NFL 2018: West Preston-Lakeside not out of Division 1 race despite qualifying final loss
WEST Preston-Lakeside will take heart from reigning premier Bundoora’s loss in the opening week of last year’s finals series as it plots to end the Bulls’ flag defence on Sunday.
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WEST Preston-Lakeside will take heart from reigning premier Bundoora’s loss in the opening week of last year’s finals series as it plots to end the Bulls’ flag defence on Sunday.
The Roosters played their get out of jail free card in the Division 1 qualifying final, held goalless after halftime in a 12.4 (76) to 5.14 (44) defeat by North Heidelberg on Saturday.
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Bundoora finished second on the ladder last year and went down by two points against Northcote Park in week one of finals.
But the Bulls responded with successive victories over Greensborough, Northcote Park and Macleod to claim the Northern Football League premiership.
“We actually spoke about that after the game,” Roosters coach Rob Maiorana said.
“The way you get to your final destination point doesn’t really matter.
“It’s just making sure you get there. We won’t take the direct route in but we are still alive.”
The Bulls progressed to the second week of this year’s finals with a 48-point win over Greensborough on Sunday, booking a knockout semi-final against West Preston.
The Roosters can ill afford to be as wasteful as they were against the Bulldogs, logging three more scoring shots but losing by 32 points.
“We’d had 10 more scoring shots in the (first) half,” Maiorana said.
“We thought the game was played on our terms.
“We just didn’t capitalise and kept North Heidelberg in the game.”
After leading by 10 points at halftime, West Preston conceded five third-quarter goals to trail by 21 points at the last break.
Two goals from Brent Harvey were enough for North Heidelberg to ice a convincing win as the Roosters went more than an hour without registering a goal.
“We’re going to activate that double chance and go again,” Maiorana said.
“It will be another tough challenge. I’ve said all year all five teams that make the finals are quality sides.”
West Preston-Lakeside will be sweating on the fitness of key midfielder Ozgur Uysal, who was forced from the field with concussion on Saturday.
“We will do the right thing by him, see how he pulls up, recovers and how he is feeling,” Maiorana said.
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