William Buck Premier Men’s Prelim Final Preview: St Kevin’s vs Old Scotch

And then there were three… Let’s take a closer look at the Preliminary Final that will determine Old Brighton’s opponent in the 2024 William Buck Premier Men’s Grand Final next Friday.

PRELIMINARY FINAL – ST KEVIN’S vs OLD SCOTCH (Saturday 2.30pm – Elsternwick Park)

The Tonners, SKOB & Cardinals have been the three standout teams this season. All have been premiership favourites and beaten the other two, reinforcing just how closely matched they are and that the result on any given day depends squarely on who executes best in the moment.

That was Old Brighton last week as SKOB went agonisingly close to their sixth straight Premier Men’s Grand Final, only to fall to a last-gasp Sam Flockart goal in a classic Second Semi-Final that saw the Tonners progress straight through to the premiership decider.

At the same time, Old Scotch impressively ended Collegians’ premiership defence to win through to their first Premier Men’s Preliminary Final since returning to the top flight in 2018.

Both Preliminary Finalists know their best is good enough to get the job done, given St Kevin’s won a 2-point thriller at Camberwell in Round 7, while Old Scotch ran rampant in their 48-point win over SKOB at TH King in Round 15.

Both teams have dangerous forwards who can quickly take a big game by the scruff of the neck.

Patty Kerr has enjoyed a brilliant season (53 goals) and looms large in this game. If he has a big impact, SKOB are well on their way towards another Grand Final. But if the Cards defence can keep him relatively quiet, they will likely be in the box seat.

Sam Tucker has ably supported Kerr (26 goals). Both are potential match-winners and clearly the two most important avenues to goal for SKOB. Cards coach Mark Gnatt will have spent plenty of time working through scenarios to try and minimise their impact this week.

Old Scotch, however, tends to score more by committee, as evidenced by their spread of goalscorers this season—Ryan Valentine (32 goals), Will Clark (26), James Tarrant (21), and Angus Symons (20) can all be difference-makers in a well-balanced Old Scotch attack.

Which forward line kicks their team to victory will likely depend on which midfield provides the superior supply.

These are 2 of the Top 3 Disposal teams in the competition so both like to control the football and deny the opposition.

SKOB will be hoping to gain a slight edge on the inside around first possession and clearance through 200-gamer Billy Coates & Luke Winter, while the Cardinals will be trying to gain an advantage on the outside when the ball clears the congestion via their fleet of elite midfield runners.

It promises to be a fascinating tactical battle between two teams boasting talent, strength and experience all over the field.

Will it be a sixth consecutive Grand Final for St Kevin’s or can Old Scotch end their streak and write some history of their own?

Join us from 1.45pm Saturday for every moment of ST KEVIN’S vs OLD SCOTCH with our LIVE STREAM on KOMMUNITY TV & RADIO COVERAGE on the SEN app, SEN.com.au & VAFA.com.au

And if you’re heading to the game, take your earbuds or headphones and enjoy our coverage in REAL-TIME on your phone via SEN STADIUM on the SEN app!