THERE’S a huge day of grand finals coming up this Saturday, September 14 across Gippsland with Fish Creek and Yinnar facing off for the Mid Gippsland Premiership at Meeniyan, Phillip Island and Nar Nar Goon doing battle at Garfield for West Gippsland honours and the whole day starting at Yarragon at 8.15 am with the Poowong Under 16s against Ellinbank in the Ellinbank and District competition.
And the former Alberton League club, the Woodside Wildcats, are taking on favourites TTU at Churchill with the chance to win their first senior football flag since joining North Gippsland in 2008.
It’s been a long time between drinks at the Woodside Beach Hotel for the footballers anyway, not winning since being part of The Allies in 2002 and Won Wron-Woodside in 1995.
In the major league, it’s Traralgon versus Moe at Traralgon for the right to meet Leongatha the following week at Morwell in the Gippsland League grand final.
There’s plenty of netball grand final action too with Fish Creek versus MDU in A Grade at Mid Gippsland, Inverloch-Kongwak v Dalyston in West Gippsland, and Poowong in the Under 17s and Under 13s grand finals in the Ellinbank league.
The Leongatha Under 17s will be facing Bairnsdale at Traralgon for a place in the Gippsland League grand final the following week.
But it can be a tough time of the year for selectors and players on the cusp of selection in a grand final team.
At Phillip Island, for example, they’ve had the luxury of a week off to get cherry-ripe after a solid win in the Second Semi-final.
And unlike last year where they had to go in with several less-than-fit players, this year they’ve got virtually a full list from which to pick.
And with Max Walton and Jordy Patullo coming back in this week, the club had to make the tough call and leave Travis Woodfield out (15 seniors, 2 reserves in 2024) and Marcus Wright out (19 senior games 2024) both of whom have played almost all senior games this year.
But, as they say, you’ll never win anything with the bare minimum of players on the list.
Selected for Phillip Island against Nar Nar Goon this week are as follows: 1. Hayden Bruce (vc), 2. Max Walton, 3. Jordy Patullo, 4. Charlie Bruce, 5 Kai Mackenzie, 6. Jesse Patullo, 7. Jaymie Youle, 9. Billy Taylor, 10. Alex Duyker, 11. Bryce Hindhaugh, 12. Daniel Bourke, 13 Daniel Pearce (dvc), 14. Aaron Harris, 16. Damien Holmes, 17. Orlando Kane Gillard, 18. Coby Olarenshaw, 19. Cameron Pedersen, 20. Thomas Baulch, 21. Yianni Caffieri, 32. Zac Walker, 35. Jack Taylor (c) and 65. Mark Griffin.
Fish Creek has made just the one change with Jake Anderson coming in for Damien Scully.
