St Kevin’s vs Collegians: The Decider

Nick Armistead – @NickArmistead

2017’s top two sides will officially square off in the 2017 William Buck Premier Grand Final this Sunday from Trevor Barker Oval.

St Kevin’s, who have experienced the week’s rest after accounting for University Blues in the second semi-final, will enter the match as slight favourites after spending 13 of a possible 18 weeks on top of the ladder throughout the home and away season. SKOB has never won an A-Grade/Premier flag since entering the VAFA after world War II and this is hands down their best chance to add to their tally of four senior flags with the top gong.

Collegians were forced to double down against both De La Salle and Uni Blues over the past fortnight but secured their richly-deserved grand final spot after accounting for the Blues by 21 points on Sunday. With 19 of the 20 goals kicked for the day to one end, the Lions won the game when they restricted the Blues to just three goals in the third before piling on five unanswered in the final term. Shortlisted Rising Star nominee, Fraser Cameron, was outstanding with a match-winning four goals for the Lions, while Sam Hibbins and Will Johnson continued their elite form from the elimination semi.

Importantly, Lachlan Ferguson returned for the Lions after missing eight games due to an ongoing ankle injury, and he kicked two goals in an encouraging performance. Ferguson’s value to the Lions’ set-up is as important as anyone’s with the star forward showcasing his match-winning tendencies through the first 11 rounds and leading the Woodrow Medal count on 12 votes prior to his injury. The Lions’ offence took a significant hit in Ferguson’s absence and averaged 79.8 points compared to the 90.7 in the first 10 rounds.

Now, we have the elite firepower of St Kevin’s up against the disciplined physicality of Collegians. SKOB’s harassment of the ball carrier against the Lions’ elite run and carry from half back. We quite literally have the two best sides for the duration of the season playing off in the VAFA’s showpiece event.

Head-to-Head

These two sides split the points in their two meetings this year, with the Lions dismantling SKOB by 90 points when they first met in Round 6 under lights at Harry Trott. 35 scoring shots to 15 helped the Lions simply dominate after quarter time, piling on 17 goals to four in the final three terms. Tom Penberthy, Alex Croft, Viv Michie and Kenny Ong were outstanding for the Lions but it was the six-goal haul and three-vote performance from Ferguson which will resonate in the minds of SKOB’s supporters this weekend. His presence alone means SKOB’s strongest small defender will unlikely try and find his own ball, instead focusing his energy on stopping Ferguson. Fast-forward to Round 11 and the second encounter between these two sides when SKOB returned serve with a 47-point victory at St Kevin’s College. Three goals from Ferguson was not enough as Gerard Gleeson and Zach Ginies (six) helped SKOB increase their 11-point three quarter lead with seven goals to one in a dominant fourth.

Danger Forwards: Jay Schulz (43), Zach Ginies (29) and Bill Kanakis (22) vs Lachie Ferguson (28), Bill Riddle (21) and Alex Croft (20)

SKOB has been an offensive juggernaut throughout the season, averaging 105 points per game. Jay Schulz has been at the forefront of the onslaught with 43 goals; including, nine bags of at least three. Ginies is a constant threat up forward if he plays after dislocating his knee in the second semi, while Billy Kanakis is the crafty small forward who can often make something out of nothing. The Lions have offered up a vast array of goal kickers in 2017 as they increased their points average from 64 to 84 over the course of one season. As such, they enjoy spreading the love with Ferguson, Riddle and Croft their only goal kickers over 20, while the dangerous Corey Cassidy has kicked 19.

Set-up Men: Steven Salopek vs Nick Dixon

Salopek was phenomenal across half back in SKOB’s second semi-final win over Blues, marking everything backward of centre and using his elite disposal to kickstart SKOB’s forward thrusts. I would envisage Jake Trotter will reprise his role as number one tagger for the Lions and head straight to Salopek to curb his influence. On the other hand, Dixon will have a monster task of using his first-class foot skills to break down SKOB’s defensive structures across half back but we know he is more than capable following a standout first year for the Lions.

On-Ball Brigade: Anthony Lynch, Gerard Gleeson, Nick Wood, Lachlan Sullivan, Ben Dowd & Mitch Brown vs Tom Penberthy, Sam Hibbins, Courtney Hylton, Kenny Ong & Viv Michie.

Few words need to be spoken about the quality of both midfields as both boast class, physicality and match-winning abilities. Both brigades ooze talent and the most superior midfield on the day will win the match.

The X-Factors: Thomas Jok vs Will Tardif

Jok’s athleticism across half back/wing has been a standout for SKOB this season as the 20-year-old showed poise well beyond his years. We’ve seen it at the highest level of representative football when he kicked two goals and played a leading hand in the Big V’s record-breaking victory over AFL Vic Country, so we can expect something similar on Sunday. Tardif was electrifying in the Lions’ hard-fought elimination final win over De La as he booted five goals; including, two momentum shifters in the second term. He managed just one against the Blues over the weekend but Tardif’s experience at the top level holds him in good stead to turn up and boot a match-winning three or four.