PREMIER PLAY-OFFS

PREMIER
University Blues will need to shake off the cobwebs of the last month to win their second straight over De La Salle on Sunday. Last time they met, there was no stopping the Varsity, who handed it out to the Dees, but lost Andrew Lowcock to a collar bone injury. Injury has at times threatened to derail Blues’ season, but they will go in to the weekend at, or nearly at, full strength. Dave Madigan’s team is similarly stocked, and there even an extra couple or few who need to be squeezed into the twenty-two.
Who will win? Sportscover Arena is in better nick than most grounds and will be a good track, unless it rains heavily in the lead-up. The better the conditions, the better chance for De La Salle, with their relentless running game and slick skills. Uni Blues will win the ruck, with Jack Watts and Tim Muhlebach a fine pair, but then it will be up to the smaller men who surround them. Neither team lacks class in this department, De La has David Lowe, Jake Gotch and Aaron Shields and speedsters such as Michael Stinear and Sam Williams to drive them forward. Blues have the tireless Mark Paterson and the skilful Charlie Slattery, Ben McConnell and Dave Gregory. Then there’s Dan Nicholson.
Season points for and against tell us that De La’s defence is the stronger, and Uni Blues attack the greater. Somehow, I don’t buy that. To me, the Dees look more dangerous up front, with Pickett, Oakley, Harrison, Duggan (if selected) and a host of others who can draw the calicos. John Kanis’ team needs goals from Lowcock, Gleeson and Chadwick and some grabs from big Ed Clark. Both of these teams can build attack from defence and their running midfielders are crucial as link men.
There’s really nothing in this to point to a winner. One team, a very good team, will be shaking heads in disbelief on Monday morning, musing over the unfairness of doing most things right in a year only to have the others above them do the same. The winner will go to the Preliminary Final, and maybe beyond. There’s not a great deal between this classy final four, which will become just a Terrific Three by 5pm Sunday. I suspect it might be the Varsity who miss out.
PREMIER B
Fraser Cameron reports: As so we now move onto the First Semi Final, on a vastly improved Sportscover Arena surface where the winner books themselves a place in the Preliminary final in 2 weeks’ time, whilst for the loser, it’s ‘curtains’.
During the regular season, they split their matches 1-1, both wins coming on the road. Both sides boast quality firepower up forward and a classy midfield, and I daresay the winner will look back on the effort of their defensive six as the key to moving one step closer to promotion.
For the Hoers, the likes of Low, Geischen, Greer and Bence will be keen to feed off the ruckwork of Butler and Bolzan. Up forward, Weatherly and Delmonte will prove a handful for the Blacks key defenders, and a daresay this is where the game will be won.
For the Blacks, Walsh is critical as he will take one of the power forwards, and Lacey, Richardson and Matt O’Hara will hope to run the Hoers off their feet. If Bolton and Foster get off the leash one-out, then look out.
This is a real hard one to pick, as the Hoers were the form team until Carey took over, and the Blacks similarly suffered a mid-season slump before hitting their straps in the past month. It’s a real flip of the coin, and it has fallen on the Hoers’ side.
Old Ivanhoe by 8 points.
PREMIER C
Di Langton says:
Saturday’s second semi at Trevor Barker Oval will have an electric atmosphere. Beauy locals will turn out in droves alongside the Caulfield faithful whose Magoos play too. The Jackas and Wellers will be there for a look-see too. Head to head this year they’re even. In R5, the Fields had a four goal victory at home, the return bout at Banksia in R12 was a much tighter tussle that saw the Sharks reign by 13 points. Beaumaris are the 2010 PC minor Premiers and deservedly so. Coach Jason Mifsud has successfully woven a tight and cohesive unit that plays, without doubt, for each other. They have created opportunities and snatched victories because of their flexibility and spirit. Steve Lawrence on the other hand, has all the ingredients at his disposal. Gone is the spectre of last year; season 2010 has seen more light and shade for the Fields who are playing for the here and now. As linchpins go, Gav Winter’s return may be the crucial element. This will be an emotional, meaningful victory not just for a GF berth. It’ll be a dire fight for promotion, for respect, for salvation. And it won’t come easy or cheaply: in a crunching physical battle that goes down to the wire, I’m tipping Caulfield by a kick.
Sunday’s first semi between AJAX and Old Camberwell will also have that romantic carnival atmosphere only finals footy brings. Killer may be a pragmatist, but he’s a sly old fox with a trick or two up his sleeve. His Wellers aren’t just making up the numbers; they notched a three goal win over the Jackas just a month ago and have a number of match-winning livewires in their ranks such as Jack Duke, Jack Le Cerf and the man-mountain himself, captain Carlyle if he’s on song. Bernie Sheehy on the other hand is a master strategist, his unorthodoxy is renowned and he has assembled, arguably, the premier backline in the competition. Jason Ritterman is a late-season bonus and this game will have it all: tactics, intellect, big-bodied strength and finesse as 2010 Sharpshooter David Fayman (57) returns to the baby-faced ranks of Lew, Lewski, Ludski, et al. Another not-to-be-missed spectacle, this sudden-death drama will be a full four quarter extravaganza …and the Jackas will live to fight another day.