In-depth preview of the NFNL Division 3 grand final between Laurimar and Mernda
Key match-ups, players to watch and the coaches’ verdict. Check out our in-depth preview of the NFNL Division 3 grand final between Laurimar and Mernda.
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Do you have to lose one to win one?
An age old question could be answered on Saturday when Laurimar and Mernda clash in the NFNL Division 3 grand final.
The Power are looking for redemption after losing last year’s decider.
The Demons are looking to make it one and done in their first grand final since 2012.
While it matters nought on the day, it’s important to look at a club’s future with promotion on the line.
Both clubs are young, with developing lists, that with the right recruiting can thrive in Division 2 should they earn the chance.
After winning the flag last year, South Morang stepped up superbly having recruited extremely well and finished fourth, winning a final.
Laurimar and Mernda boast an array of young talent surrounded by experienced players and can possibly repeat the Lions’ success.
That future will be shaped by Saturday’s events.
Win and it’s an exciting summer ahead, lose and it’s a long 12 months for another shot.
KEY MATCH-UPS
AIDEN CLARKE v BILLY MORRISON
The ruck battle will be critical to the outcome on Saturday. Clarke will get plenty of help from Josh Leather as they look to quell the influence of arguably the best big man in the comp. Morrison can be neutralised in the middle but his work around the ground is the difference. As a down-the-line marking option or pushing back to intercept, the Demons gun is sure to have a big say.
JACSON CECIL v RILEY VINCENT
Cecil needs to produce if Laurimar is to claim the premiership. The Power spearhead has had a quiet season, kicking just 29 goals, after booting a league-leading 89 last season. However, goals are hard to come by against Vincent who has locked down just about every forward he’s played on this season. Cecil has tallied one goal in the two games he’s played against the Demons this season.
ETHAN BATEMAN v BRYCE KIMULIATIS
At the other end, Kimuliatis threatened to kick a winning score off his own boot early in the qualifying final, booting 3.3 in the first half but once Bateman moved back onto him he managed just one more major. While Bateman did a fine job a fortnight ago, don’t be surprised to see Mitch Lucas trot back to the goalsquare either for another crack at the Demons spearhead.
LUKE WILSON v JOEL HARRIS
Wilson starts so much for Laurimar, whether it be in the contest or around the ground. The Power co-captain helped turn the tide when Mernda stormed home in the final quarter of the qualifying final, taking a potentially goal-saving intercept mark and winning several key possessions. Harris did a fine job in limiting his influence for much of the qualifying final and will get the job again on Saturday. The young Demons is capable of winning his own ball too and will be needed on both sides of the contest.
NOAH MOONEY v KAI TURNER
Turner was sitting on the Mernda bench with ice on his ankle when Mooney produced his match-winning burst in the dying minutes of the qualifying final. Would that have happened with Turner on the ground? Hard to say but the battle between two of the best young players in the competition will have a significant baring on Saturday’s outcome.
X-FACTOR
KAIDEN ARTHUR
The Power livewire is capable of anything. Winning centre clearances, bursting forward and kicking key goals. Laurimar will certainly be hoping it’s the case on Saturday. Arthur was everywhere in the first half of the qualifying final win but faded in the second half. If he can produce a four-quarter performance he could just have a medal around his neck come the end of the day.
MICHAEL EVANS
The Mernda veteran kick-started the Demons fourth-quarter comeback in the qualifying final and backed it up with a best-on-ground performance in the preliminary final. His leadership and experience will be invaluable and his attack on the ball sets the example of his young teammates. When Evans hits the scoreboard it usually bodes well for Mernda.
EXPECTED LINE-UPS
Changes are usually few and far between in grand final week and it looks that way here as well. Mernda has confirmed it will go in unchanged – barring an injuries at Thursday night training – having made just one change for last week’s preliminary final, bringing Shannon Bennett back in. Laurimar, though, is still weighing up its best 22 with coach Jimmy Atkins said there were a couple of “surprise packets” they were looking at. The Power has had a settled line-up in the last month with Aidan Clarke in for Dylan Grattan the only change before the qualifying final and Clarke is a lock.
COACHES’ SAY
Jimmy Atkins (Laurimar): It’s definitely in the midfield (the game will be won). That’s where the battle is won in most games. Obviously, you’ve got your match-ups during the day and you’ve got to win those but it all starts in the midfield. We’ve got Aiden (Clarke) and Josh (Leather) in the ruck, that’s going to be a big battle and we’re backing those to in to give us first use. We leant pretty quick (in the qualifying final) you can’t stop, you’ve got to play four quarters. We know it’s going to be a contest against Mernda, it always is, if you can win those 50-50 battles you can get on top.
Rob Fletcher (Mernda): I think it will be decided in the middle. I thought it was pretty even in there (in the qualifying final) but with our inexperience – I think we were just a bit nervous before the final siren – they got a jump on us and it wasn’t until the fourth quarter we got back on level terms. There were no nerves last week, the boys understood it was just another game. We’ve taken some little things from the first final and the last game we played them in the home-and-away. We tried a few things knowing we’d be playing finals and knowing we’d have to beat Laurimar to win the flag. We’re learning along the way and we’ll have a few new things on Saturday.
VERDICT
This match is a genuine 50-50.
Mernda finished on top of the ladder, Laurimar second, but the Power claimed a nail-biting qualifying final victory by 11 points.
Admittedly, that was only after some late heroics from young gun Noah Mooney after the Demons came from the clouds in the fourth quarter.
You suspect both clubs will have learnt plenty from that match.
Mernda knows it can’t afford to start slowly again and Laurimar knows it has to remain focused for the full 120 minutes.
The deciding factor could be experience
It’s all come in a rush for the Demons this season.
They won seven games and finished sixth last season, above only Reservoir and Lalor.
The club’s group of young guns, combined with some astute additions such as Billy Morrison, have blossomed this year and claimed the minor premiership for the first time since 1997 in an astonishing rise.
Youth knows no fear and having got a finals win under their belt last week against Old Eltham Collegians they will be less nervous than the first week.
In contrast, the Power have been here before, having lost the grand final last season, and the club has shown a natural progression.
It made finals for the first time in 2018 and lost in an elimination final, it finished second in 2019 but went out in straight sets.
It finished second again in 2022, won the qualifying final but lost the grand final and now it’s finished second for a third time, won the qualifying final and has a chance to go one better.
Bottom line … experience counts. LAURIMAR BY 4 POINTS.
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