Craigieburn close to maiden VTCA Division 1 North finals appearance
After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Craigieburn is on the brink of a maiden finals appearance in VTCA Division 1 North. Find out what’s behind the Eagles’ rise up the ladder.
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Craigieburn is on the cusp of VTCA Division 1 North finals for the first time in the club’s history.
The Eagles stepped up from Division 2 in 2016-17 and survived relegation by just three points last season after the competition underwent a restructure.
But the club has roared up the ladder this season with critical wins over fellow top-four teams Westmeadows, West Coburg and Glenroy.
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Craigieburn sits fourth on the ladder, 12 points ahead of St Francis de Sales, with a chance to eliminate the Saints over the next two weekends.
Coach Chris Laffan said the arrival of Bundoora champion Shupinder Taggar in the off-season and improvement in the club’s young list were behind the rise.
“It’s been really good, the response we’ve had this season,” he said.
“We’ve had a pretty settled line-up, which has played a big part in our success.
“When we added Sonny, he gave us added security for our bowling in one-day games, and I think it’s made the world of difference in our bats’ confidence at the crease.
“Adam Davies – he’s batted at No. 6 this season – has looked so mature and ready to take the next step.”
Taggar (241 runs at 30.13), Davies (206 at 51.50) and Sam Laffan (195 at 24.38) all sat in the competition’s top-15 run-scorers after 12 rounds.
Taggar (22 wickets at 10.45), Michael Bury (21 at 15.43) and Josh Eaton (17 at 18.24) were all in the top-10 wicket-takers.
Craigieburn had been riding a four-game winning streak and were just 29 runs away from beating PEGS before rain intervened last round.
After the clash against St Francis de Sales, the Eagles will face Westmeadows in the final round of the home-and-away season in a fixture which could decide who secures a home final.
Laffan said two strong performances would set them up for a premiership tilt.
“That will be our target in the final two games, when we get an opportunity to bat, to bat really big, to prepare for a two-day final and then the big one across four days,” he said.
“The hard work that our boys have put in – particularly on the tactical side of things – has gone to another level this season.”