AFTER 14 home and away rounds and two weeks of finals, the 2015 WaterMarc NFL Junior Grand Final Week is upon us, with 25 premiership deciders to take place across the Northern Football League.
In the Under-18 Girls competition, Montmorency takes on Darebin. The Magpies topped the ladder with a 12-1 record throughout the home and away season, before taking a 52-point win from their second semi final clash against Epping a fortnight ago. The Magpies this week meet their only conqueror in 2015, with Darebin a five-point winner when the sides met in Round 12. After a third-place finish to the regular season, the Falcons have been forced to take the long route to the Grand Final. They comfortably beat Greensborough in week one of the finals, before overcoming Epping by 15 points in last week’s preliminary final.
The Under-17 Blue Grand Final will also be played out between sides who finished first and third on the home and away ladder, with South Morang set to take on Mill Park. After claiming the minor premiership, the Lions took the short route to the Grand Final by accounting for Eltham by 21 points in the second semi final. Mill Park beat Montmorency by four goals in the first semi final, before upsetting the Panthers last week in a 31-point result, that was set-up in a five-goal to nil first quarter. South Morang was a 29-point victor the last time these sides met in Round 8.
After dominating the home and away season, Whittlesea and Epping meet in the Grand Final of the Under-17 Red competition. The Eagles have lost just one match all season – that being a four-point defeat at the hands of Epping in Round 7 – and come in to the premiership decider with an eight-game winning streak. They were 34 points too good for the Blues in the second semi final two weeks ago. Epping responded to that loss with a massive win over Wallan last Sunday, aided by a seven-goal to one opening term at Eltham Central Park.
After going through the entire Under-16 Blue season undefeated, South Morang will have one final hurdle to jump over when it takes on Epping in this week’s Grand Final. The Lions have taken all before them in 2015, winning all 15 of the matches they have played so far. Epping, however, has proven a difficult opponent to beat throughout the season and is not without a chance of causing an upset. The Blues progressed to the Grand Final on the back of a tight nine-point win over Wallan in last week’s preliminary final, coming from behind after trailing at half time.
The Under-16 Red Grand Final will be contested between Research and Greensborough. Despite five wins separating the sides on the ladder at the conclusion of the home and away season, this has all the bearings of being a thriller. Research finished the regular season with a 12-2 record and claimed a 23-point win over Eltham in the second semi final. Greensborough, who finished the regular season with a 7-7 record, progressed to the Grand Final on the back of successive finals wins over Montmorency and Eltham. Greensborough was victorious in its last outing against Research, winning a low-scoring contest by 12 points in Round 12.
The best two sides from the home and away season meet in the Under-15 Blue premiership decider, with South Morang and Montmorency locking horns. The Magpies finished the regular season two games clear at the top of the ladder, however it was the Lions who were 47-point winners when they played in the second semi final. Montmorency responded emphatically last Sunday to book the second spot in the Grand Final, courtesy of a big win over Whittlesea.
West Preston-Lakeside and Research meet in the Under-15 Red Grand Final. The Roosters enjoyed a break last week after advancing directly through to the premiership decider, courtesy of a 25-point win over Epping in the second semi final. Research caused an upset last week when it beat Epping by 14 points and will be looking for a repeat performance when it comes up against the competition’s minor premier. West Preston-Lakeside won the last match between the two back in Round 11.
Epping and Diamond Creek Womens Blue take each other on in the Under-15 Girls Blue Grand Final. Epping upset the previously undefeated Diamond Creek Womens outfit in the second semi final, kicking away in the second quarter and holding on for an eight-point win. Diamond Creek Womens responded in style last week, booting six goals to one after half time to beat West Preston-Lakeside by 48 points. A great contest is expected in this week’s Grand Final.
The Under-15 Girls Red premiership decider will be played out between neighbours Montmorency and Greensborough, and if there last match is anything to go by – we’re in for a thriller. Montmorency took the short route into this week’s decider by defeating Eltham by nine points two weeks ago, while Greensborough has beaten both Diamond Creek Womens Red and the Panthers to progress to the big stage. Greensborough was also victorious in its last match against Montmorency, beating the Magpies by a single point in Round 11.
The two standout sides in Under-14 Blue will meet for premiership glory, with South Morang taking on Whittlesea. The sides lost just three games combined in the home and away season, finishing well clear of the pack. South Morang was a big winner in the second semi final, booting 16 goals to Whittlesea’s six in a strong victory. The Eagles were able to bounce back in a tight preliminary final last Sunday, outlasting Mill Park by 21 points at Barling Reserve to book their place in this week’s Grand Final.
In the Under-14 Red Grand Final Epping will play Mernda. Epping has lost just one game all season, with that defeat coming back in Round 6 when it was upset by Bundoora Park. The Blues won a one-point thriller over West Preston-Lakeside to advance to the premiership decider. After beating Diamond Creek by five points in the opening week of the finals, Mernda was again victorious last week in a 45-point result over the Roosters. Matches between Epping and Mernda have been tight all season, with the Blues winning their previous two encounters by just three and four points.
The Under-14 Green Grand Final sees undefeated Northcote take on Wallan. Northcote has won 13 consecutive games heading into the premiership decider and was a 58-point winner in its last clash with the Magpies in Round 14. Wallan, however, does take good form into this week’s game having comfortably accounted for Panton Hill in the first semi final before causing an upset to defeat Research by 12 points in last week’s preliminary final at Lalor Reserve.
Good luck to all sides competing in the WaterMarc NFL Junior Grand Finals this Sunday!
