BUNDOORA v HEIDELBERG – Saturday @ Preston City Oval
They say death and taxes are the two certainties in life. You can also add a third item to the list – Bundoora and Heidelberg meeting in a Northern Football League finals series.
As has become custom in recent times, the Bulls and Tigers reacquaint themselves on the big stage on Saturday afternoon when they kick off the 2013 Division 1 final series at Preston City Oval.
Neither has been at its absolute dominant best throughout the home and away season but, such has been the evenness in the top flight this year, both are genuine contenders to take out this season’s premiership.
Bundoora finished the regular season in second place, thanks largely to a comeback win over Northcote Park in Round 18. Needing to win to secure a double chance, the Bulls rallied from six goals behind to win by 41 points.
Under new coach Phil Plunkett, a three-time premiership winner at Heidelberg, the Bulls again made Yulong Reserve a fortress this year. Eight wins from nine home games contributed largely to the side’s top-two finish.
Only Montmorency scored more points than the Bulls this year, with Cameron Cloke (81 goals) and Gary Moorcroft (65 goals) again dominant inside forward 50m – finishing first and second on this year’s goal kicking table. Meantime, James Lord has ably stepped into the third tall forward roll left by departed former club champion Paul Harrison.
Chris Varsamakis has fitted in soundly to Plunkett’s line-up, while fellow recruit Ricky Dyson’s foot skill will prove a factor on the bigger surrounds at Preston City Oval.
Down back, Trent Barbero, Ben Shelton and Neil Gloury continue to get the job done, while Brent Marshall has been a revelation since moving into defence this season.
With key players returning from injury at the right time of the season, Heidelberg has hit its straps in the past two weeks and heads into the finals arguably in season-best touch.
Recruits Jamie Allan and Mark Lynch may well be fighting it out for the Tigers’ best and fairest award in their first year at the club, while Chaz Sargeant leads the team’s goal tally.
The return of Justin Murphy has provided greater versatility with the multiple premiership winner still a class act in defence or up forward, as displayed by his six-goal haul against Eltham last week.
Club champions Blair Harvey, Danny Nolan and Michael Finn continue to get the job done wherever required, while Mark Favrin may again prove to be the X-factor on the finals stage.
Another solid contributor this year has been the unheralded Michael Brunelli who has locked down on the opposition’s best players with minimal fuss each week.
Honours are shared at one apiece following two meetings this year, and a chance to take on minor premier Montmorency in the second semi final is the prize for the winner on Saturday.
NORTHCOTE PARK v ELTHAM – Sunday @ Preston City Oval
Reigning premier Northcote Park makes its much anticipated return to Preston City Oval on Sunday when it takes on Eltham in the elimination final.
As it did when it went on to claim the 2012 premiership, Northcote Park finished the home and away season in fourth place and will again have to win four consecutive finals to defend its title.
The Cougars have been somewhat of an enigma in 2013. Their best is as good as, if not better, than any team in the league – however a 2-4 record against top three sides suggests they have struggled against the competition’s best this year.
Injuries have played their part in the side not quite reaching its optimum level, with Paul Scanlon and Mitch Papas missing large chunks of the season, while recruited ruckman Jai Middleton has not played a senior game since Round 8.
Throw in the departures of Anthony Hogan and the versatile Narby Kelly and the Cougars are a vastly different side to the one that took all before them last September.
The flip side has been the ability to blood quality youngsters, with the likes of Joel Donaldson, Harley Short, James Hodder and Kane Slater all playing senior football throughout the year.
Despite missing the double chance, Northcote Park remains right in the premiership race and all sides inside the top three will be wary of taking on the Cougars on the vast expanses of Preston City Oval.
With players of the ilk of Bronik Davies, Doug Morris, Nick Carter and Ben McNiece, plus the emergence of Brock McLennan and Daniel Ledda and continued improvement of Patrick O’Connell – the Cougars have enough star quality to repeat their efforts of last year.
Eltham scraped into its first finals series since 2010 despite a huge loss at Heidelberg last week
With eight wins in the regular season, the Panthers finished four games behind Northcote Park– winning only one of eight games against top four sides in 2013.
Despite the Round 18 loss to the Tigers, Eltham had a promising final month of the year after its finals shot looked shot with four games remaining. Big wins against fellow final hopefuls Greensborough and Macleod were followed by its best performance in years when it comfortably beat Bundoora in Round 17.
The Panthers are slowly getting their best team on the park at the right time of year, with Jackson Weatherald last week returning from a long injury layoff, while skipper Paul Currie and Brendan O’Sullivan are expected to be passed fit for this week’s do-or-die final.
Young gun James Kroussoratis has had a sensational debut year. A member of Northcote Park’s under-19 premiership in 2012, he has been a revelation since moving to the forward line, booting 26 goals in the past seven matches.
Northcote Park has comfortably won both encounters between the sides in 2013, with the Panthers’ last win over the Cougars the famous victory in Round 18, 2010.
