Bombers and Bats brace for battle

AT long last, the Ovens and King finals are here and for sides like Bonnie Doon and Goorambat, it's been a fair while between drinks. The Bombers last graced the finals stage in 2016, while the Bats made it to the semis in 2017, but after tomorrow's elimination final at Tarrawingee, one team will advance and one won't. After falling from their top two position last weekend, Bonnie Doon coach Ken Murray said the fire was in his boys' bellies to start winning finals. "We had our couple of years' worth of no wins and thumpings, so it's good to get back to a position where we're at least at the final end of the year and we need to win every game from here on in to stay alive," he said. "That's a challenge, we got ourselves in that situation and we've got to embrace it and try and bring our best game. "We were disappointed to finish third, we had a home game against Bright, we thought we had a good chance at beating them, we matched up really well with them last time and were disappointed to lose. "The boys have been really consistent, so we just hope they're in the mood to bounce back this weekend." Bonnie Doon and Goorambat have had some close matches this year, with each siding beating the other so far, meaning tomorrow's final will determine once and for all which side is truly stronger. "I think both teams have got pretty good forward halves, both sides are going to have good midfield groups, so for me, I think the team that defends the best might be the one that could get the advantage," Murray said. "I get the feeling it could come down to the back ends and who gets the job done there. "Of all the teams that are in the six, it wouldn't be a monstrous surprise if any of those teams beat any other." Goorambat co–coach Jared Brennan said his side was aiming to bounce back from what he called a disappointing end of the season. "To be fair, we probably haven't finished off the second half of the year as well as what we would've liked," he said. "We have shown in games we are well and truly good enough, and in other instances we've probably slumped down to the oppositions' level, and once or twice it's cost us. "Finals are a totally different game, a different venue, so we're in with a bit of confidence. "At the end of the day, we've earned the right to play in the finals – anything's possible from here." Bonnie Doon and Goorambat face off tomorrow at the Tarrawingee Recreation Reserve in their elimination final from 2pm, following the reserves final between Milawa and Tarrawingee.

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