FOR the second consecutive season, Leitchville/Gunbower will battle the side that finished third on the Heathcote District Football Netball League ladder for a spot in the grand final.
Huntly – which led the competition for eight of the first 13 rounds of the season – bounced back from a 124-point loss to North Bendigo in round 18, defeating the reigning premiers by nine points last Saturday.
The win sets up a showdown between the Bombers, who have won their past 14 matches, and the Hawks, who have not defeated the minor premiers in 2016.
The Bombers go into the match primed following last weekend’s break and a 164-point win against Elmore during the final round of the home and away season.
“We had all players attend a training session at Lockington on Saturday and go into the second semi-final with Cam Ross and Dan Meroli getting back to full fitness,” Bombers coach, Matt Hawken said.
“Joint captain Hoby Bussey, Brendan Meroli and Jack Dye are all recovering well from injury and pushing for selection whilst Drew Bartram and Jimmy Brereton played well in Sunday’s reserves elimination final.”
Ross was the difference between the sides when they met in round six, with the ruckman kicking four goals in the Bombers’ 34-point win, whilst Dan Meroli was one of the competition leader’s best players when the Bombers prevailed by 40 points in round 15.
If the Bombers are to progress to a second successive grand final, Ryan Prendergast will need to stop Ryan Semmel from replicating his seven-goal effort against the Bulldogs last weekend.
Harry Whittle will be just as dangerous for the Hawks, with Steve Pretty to take on the role to stop him.
Huntly pair Phil Ryan and Jaydon Cowling will need to be on song in the midfield against Tom German, Jackson McEwen and Bart Walsh, with Tom Skewes to take on Ross – who will be assisted by Lee Pollock and Jason Dal Santo.
Yet it will be Leitchville/Gunbower’s goalkicking options, led by Daniel Coates, Riley Keath, Ayden Walton, Sam Kennedy, Matt Perri, Adam Decicco and Tim Lincoln, that will be the difference, especially against a side that will play a top-three opponent for a third weekend running.
The winner will progress to the HDFNL grand final, occurring at Huntly on September 3, with the loser to get a second chance to progress to the grand final via a preliminary final battle against the winner of the first semi-final between the Bulldogs and Colbinabbin.
PREDICTION: The week’s break will help Leitchville/Gunbower win by 30 points.
