By KRISTEN ALEBAKIS - Division 3 Seniors
NORTH Sunshine can be forgiven for thinking they had earned a spot in the Division 3 Senior finals when the siren sounded at the weekend.
The Roadrunners had just defeated ladder-leaders Parkside and looked headed towards a finals berth, but to their dismay, Sunshine Heights had also upset the Wyndham Suns, which meant the Dragons had snagged fourth spot on the ladder.
North Sunshine’s blistering third quarter was what sealed the win over the Magpies, the Roadrunners kicked four goals to two in the term.
Troy Smith was the star up forward, he ended up with five goals, while Brad Dick also kicked three.
North Sunshine’s defence was also crucial, they kept Magpies forward Jason Cloke to just three goals for the match. He ends the home and away season having kicked 110 goals.
The Dragons also held on to defeat a fast finishing Wyndham Suns, the final score 8.8. (56) to 6.10. (46).
Matthew Gauci was named best on ground for Sunshine Heights, he kicked three goals.
Suns star Rhys Bucktin bagged four goals, while Simon Nahyna also played well.
Tarneit will also head into finals full of confidence after they defeated Laverton by 117-points at Wootten Road Reserve.
The Titans had the perfect start to their game, kicking 12 unanswered goals in the first half. It was more of the same in the second half, with Tarneit kicking 11 goals to four.
Aaron Molivas and Chris Benson combined for 10 goals for the home side.
This weekend marks the first week of Senior Finals. Parkside will take on the Wyndham Suns in the Second Semi Final at Dempster Park on Saturday.
Tarneit will go head-to-head with Sunshine Heights in the first Semi Final on Sunday.
MAGPIES AND TITANS READY TO FACE-OFF
By BEN CARDWELL
IT was the final round of the WRFL season this week, and as we approach the finals the season’s two key favourites assured a strong positon to claim the reserves premiership, while the lower sides prepared for their Mad Monday festivities.
This season’s minor premiers, Parkside, claimed the accolade with a 134-point drubbing of North Sunshine at Dempster Park.
The Roadrunners stood no chance as the Magpies piled on seven goals in the first term and already held a 70-point lead at half-time. But the highlight of the game came from Matthew Radziejewski, who kicked a stunning 12 goals and stole the season’s leading goal kicker award.
Tarneit finished off the home-and-away season with a resounding 130-win on Saturday, demolishing Laverton and keeping their strong form for the run into the finals.
Samuel Ingham took his season goal tally past the half-century with a four-goal bag, with teammate Bryce Macartney also slotting four.
Tarneit and Parkside have been stand-outs all year, and the two sides will take each other on next week for a trip straight to the Grand Final. These two teams meant in the same situation last season, and subsequently played off for the premiership as well, so they’ll be no love lost between the sides on Saturday.
The other two finalists, the Wyndham Suns and Sunshine Heights, will play in an elimination in the second fixture of the finals series. The victor from this game will come up against the loser of Parkside and Tarneit, where the second Grand Final place will be decided.
In a warm up (or perhaps a preview) to this important match, the Suns hosted the Dragons in their last game of the season last weekend. A late push from Heights saw them get within a goal of the third-place Suns, but Wyndham showed class and kicked away to take it out to a four-goal win.
Dillon Hinge was immense for the Suns yet again, while his teammate David Innella slotted a game-high three goals.
Last Modified on 21/08/2017 18:51