Division 4 Finals Preview

Posted on - Latest News, Featured, Division 4 Men's

Jake Morris

South Melbourne Districts have resurrected their season and booked their finals tickets with a resounding 36-point victory over ladder leaders North Brunswick. After disappointing performance after disappointing performance, the Swans put together their strongest outing yet, taking down the Bulls and securing that all-important fourth spot in the process, setting up a date with St Francis Xavier in Semi-Final 1 this weekend. Despite the return of leading goal kicker Travis French, the Swans biggest challenger for fourth in South Mornington were unable to put the pieces together and match their mid-season form, going down to Elsternwick and ending their finals chances. Minor Premiers North Brunswick were soundly beaten by the Swans while Parkside made light work of the reeling Rams, setting up a thrilling 1v2 clash at Garvey Oval in Bundoora. In other results, St Francis Xavier cemented their spot in third position with a comfortable win over Eley Park, while Box Hill North ended their season on a positive note, downing Masala in a two-point nail biter. After 18 weeks of football and 141 days of waiting, the finals have arrived and boy are we excited, here is what to expect…

Arguably the two best teams in the competition, ladder leaders North Brunswick and red hot challengers Parkside will do battle for a spot in the big dance this Saturday at Garvey Oval. The Bulls have been the competitions perennial powerhouse this season, dispatching their opponents by just under 74-points per game on the year, owning the competitions most potent forward line behind Michael Salloum, Brendon George and Jake George who combined for 156 majors, while also possessing the third best defensive unit (58 points per game), trailing only St Francis Xavier and Parkside. The Red-Devils have won 11 of their last 12, with their only blemish coming against the Bulls in Round 15. Those 11 wins have come by an average of 76 points, with their backline shining, allowing just 42 points per clash since Round 7, and just 26 points per game in the last three weeks alone. It really will be a battle between the unstoppable force and the immovable object. Despite Parkside’s ability to score the ball (107 points per game), the forward line trio of Matthew Soligo, Simon Gilfedder and Isaac Romano won’t be able to keep up with the Bulls’ abundance of forward options, so turning this clash into a slog and restricting North Brunswick’s forward entry will be a big key to victory. Despite also being a superior defensive unit like Parkside, the Bulls can’t afford to change their game-style and play into their opponents’ hands. The Bulls have been known as a run and gun side and sticking to that persona will be vital. Parkside’s recent run of form has been no joke, and their defensive unit has stood up immensely in recent weeks, and even though North Brunswick are entering off a loss and arguably not in the best form, it seems the Bulls at full strength have the Red-Devils number, and may overwhelm them with their midfield run and dominance up forward. Look for a close encounter, but the likes of Keary Mourelatos and Luke Wentworth to will the Bulls midfield forward and set up their big name goal kickers to secure the win in the end, etching their name into the second Saturday of September.

As a reward for claiming the final two spots in the four, St Francis Xavier and the South Melbourne Districts will be given an extra days rest, as this clash between 3rd and 4th will be on the Sunday at Waverley Oval in East Malvern. After beginning the year like a house on fire, both these sides suffered through mid-season slumps in form, allowing sides like the Tigers, Wickers and Sharks to make spirited late season bursts towards an unlikely finals appearance. Beginning the year with a 6-1 record and an average winning margin of 95, the X-Men fell into a little rough patch of form, dropping five of their next seven and booting just 65-points per game in those defeats. Since, SFX have been able to right the ship and claim their last four games in comfortable fashion, downing their opponents by over 71-points. The Swans fall from grace was a little more serious, a 6-0 start to the year with a 48-point average winning margin, was followed by just four wins from their final 12 games, which included losses to Eley Park, Elsternwick and Masala, who won just two games on the year. From Rounds 1 to 6, the Swans averaged over 105-points per contest, while only allowing their opponents 57-points per game, since Round 7 onwards, the Swans managed only 78-points a game, while conceding just under 99. That’s a drop of 27-points per game in scoring and a rise of 42-points per game allowed, a monumental change in form. The X-Men boast the second best scoring unit in the competition, led by Harrison Coe and Andrew Daly, while also being the best defensive side in the league, conceding a competition low of just 55-points per game. The Swans simply do not match up with X-Men in these areas of the ground, ranking 6th in scoring (87-points per game) and 4th in opposition scoring (85-points per game). Limiting Jordan Heis, Ryan Chirgwin and Toby Parish up-forward will almost guarantee a victory for the X-Men, as their class across the ground led by Daniel Chin, Brendan O’Hara in the midfield and Josh Lafrenchi in defence will almost certainly be enough. St Francis Xavier to win and advance to the Preliminary Final.