Finals set for SaturdayALYANGULA Swans have snatched the Grooyte Eylandt Football League's first minor premiership from Umbakumba Lions by mere percentage following the league's final home-and-away round at the weekend.
And the competition's leading goalkicker could only look on from the sidelines as others tried to win the inaugural award as his team had a final-round bye.
On Saturday, the plucky Swans put the Angurugu Crocs to the sword, winning 18.4 (112) to 7.9 (51), while the Lions did likewise to the Umbakumba Roos, 19.14 (128) to 3.5 (23).
The Swans and Lions ended the regular season on an equal win-loss ratio (6-2) and premiership points (32*) but the Alyangula team's percentage was superior to the Lions' (183.47 to 171). * Each team was awarded 2pts for a bye.
But it could all come to nothing for either side because the GEFL's finals is the cut-throat version: win and you go through to the grand final, or lose and your season is over.
The league ladder of the five-team competition at the end of the regular season is Swans (32), Lions (32), Tigers (5-3, 28), Crocs (3-5, 20) and Umbakumba Roos (0-8, 8).
Which means, on Saturday, the first-placed Swans play the fourth-placed Crocs, and the second-placed Lions play the third-placed Tigers, with the winners to play each other in the grand final on Sunday, September 20, and the losers to contemplate what went wrong.
While the minor premiers Swans hold a 2-0 record over the Crocs this season, the Lions and Tigers have a win each from their two matches.
Meanwhile, the Tigers' Nevill Nunggumajbarr's 22 goals this season saw the forward claim the GEFL's first leading goalkicker award. But Nunggumajbarr was powerless to add to his tally with his side having the bye at the weekend; however, his closest rival, Carl Lalara from the Crocs, could only manage just the one goal at the weekend to take his tally to 21. The Swans' Matt Jones was third with 18 majors this season.
This weekend's finals matches times are: Lions v Tigers at 5pm; Swans v Crocs at 7pm, and both are at Alyangula Town Oval.
The GEFL medal count/presentation will be held on Friday, September 18, at the Angurugu Town Oval stage, starting at 6.30pm.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Last Modified on 15/09/2009 19:28