WATCH THE REPLAYS: Coast League grand finals

Relive the action from three thrilling Football Gold Coast grand finals.

GRAND final day has arrived.

Six teams, three trophies up for grabs and a 90 minutes to make history.

The Gold Coast Bulletin is livestreaming every minute of the action as the Coast League Reserves, Coast League and Gold Coast Premier League grand finals are run and done from the Croatian Sports Centre.

WATCH THE REPLAYS

2pm: Mudgeeraba v Pacific Pines (Coast League Reserves)

4.30pm: Tallebudgera v Nerang (Coast League)

7pm: Palm Beach v Southport (Gold Coast Premier League replay)

Coast’s talismanic striker returns to scene of horrific injury

AS MATT Hilton walks through the gates at the Croatian Sports Centre his eyes immediately drift to the pitch.

To a section of turf about 18 yards out from the clubhouse net, where his world changed in an instant a little over two years earlier.

“It’s my first time playing here since then,” mused the Tallebudgera striker, ahead of Saturday’s Coast League grand final.

September 14, 2019. The day the Gold Coast’s most revered goalscorer was forced to seriously consider his football retirement.

Early in the second half of that season’s Gold Coast Premier League grand final, the then-Burleigh Heads striker collided with Surfers Paradise goalkeeper Tim Warren.

The sickening collision, which forced a half-hour pause to the contest, shattered Hilton’s jaw and knocked four teeth out.

Matt Hilton’s 2019 season was ended with less than a half of football to play after a serious injury during the Gold Coast Premier League grand final. Photo: Brian Monro, Sports-In-Digital.

Burleigh Heads went on to win the match 3-0, but concern mounted for the league’s MVP and golden boot winner.

The former Australian U17s striker and National Soccer League star dropped 10kg over two months, forced onto a diet of pureed food and liquids.

Surgery after surgery followed, with many – Hilton included – wondering if he would ever play football again.

But after taking the 2020 season off to focus on his wedding and event hire business, Hilton returned this year with Coast League newcomers Tallebudgera.

His 39 goals have comfortably netted Hilton the Coast League’s golden boot honours. They also heavily contributed to the Tigers’ impressive 18-1-1 record, making them heavy favourites to take out the coveted championship-premiership double.

To do so, Hilton will have to play through the ghosts of his horror injury. Something he says won’t have an impact on Saturday’s contest.

“Honestly it doesn’t phase me,” Hilton says, absent-mindedly rubbing his jaw.

“I’ve seen the replay of it (but) I don’t quite remember it. I just remember laying there.

“But I’m not too fussed about being back on the same pitch.”

Standing in the way of Tallebudgera’s rags to riches Coast League fairytale story is a plucky young Nerang outfit which has defied all the odds to be in the big dance.

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Fielding a team of mostly teenagers, the Eagles finished third at the end of the regular season and knocked off second-ranked Tweed United to make it to the grand final.

Nerang will enter Saturday’s decider as heavy underdogs but defensive midfielder Amir Ibrahim wouldn’t have it any other way.

“If you look at it then yes (we’re underdogs),” Ibrahim said.

“They’re a very tough team, especially with Matt Hilton and all the history he has here on the Gold Coast. But we’re ready for it. We’ve trained hard for this.”

While Tallebudgera’s side is chock full of finals experience, not a single Nerang player has played in a senior grand final prior to Saturday.

“Every single boy in this team it’s their first senior grand final,” Ibrahim said.

“We are the youngest side in the whole Coast League, maybe one of the youngest sides to ever play in a (senior) Football Gold Coast (competition).

“We’re happy with what we’ve achieved, but we’re not finished.”