Cutthroat clashes

The weather may be fine and the days might be getting longer, with the scent of freshly cut grass on the warm breeze, but don’t be fooled – this time of year is brutal and unforgiving. It’s finals time in the Ovens and King Football Netball League, and the road to premiership glory kicks off across Saturday at North Wangaratta and Sunday at Whorouly with elimination finals. For half of the teams taking to the field and court this weekend, their seasons will be harshly and suddenly killed off in front of them. Put a single toe wrong, lose focus for a millisecond, and you’re done. In senior football, Milawa and Bonnie Doon will have the first opportunity to claim a kill, going head-to-head on Saturday. Thanks to their third-place finish to the home and away season, as well as a 93-point demolition job against the same opponent just last week, the Demons enter as hot favourites, but Milawa coach Matt Graham said their recent performance wouldn’t mean they were guaranteed the same result against the Bombers this weekend. “We looked at it [last week’s match] like it was the first leg of a two-leg playoff,” he said. “We know as soon as we get to North Wang’s ground, it’s going to be a completely different team for four quarters of football. “Finals football, once it’s on, that switch flicks for every team, so you can’t be off at all. “We’re not expecting a walkover at all, we know they had a couple of players resting at the end of the game, so they’ll have some more in the tank to give.” Milawa’s reserves take on North Wangaratta in the midday clash, and will hope to inspire their senior counterparts with a strong performance. The battle rolls on into Sunday, when Whorouly and Goorambat will take to the field at Whorouly Recreation Reserve, hoping to keep the dream alive. They’ve had some incredible clashes this season, from the Bats’ heroic last quarter comeback in round nine, to the Lions statement of intent in the round 16 return fixture. It’s the first time we’ve seen the men in maroon in the postseason since 2019, a six-year absence which coach Michael Newton said was far too long. “Everyone around the club is just pumped and really looking forward to the opportunity,” he said. “Since I took over, I wanted us to be competitive in both grades, but to put together the last few weeks of footy that we have, getting healthy at the right time, it’s a big plus. “We’ve got Josh [Newton] and Andy [Newton] coming back, it sounds like Ollie [Dixon] is going to be right to play reserves - there are not too many guys out injured at the moment, which is pleasing for a coach, but it doesn’t make selection any easier at all.” Newton said finals were a different beast from a regular home and away game, but limiting the Bats’ key players would be vital. “They’ve got some quality players across the ground,” he said. “Jamie Dunne, I believe he had 15 clearances the last time we played them, he gets a bit of the footy in the back half of the ground, and they’ve got some dangerous forwards in [Duane] Haebich, and [Rhys] Goodley can take a grab. “It’ll be interesting to see how we go, because finals are a completely different game. “The grass smells a bit different, it does weird and wonderful things to a lot of people. “It’s depending on which team settles and gets their game going, because there are going to be parts of the game where both teams are going to have momentum swings – it’s going to be a matter of which team’s able to settle quickest.” The Lions’ reserves will be in action from 12pm, taking on Bonnie Doon’s twos for the first time since the opening round of the year. Finals football is here, with games slated for North Wangaratta on Saturday and Whorouly on Sunday.

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