Fish Creek qualifies for grand final in low-scoring tussle
FINISHING first and second on the ladder respectively, two of the league’s heavyweights met in a qualifying clash that offered a golden ticket to just one, in the shape of a direct route through to the 2025 MGFNL Grand Final. Previous meetings...
FINISHING first and second on the ladder respectively, two of the league’s heavyweights met in a qualifying clash that offered a golden ticket to just one, in the shape of a direct route through to the 2025 MGFNL Grand Final.
Previous meetings throughout the year between the duo had fallen at one a piece; that of course, come finals time counted for nothing, their third and most important clash to date was all that mattered.
The reigning premiers of 2024 and 2025 found a way to win in what turned out to be a hard-fought arm wrestle for most of the day.
Fish Creek victors by six points in a low-scoring affair. 5-5-35 to Foster 4-5-29.
“Probably wasn’t a spectacle of good footy, but both defences were pretty strong, it made it pretty hard to score,” Jarrad Walker, Fish Creek coach said.
“Both teams actually scored, or seemed to score better against the wind, as we worked in numbers, but both teams, I feel, were hesitant to take risks as the game was always so close, and we and I’m sure they, didn’t want to make a costly mistake.
“We have a week off now, a rest for some sore players and wait to find who our Grand Final opponent might be.”
The Kangaroos led by eight points at quarter time and thirteen at the main break before the Tigers got it back to eight points again at the final break.
“The scoreboard flattered us – beaten convincingly around the ball, they were cleaner and won the outside game,” Sam Davies, Foster coach said.
“They had really good plans in place and executed them accordingly, which meant we could never get our game going. Our defenders stood up again to their credit, as they always do and absorbed a lot of footy coming their way.
“The beauty of finishing top two is the second chance, no time to be down and out. Big week of recovery and planning for next weekend.”
Foster now to take on Yinnar, the Tigers’ path to a grand final faces a major stumbling block in the shape of a dangerous-looking and all of a sudden in-form Magpie side.
