Adelaide Footy League Focus on Furniture Division 2 finals week one preview
IT IS finals time in division two and expect some fireworks.
AFTER a highly competitive regular season the second-tier competition, we have finally reached the real action which will intensify even further.
In the finish, there were no last-round changes to ladder positions, including the top five.
The result was Scotch OC and Pembroke OS will be relegated to division three.
While minor premier Henley has taken all before it in the lead-up to the finals and most believe that it will simply carry on towards the flag, its opponent in the grand final is wide open to any of the other top five clubs.
The first week of the finals will be an intriguing one that will set the tone for an enthralling month of football.
The Sharks, who earnt the first week of finals off for finishing top, will be resting any weary and battle-hardened bodies but this week’s contenders will not get that opportunity.
Athelstone hosts PHOS Camden at Max Amber Sportsfield in an enticing qualifying final and Gaza will entertain Sacred Heart OC in the elimination final at Klemzig Oval on Saturday.
Although they were defeated on their last trip to Athelstone in round 12, the Phantoms will not be daunted by this week’s away encounter.
The home side got off to a flying start on that occasion leaving PHOS Camden in its wake until the visitors found a new gear in last quarter to pile on seven goals to two before succumbing by just 13 points.
The Phantoms won their initial contest in round three by 23 points at Camden Oval.
Key players for them on Saturday will be Harry Young, Ryan Reavley, Orry Cross, Aaron Bergsma and Mark Ruwoldt, who just did as was required to beat Broadview by only two goals in the final minor round of the season last week.
The Raggies were more comfortable in defeating Old Ignatians by 35 points and Justin Sheedy, Jonte Bates, Christian Elliott, Aaron Stewart and Chris Lodovici will be hoping to make their opposition’s stopover similarly challenging again this week.
The two knockout finalists also split their results during the normal season but most significant to this week is their clash at Klemzig Oval of which the Eagles recorded a decisive 36-point home victory.
Gaza’s James Mapstone, Spyro Dinedios, Sam Fulton, Ben Beioley and Daniel Lee saw what is needed to match the division’s frontrunner last week, going down by a spirited 23 points, and if they can replicate that then SHOC won’t be a problem for them on Saturday.
Tristian Carcuro, Matthew Delemenico, Nick Forster, Peter Spurling and Taylor Angel from Sacred Heart OC is unlikely to just hand it to the Eagles though and warmed up nicely with a confident 82-point triumph over Pembroke OS last week.
Their assertiveness from the outset this week will be crucial to gaining a favourable outcome and surviving at least another week.
However, whichever way the tide sways, the close competition we have seen throughout the year
should continue during this highly anticipated finals series.