The penultimate game of the 2024 Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 season is set to be an enthralling encounter as Old Paradians clash with Mernda for the second time in three weeks at Lalor Reserve.
Ben Turner’s men head into this clash following their narrow second semi-final defeat to the Fitzroy Stars last Saturday.
At one stage, it appeared that the Stars were heading for a big victory, but Old Paradians booted the last seven majors of the match to see the contest go right down to the wire, before falling short by just six points.
But their strong campaign sees the Raiders earn the right to another chance to progress to their first ever NFNL senior men’s Grand Final.
The Demons produced the only comfortable win in the finals series so far, following a 34-point triumph over Epping on Sunday in a match which ended slightly early due to lightning.
Despite trailing by 27 points against the wind in the first quarter, Mernda controlled the contest from the second term onwards to produce an impressive display.
The preliminary final combatants played just two weeks ago, with the Raiders holding sway for most of the game and then withstanding a late charge to prevail by eight points at Lalor Reserve.
Both this result and the subsequent match outcomes suggest that fans could be in for another thrilling finish.
The line-ups could be slightly different this time, even though their last encounter was just a fortnight ago.
Lachlan Murdoch played in week one of the finals for Old Paradians but is suspended for the rest of the finals series, while noted goal-kicker Lachie Kerr played two weeks ago against Mernda and then was a late withdrawal in last Saturday’s second semi-final defeat.
It’s a similar story with Sean Desmond who would be a welcome inclusion to the Old Paradians backline.
Demons duo Josh Mazzarella and William Crouch didn’t feature for their side two weeks ago, but both performed well against the Blues last weekend, meanwhile Lincoln Coffey and Bryce Kimuliatis both played against the Raiders, but then missed last week.
Old Paradians star Sam Gilmore will resume his battle in the ruck with Mernda’s Billy Morrison and this will be of great interest to the onlookers, and at their feet will be talented midfielders looking to win the clearance battle. Raider Kyle O’Sullivan will be aided by and Joel Tolli as they vie with Josh Mazzarella and experienced campaigner Brent Marshall for supremacy.
Old Paradians coach Ben Turner would love to have two of captain Marcus Nolan, as he is a clever forward who knows where the goals are but can also play out of the centre square. Similarly versatile for the Demons is Joel Harris, who also has the ability to shut down some of the competition’s best midfielders, as showcased over the last year.
Both teams also have multi-pronged attacks which they will hope can be at its best to claim the preliminary final victory.
In the absence of Kimuliatis last week, no fewer than three Demons kicked three goals or more in William Crouch, Christian Evans and Matthew Bawden. William Gilmore will surely get the job on one of the four and Declan Brunskill likely to do the same, while swing man Blair Healy may be required in defence this weekend.
Michael Boundy, Mitch Merkel and Lewis Franz are the tall marking targets for the Raiders and will need close attention, with Shannon Bennett and Dayne Kellett likely to be two of the Mernda defenders assigned to this task.
Kai Turner is another Demons defender who comes into this clash in great form, having been named in his side’s best in four of his last five matches. His intercept marking ability and run and dash off half back looks to be an important factor in his team’s chances of victory.
With the ledger at one win apiece for these two sides in 2024, and a shot at a Grand Final date with Fitzroy Stars up for grabs, expect both teams to put everything on the line this Saturday afternoon.
