AFL CAPRICORNIA TREND INTERIOR CARPET AND TILE COURT ELIMINATION FINAL PREVIEW
This week we see the 4th placed BITS Saints host the 3rd placed Glenmore Bulls in the A Grade Elimination Final of the Trend Interior Carpet and Tile Court AFL Capricornia Competition at Boyne Island at 2:30pm this Saturday. This will be the fourth encounter between the two sides this season with BITS holding the ledger 2 – 1. The winning side will earn a week off while the loser will be left licking their wounds as they join Gladstone and Brothers on the sidelines.
GLENMORE BULLS SEASON REVIEW
The Bulls started the season very promising and firmed alongside Yeppoon as early favorites for the flag after impressive away wins against Panthers and BITS. Sitting at 4 wins and 1 loss after the first round of games everything looked positive for the Bulls. However, a mix of injuries, shift work and some poor form saw the Bulls drop games they should have won and were only able to manage 1 win and a draw from the next round of games. The Bulls were able to put together a much more consistent effort against Panthers in Round 11 as they ran out very convincing 7 goal winners but the form witnessed in that match went missing until Round 15 where they registered a big win over Brothers to give the side some confidence going into the finals. Glenmore finished 3rd after the home and away fixtures with 7 wins 1 draw 7 losses (Points For 1314, Points Against 1123, Percentage 117.01).
BITS SAINTS SEASON PREVIEW
BITS season has resembled that a lot of the Bulls. BITS have put together some vey good and solid performances but have followed them up with some poor efforts as well. Always, considered the league benchmark BITS are always going to be hard to beat when they have a full side on the park. The Saints started the season off in style destroying Panthers at home in the grand final rematch. The Saints then went on to lose to Gladstone, Glenmore and Yeppoon to finish the first round with 2 wins and 3 losses. The season for the Saints revolved around which players were available with shift work playing a big influence and injuries to players didn’t help either. The Saints put together a good performance to beat Glenmore at Stenlake Park in Round 8 with a depleted side and then a good win over Brothers set up their run to the finals. The Saints rounded out the final round of games with 3 good wins and 2 big losses. The Saints finished in 4th after the home and away season with 7 wins and 8 losses (Points For 1325, Points Against 1239, Percentage 106.94) and will be looking to put their big loss to Yeppoon behind them with a win over Glenmore.
RECENT MATCHES
The ledger between the two sides currently sits at 2 – 1 after three matches in favor of BITS with each side having one win each for the season at this weeks venue, Boyne Island Country Club. All games between these sides this season have been decided by less then 3 goals, and if this week’s match is anything like the ones prior we are installed for a close hard fought match to kick off the finals campaign.
Round 5 – BITS Saints 16.8.104 defeated by Glenmore Bulls 16.15.111 @ Boyne Island Country Club.
Round 8 – Glenmore Bulls 8.7.55 defeated by BITS Saints 10.13.73 @ Stenlake Park.
Round 13 - BITS Saints 10.14.74 defeated Glenmore Bulls 9.6.60 @ Boyne Island Country Club.
KEY PLAYERS
With finals footy the flashy stuff goes out the window and it comes down to the team who can win the ball in dispute and who handle the pressure and pace of the game the better that will come out the victor. The Saints are used to finals footy and have players in their side who haven’t missed out in finals footy for over 10 years. This experience will be invaluable however, Glenmore are a much younger side and will look to use their youth to inject pace in the game.
Players to watch for the Saints will be playmakers Dickenson, Caveny and Boase. All these players are key ball winners for the Saints and have great skills. When in the middle of the ground these players are very potent and if Boase gets loose he will hurt the Bulls on the scoreboard. The Bulls will need to stop the influence that Nathan Shipard and Lucas Hall can have on the game up forward and aim to stop their drive when run through the middle of the park. If these two can kick 10 between them it might be too much for the Bulls to catch up.
For the Bulls the players to watch will be their hardball winners Toby Payne, Cameron Imrie and Derek Mangan. These players have the ability to take strong marks but also utilise their bodies at packs and with clean hands will get the ball out to their runners. If there hands are clean keep an eye out for players such as Tyson Payne, Brad Jenkinson and Scott Thomson as they use their run and provide to the Bulls forward line.
MATCH PREDICTION
This match could go either way the side that makes the most of their opportunities will be the side which will come out on top. This game will be a tough physical encounter with goals hard to come by, both sides will look to utilise the breeze early as it drops off in the afternoon. There will be nothing in it at 3 quarter time. The game will be decided by less then 3 kicks with the game going goal for goal in the last quarter until a late break away will see the victors pull clear by 3 goals.
OTHER MATCHES
RESERVE GRADE – Yeppoon Swans vs Glenmore Bulls at 12:30pm.
UNDER 17 – Glenmore Bulls vs Brothers Roo's at 11:00am.
UNDER 15 – BITS Saints vs. Panthers at 9:45 am.
UNDER 13 – Glenmore Bulls vs. Panthers at 8:45am.
Last Modified on 13/08/2009 13:35