September14-15,2024
Eli Duxson Eric Forman
September 7-8
STRATHMORECOMMUNITYBANK PREMIERDIVISION
By Luke Mathews
Pascoe Vale have upstaged Keilor, defeating the reigning premiers by 34 points at Coburg City Oval.
Saturday’s boilover is just Keilor’s second loss for the year and is a 167-point turnaround from their first meeting in Round 6
Keilor coach Mick McGuane credited Pascoe Vale’s work around the contest and tackling pressure but was disappointed with his side’s ball use and inability to defend the ground and stop Pascoe Vale’s transition.
Despite taking the lead through a goal from Thomas McGuane at the 11-minute mark of the second quarter, the Panthers were the dominant side for much of the day and led at every change before storming home with a five-goal final term to seal a famous victory.
Josh Iacobaccio and Ahmed Saad stood tall in the forward line with three goals each while Lachlan Stredwick held firm all day in defence.
Despite going down, Chris Kosmas starred with five goals to keep his side in it while Kane Barbuto and Billy Johnson fought hard all day.
Keilor will be looking to bounce back quickly next Sunday when they face Strathmore at Coburg City Oval.
Strathmore have won through to another preliminary final after defeating Greenvale by 23 points at Coburg City Oval
Unfortunately for Greenvale, their season comes to a close after they couldn’t repeat last week’s heroics against Aberfeldie.
After an evenly poised opening half that saw the teams combine for only four goals, Strathmore took a slender five-point advantage into the final term before kicking five final quarter goals to run away with the victory.
Kyle Weightman starred against Greenvale for the second time this year kicking four goals while Will Jury helped drag his side over the line.
Even though they didn’t come away with the victory, Josh Porter had another solid game with two goals while Ryan Townsend and corey Baker finished the season on a high with strong performances.
Strathmore will be hoping to book their spot in their third successive grand final when they take on Keilor at Coburg City Oval.
STRATHMORECOMMUNITYBANK DIVISIONONE
By Joseph Ibic
West Coburg have cruised through to the grand final after a thumping 58-point victory over a lacklustre St Albans.
The Burgers held St Albans to just two goals for the entire match in an extraordinary feat of defending that ultimately, played a huge role in winning them the game.
While down the other end Ibby Taha and Omar Saad continued their great form with Taha scoring five goals and Saad slotting four, as they outscored the opposition themselves.
It was a disappointing end to the Saints' season who unfortunately, had a bad day at the wrong time of the year.
St Albans would be especially disappointed with their goal kicking that saw them have 14 scoring shots with only two goals in return.
West Coburg will face off against Maribyrnong Park in the Division One grand final at Coburg City Oval.
By Luke Mathews
in a gripping grand final, defeating the Tigers by 19 points at Windy Hill to head back to Division One.
After finishing the season on top of the ladder, Saturday’s grand final victory reaffirms their status as the best team in the competition and brings senior silverware back to Lionheart Reserve for the first time since 2010.
In an enthralling contest that saw plenty of highlights, momentum swings, brutal toughness, and spectacular individual performances, it was Steve Burns’ men that edged out a brave Westmeadows side to claim this year’s premiership.
After showing plenty of heart and dogged determination throughout this year’s finals series, Saturday’s game was no different with the Tigers fighting hard right until the final siren but it wasn’t enough to return them to Division One
Chris Vulic claimed the coveted Ian Price Medal for best on ground with the midfielder racking up 34 disposals, 12 clearances, 10 tackles, and a goal to boot.
best on ground honours with full forward Raaf Rachrache booting five of his side’s eight goals including an electrifying 90 second burst during the second quarter which saw three quick goals from the big man to turn the match on its head
Shaun O’Grady got the Tigers off to the perfect start in a fiery opening term when he put through the first goal of the day after Jake Hatton found the utility 30 metres out on a slight angle.
Nathan Sparks made it two from two when he was taken high, before Rachrache settled the ladder leaders’ nerves and registered their first major of the day.
Moments later, Ryan Stingel got in on the action with some brilliant thinking after he intercepted a Taylors Lakes kick in and nailed a set shot from 40 metres out on the boundary.
At the 22 minute mark of the first term, Korey Flavel-Wood sent a scare through the Westmeadows camp when he limped off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
Taylors Lakes were able to work their way back into the contest with two quick goals through Ethan Caffari and Mitch Jones just as the first term came to a close.
Rachrache began to make his mark on the contest during a second term that reached arm wrestle territory
The big man put through his second with some clever soccer skills that clean bowled everyone, as moments later the full forward roved the pack and ran into the open goal for his third for the day to ignite the Windy Hill crowd.
The EDFL stalwart wasn’t finished there when he marked out on the lead and converted the set shot to make it three goals in 90 seconds to blow the game wide open.
