St Mary’s has romped into the Heidelberg Golf Club Division 1 Grand Final following a 62-point win over Eltham last Sunday at La Trobe University.
On a day where conditions were tricky for football, the Burra did it with relative ease as both their offensive and defensive prowess was on display.
The first half was the tussle that many pundits would have come to expect, as St Mary’s missed some opportunities kicking 2.5 to Eltham’s 1.0 in the first term. As both sides adjusted to conditions in the second it was the Burra which led by 23 points at the main break.
The third term was where the game really broke open – five unanswered goals the way of the minor premiers blew the margin out to 56 points at three-quarter time, all but guaranteeing St Mary’s would be progressing to the grand final.
Eltham did manage to kick a couple of last-quarter goals to get their side of the scoreboard moving, but it was a tough day for the Panthers who will need to re-group quickly in preparation for a preliminary final against last year’s grand finalist Montmorency.
The stars for St Mary’s were instrumental across the afternoon – Emmison Zealley, Kiara Delia and Megan Girolami with her four goals were the Burra’s best along with three goals each to Jaydah Hope and Sarah Johnston.
Brianna Cowley, Abbey Vaughan and Jordan Kelly were Eltham’s best and Emily Wunderlich kicked two of her side’s three goals to continue her good form from the week prior.
Montmorency survived a low-scoring heart stopper semi final against Banyule, with the Magpies hanging on by a solitary point to book their place in next weekend’s preliminary final.
Conditions were tough for both sides and they struggled to make an impact with just four goals kicked for the match. The Bears had their noses in front at the last change, leading by eight points and probably knowing that a goal or two may be enough to seal the result.
But Montmorency lifted in the final term, making the most of their time in forward half with 1.3 while holding Banyule scoreless. The most thrilling moment of the match came in the final seconds, when a hurried kick out of a pack in Banyule’s attacking 50 landed in the arms of Bear Lily Goodison as the siren sounded. But the kick was touched off the boot and the umpire waved off the mark, seeing the Magpies keep their season alive.
Tara Donnan, Athanasia Patroungas, Isobel Shaw and Kira Lemire were crucial for Montmorency across the afternoon and the Magpies will be hoping to turn the tables on Eltham after the Panthers beat them by 48 points in the qualifying final.
Mackenzie Prentice, Caity Sier, Heidi Cummins and Annabel Goodison were the best for Banyule who can be proud of their efforts and have plenty to build on in 2027.
Heidelberg Golf Club Division 1 – Finals Week Three
Semi Final
Eltham vs Montmorency – Sunday 16 August, 2.15pm at Tony Sheehan Oval, La Trobe University
This match will be live streamed on Sportscast Australia.
