack at the finals.
The Turtles did their bit – they won by 13 points after trailing by as much as 24 early in the first term.
The footage on Saturday is incredible. At the 26-minute mark of the last, Heidelberg West supporters erupt as they learn in real time they’re in for the first time since 1994. Even Lalor players were hi-fiving opponents. Unreal to watch.
The Hawks play Watsonia on Sunday. The Hawks also won against the Saints earlier this year. Should the Hawks win, it would be their first finals win since the 1958 preliminary final.
I’ll be writing a feature on the Hawks with our friends at The Northern Footy Show this week. It should be rather emotional.
BANYULE FLYING
The Bears have probably left their run too late, but what a statement they’re making for 2027 that they are well and truly back in town.
Banyule has emerged as a tricky opponent. It defeated Diamond Creek by seven points on Saturday afternoon, leaving it a game outside the five, but needing significant results to go its way to make the finals.
Despite this, senior coach Rohan Welsh has signed on, and key players such as Kye Yodgee, competition best-and-fairest favourite Jean-Luc Velissaris and Liam Mackie have all signed on for next year.
Beware the Bears.
THE FINALS FIGHT
If anything, Banyule look the only team to pinch a spot in the final five, although it will require Greensborough losing to already-relegated West Preston to be a chance.
On evidence of Saturday, that doesn’t look like happening.
Greensborough was far too good for North Heidelberg, winning by 72 points and kicking 19 goals in the process.
The Boro again got a fast start, but there was no repeat of last week as they went from strength to strength this time around at Ford Park.
In the meantime, Hurstbridge will most likely miss the finals after a 72-point loss against Montmorency.
Should the Bridges lose to Heidelberg and Greensborough win, they will be out after making the grand final last season.
DRAMA-CHARGED FINAL ROUND
How about the final round of division 2?
No spot in the five is secure, with seven teams still in the running to make it.
South Morang sit on top – its fate in its own hands. Beat Macleod, it gets the week off.
From there, Northcote Park would need to beat Thomastown to secure second, while St Mary’s can finish second if Thomastown win and it beats Whittlesea.
If St Mary’s does not win? Bedlam.
A Whittlesea win would mean it needs two things to go right. The Eagles would need South Morang to win, but it would also need Old Paradians to beat Fitzroy Stars.
Should the Stars win, they are in the five, regardless of what happens elsewhere. But what of Paradians?
Here’s where it gets tricky if the Raiders lose at home. The Raiders need Macleod to lose. But the Raiders can still miss out even if Macleod lose – the percentage difference between Old Paradians and Whittlesea is seven per cent. If St Mary’s win and South Morang win, Paradians are in regardless. If Whittlesea win and make up enough percentage, while Paradians lose, and Macleod lose, the Eagles are in.
Phew. This is one of the best competitions I’ve ever seen. It’s so close.
THE OLD RIVALS
This weekend’s qualifying final brings about my favourite rivalry in local football.
Mernda. Laurimar.
The battle of Plenty Road.
At Lalor?
Yes, those two traditional rivals do battle.
I enjoy both of these clubs – it’s a rarety for someone who is a life member of one of these clubs to be accepted into the other’s change rooms, but such is the way of life sometimes.
I’m really excited to see how it plays out. While Mernda will be somewhat disappointed with the fadeout against Kilmore on the weekend, the bigger picture realistically is that the Demons had very little to play for – locked into third position regardless of what was going to happen elsewhere.
Laurimar, in the meantime, will be coming off a bye and a loss. How rusty they may be, we don’t know yet.
Let’s hope this game is more like the round two encounter which went down to the wire, with Laurimar winning by 10 points, rather than the mid-year encounter which saw Laurimar win by 15 goals.
Recent finals history suggests this one should be a belter.
FIRST GRAND FINAL SPOTS SORTED
A big well done to St Mary’s and Fitzroy Stars for securing the first three spots in this year’s grand finals, with the women’s semi-finals played this weekend just gone.
St Mary’s 1, as the best team in the competition, were truly dominant against Eltham on the weekend, winning by 62 points.
It’s hard to pinpoint a weakness for the Burra, it’s as simple as that.
Despite finishing second, I’ve long suspected Fitzroy Stars as the flag favourites in division two, and it took an eight-point win to cement its spot in the decider.
The Stars will undoubtedly love the wide expanses of Preston City Oval in two weeks’ time.
In division three, St Mary’s 2 – after a long injury delay – did enough to hold out minor premier Macleod to win by seven points.
It will undoubtedly be a big weekend for the Burra in two weeks’ time.