Airport West finals dream stays alive with win over Avondale Heights in EDFL

AIRPORT West kept its finals hopes alive by becoming just the second team to defeat Avondale Heights in the Essendon District Football League this season.

FIVE weeks ago, Airport West coach Adam Contessa said every match for the remainder of the season would be a “cutthroat” contest for his side as far as finals are concerned.

The Eagles slipped up the following weekend, going down to Keilor by six points, but boast an unblemished record since.

Airport West’s latest scalp was arguably its biggest, Contessa’s men handing Avondale Heights just its second defeat of the season on Saturday.

That result has set the scene for a huge finals-shaping match against fourth-placed Aberfeldie in Essendon District Football League Premier Division this weekend, the winner to sit one game clear inside the top four while the loser will have a battle ahead of it in order to qualify for the finals.

“With five (games) to go at this stage, it’s vital we get this win,” Contessa said.

“You just don’t know with Aberfeldie, they’ve beaten Avondale by 11 or 12 goals and they’ve dropped games to Northern Saints and Pascoe Vale. So their best is very good.

“Like a lot of sides, they’re as good as anyone on their day. But they’ve obviously had a couple of big downers.

“It is an eight-point game. Whoever wins it will be cemented in the four outright, so it’s huge in the context of things.”

The Eagles are expected to benefit from the return of star forward Marcus Kenny, who missed Saturday’s win overagainst the Heights with a slight knee complaint.

Airport West managed to fill the void well, Jesse Mcveigh stepping up to kick eight goals in a clear best-on-ground effort in the 18.11 (119) to 11.17 (83) victory.

“I said to him after that it was one of the best individual games I’d seen played at the club,” Contessa said.

“Marcus was out injured with a knee so that was a big loss for us in such a big game but Jesse was super.

“He kicked eight straight and he had 20-odd touches and seven tackles as well.”

The defeat was Avondale Heights’ second on the trot after it lost to Aberfeldie by 81 points in its previous outing – the Heights had won their opening 12 matches of the season.