Westy were in desperate need of a response if they wanted to break their 40-year premiership drought, as Stingel snapped the run of five straight Lion goals when he gathered a loose ball right in front of goal and put through his second to get the margin back to 12 points
Luckily for the Tigers, Flavel-Wood returned to the ground but still looked hampered by that hamstring injury that cut his first quarter short and stayed deep.
After half time, Shaun O’Grady broke the deadlock 17 minutes into the third term
The utility brought the Windy Hill crowd to its feet when he stood up in the tackle and got boot to ball and it sailed through for his second of the day.
With the momentum swinging back in Westmeadows' favour, Flavel-Wood’s day took a turn when he received a free kick for a hold at the top of the square
Unfortunately, he failed to make them pay when he hit the post and couldn’t reduce the margin to one point on the stroke of threequarter time.
Jake Hatton had the opportunity to give the Tigers the lead with seconds remaining in the third quarter when he marked 30 metres out
on a 45 degree angle, but he hung his set shot out to the right.
With 30 minutes left to decide who will reign supreme in Strathmore Community Bank Division Two in 2024 and a classic grand final unfolding, both teams squandered golden opportunities to solidify their grip on the cup early in the fourth quarter.
With the game needing a hero, Rachrache stood tall once again.
After hardly being sighted during the third term, the full forward made the most of his opportunities and calmly slotted through his fifth for the day to open up a 13-point buffer
Minutes later, the Taylors Lakes fans erupted when Christian Petersen gave the ladder leaders’ a bit more breathing space when he marked and goaled at the top of the goal square to almost put the result beyond doubt.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, they couldn’t make a spirited comeback
Taylors Lakes didn't register another major but it didn’t matter as when the final siren sounded, they’d sealed their first senior premiership since 2010.
Rachrache's five goals led the scoring for the Lions with singles to Vulic, Petersen, and Mitch Jones
Lockie Rayner (47 hit outs, 14 clearances) and Aaron Vendramini (25 disposals, 11 clearances, 11 inside 50s, 10 tackles) were pivotal in the middle, while Rhys Bradley and Jack Burns were instrumental as well.
For the Tigers, Jordan Kosteas (36 disposals, 14 rebound 50s) drove out of their defensive half with Ryan Capron (24 disposals, 12 clearances) putting in another strong performance in the engine room.
O'Grady and Stingel kicked two majors each with Nathan Sparks adding a goal to his 24 disposals and seven tackles.
Westmeadows will continue to build in Division Two in 2025, while Taylors Lakes will look to make Division One their home
By Luke D’Anello
A third chance at a return to the top flight.
For West Coburg, it has been three impressive seasons after the COVID-interrupted years of 2020 and 2021 without a senior flag to show for it.
That could change on Saturday when the Burgers tackle minor premier Maribyrnong Park at Coburg City Oval in what shapes as a mouth-watering Division One decider.
First-year West Coburg coach Daniel Barnes denied there was any extra pressure on his team to deliver after back-to-back grand final defeats.
"We probably haven't even spoken about the last two years since October and November, when we actually came together and said next year's not about redemption because you can't redeem something you lost," Barnes said
"It's about what we want to achieve, what we want to build and what we want to be known for as the group that's representing the jumper today.
"Everything for us since basically day one of pre-season has been about 2024.
people bring up our history of finals performances and grand finals, but I just feel there's a calmness amongst the group We feel we're in good shape "
West Coburg will be hoping to produce a better showing than 12 months ago when it was on the receiving end of a 96-point hammering from Deer Park after finishing the home-and-away rounds with an unblemished record and four games clear at the top of the ladder.
In 2022, the club entered the final game of the season as underdogs and was outclassed by Airport West.
Barnes said he was proud of the way the Burgers had responded from last year's bruising defeat to finish the regular season with a 14-2 record.
"Last year was a different feeling after the grand final to 2022," Barnes said, pointing to the fact the Burgers finished third with 12 wins from 18 games two seasons ago.
"There were certainly moments in (last year's) grand final that were really disappointing for us as a football side and a football club.
"There was a lot of time in pre-season spent on that – how do we actually rebuild and become the footy club we want to become and control our own story and narrative
The Burgers have remained united despite the forgettable display against Deer Park in 2023, fielding a 22 of one-point players in both finals this year, underlining their ability to develop homegrown talent.
They have maintained a stable senior group, with returning star Muhammad Saad the headline inclusion this year
"For everyone to have stuck around... we play on 22 points and I think that's something pretty special for a football club in this day and age to be competitive with homegrown players," Barnes said.
"A lot of people talk about the three-year history of this club with grand finals You've got I think nine players who will probably end up playing in all three, probably about 15 or 16 from last year.
"As much as everyone said we retained the list, which we did, we've still been able to transition and evolve and players have taken that next step and grown. That's a really important thing for us
"Now there's some new blood in the team as well."
Barnes heaped praise on Saad, who has 44 goals to his name in 2024 in his first season back at West Coburg after a stint with Airport West, underlining his status as one of the competition's leading players.
