It all comes down to this: Grand final fever in AFL Mackay

Bakers Creek will see a marathon day of Aussie rules action on Saturday, with six games of football back-to-back for the AFL Mackay grand finals. Go inside the lead up for the teams here.

North Mackay Saints won the Women's grand final for AFL Mackay. Picture: Supplied

Etwell Park in Bakers Creek will come to life on Saturday as AFL Mackay hosts six consecutive games of junior, senior women and senior men’s grand final action starting at 7.45am.

The day will begin with the under-12s mixed game just before 8am, and will go through until after 6pm by the time the senior men’s game wraps up in the evening.

“It’s a massive day for the league and for Bakers Creek as well as the hosts, a lot of work and effort has gone into it from a lot of volunteers, so massive shout out to them,” AFL Mackay Competition Manager Harry Hannaford said.

“It’s the biggest day on the Mackay football calendar.”

Hannaford said the league is expecting a quality turnout from the community of Mackay to help celebrate the culmination of another successful season.

Eastern Swans will be looking for their second consecutive AFL Mackay under-12s premiership. Picture: Supplied

“There will be some great games on display, especially for the Tigers with a number of teams running out on their home deck,” he said.

“This is the second year in a row that they’ve had a chance to host it and they will have learned a lot from last year’s event.”

The gates open at 7am with parking available outside the ground. Primary school aged children get in for free.

Swans, Saints to battle for senior men’s premiership glory

Eastern Swans and North Mackay Saints will be at the centre of attention in the afternoon when they take the field in the senior men’s grand final.

The Saints are chasing a scarcely believable sixth consecutive premiership in the AFL Mackay competition, but have gone about it in a slightly different manner to usual.

North Mackay Saints know what it takes to win grand finals. Picture: Supplied

As a result of finishing third on the ladder, the Saints were forced to do it the hard way, winning an elimination final against Whitsunday Sea Eagles before taking down Mackay Magpies in the preliminary final.

But while the Saints may not have been quite as overwhelming as in previous years, Swans coach Carl Teske said his side is being sure not to underestimate them.

“If you’d told me at the start of the season that we were in the grand final and asked who we would be playing against, I would’ve said this team,” Teske said.

“We know they have a lot of premiership experience in that list, you look at guys like Cameron Hill, Alec Townsend and Luke Slater, they’ve had great seasons and they know how to win games.”

Saints' Luke Slater will likely be instrumental for his side this weekend.

On the flip side, Teske said this week has been the best in his tenure as coach in terms of the mood among the entire club and specifically within the senior playing group.

“It’s been business as usual this week in terms of our training. We don’t want to play the game before it actually starts,” he said.

“We had a few of the older boys there for dinner on Thursday night, it was good to see a good showing out there to support the club as we try to lift a premiership.”

The senior men’s game gets underway at 3.40pm.

Originally published as It all comes down to this: Grand final fever in AFL Mackay