Saad will be a key factor in the outcome of this weekend's decider, given Maribyrnong Park also boast no shortage of goal-scoring options.
"Mo's been brilliant. He's got a magnificent left foot, he gets forward of the footy and kicks goals,” Barnes said “Midfielders who can impact the scoreboard are a huge thing
"The biggest thing has probably been his leadership has really come on with the group.
"I think most people are aware we're a very unique group around multiculturalism. I would say about a third of our group are Muslim and Mo's been a great leader of those young boys and how they prepare. Obviously he's seen it through his older brother in Adam at Carlton, how they prepare and what they need to do to take the next step in football."
Ibrahim Taha has also been outstanding for the Burgers, booting 62 from 19 games, including a haul of five in the preliminary final triumph over St Albans
Key targets Taha, Omar Saad (four) and Ruairi Cleary (two) contributed to West Coburg's 11 goals against the Saints in ominous signs for Maribyrnong Park.
"Ibby's electrifying. He can play as a small, hit the ground and weave tackles and snap over his head, or he can leap. It's something pretty rare for a bloke who's about 5 foot 11 to be able to overhead mark and play at ground level," Barnes said.
Dinny Cleary, Tom Baravi, and Emilio Rinaudo have also been among West Coburg's standout performers.
The Lions prevailed by 24 points to earn a direct passage to the decider when the pair last met in the opening week of finals
Barnes said the Lions used the ball better and took most of their opportunities in the 11.8 (74) to 5.20 (50) result.
"But I think we certainly showed that we're a side that can win the footy, and that's important. If you win the footy, you control the game," he said
"We know they've got some really good foot skills and we know they hit the scoreboard well with their midfielders. They're a very, very good football side, but I think the semifinal showed the teams are pretty close.
"We go in with great confidence," Barnes said.
West Coburg's most recent senior premiership came in Division One in 2014, while Maribyrnong Park claimed the 2010 Premier Division flag.
By Luke Mathews
Maribyrnong Park and West Coburg are set to do battle in an enthralling Strathmore Community Bank Division One grand final.
After being relegated from the top flight last year, Brodie Holland’s men have notched up 13 successive wins on their way to their first grand final since winning the 2010 Premier Division flag.
For West Coburg, it's been another strong season that has coincided with their second top-two finish in a row as well as their third straight grand final.
Saturday’s clash is the fourth time the sides have met in 2024, with West Coburg winning their Round 1 clash by 16 points, while Marby got their revenge in Round 17 and again in the qualifying final, winning by 79 and 24 points respectively.
Back in Round 1, it was West Coburg’s dominance at clearance that punished a wasteful Maribyrnong Park.
The Burgers won the clearance battle 52 to 41 thanks to ruck dominance from Damian Galofaro and Blake Ross which allowed them to generate an extra two goals from stoppages – ultimately the difference in the end.
Tom Drake was everywhere for West Coburg, collecting 29 disposals while Dinny Cleary was able to win his own ball finishing with 13 contested possessions and 10 clearances.
Ibby Taha did the damage on the scoreboard with four goals to help his side over the line
In Round 17, Marby were able to turn the tables on West Coburg and punished the Burgers off turnovers.
Marby’s efficiency also improved significantly scoring from more than half of their 59 inside 50s, while West Coburg weren’t able to capitalise on their clearance dominance, kicking 5.11 from 44 inside 50s.
It was the experienced campaigners that got the job done for Marby with Sean Hetherington, Matthew Gaul, and Alex Barba all starring with each player collecting more than 27 touches, while James Kayrooz and Tom Wyatt did the damage on the scoreboard with three goals each
In the semi final just two weeks ago, it was West Coburg’s inaccuracy that cost them the week off and the first spot in the grand final.
Despite again winning the clearance battle (+15), the Burgers were wasteful in front of the goal converting just five goals from 25 scores.
Gaul was dominant at the contest for Marby finishing with 26 disposals and seven clearances while Kayrooz punished the Burgers on the scoreboard with two goals from his 10 touches.
For Marby to lift the cup on Saturday at Coburg City Oval, they will need to have the game played out in the open and continue to look to punish West Coburg off turnovers
Holland has endeavoured to move the ball with speed and try and get in behind the opposition’s backline resulting in the Lions being the most prolific offensive side.
Brodie Romensky and Gaul are among the top 10 in the competition for score involvements and contested possessions.
If Marby, are able to force forward half turnovers like they did in Round 17 and Gaul and Romensky find the footy in their hands, they should find themselves back in Premier Division.
For West Coburg to win on Saturday it will all be about capitalising on their dominance at stoppages.
The Burgers are the number one clearance team in the competition and have dominated Marby out of stoppage in their three encounters this year.
West Coburg weren’t able to capitalise in the semi final and struggled to score despite providing themselves chances.
If the Burgers can gain the ascendancy out of the middle again, they need to make the most of their opportunities if they want to have any chance of lifting the cup
