PRELIMINARY FINAL REVIEW
DIVISION 1
Murrumbeena 9.9 (63) def Oakleigh District 5.3 (33)
Murrumbeena are through to the Grand Final following a solid 30-point win over Oakleigh District at Meade Reserve.
Following their dominant home and away season, Beena started strongly with a two goal to none first quarter. Oakleigh managed to keep in touch with the minor premiers before Murrumbeena kicked away in the final term.
Emily McIntyre kicked all five of Oakleigh’s goals and was outstanding once again. While for Murrumbeena, Shanae Carter, Vanessa Tyrer and Danielle Wearne all kicked two.
Murrumbeena now have one more match to cap off their flawless season, While Oakleigh will likely be disappointed with their back-to-back losses in finals.
East Brighton 4.6 (30) def by Endeavour Hills 5.4 (34)
Endeavour Hills have caused a shock, beating a more favoured East Brighton side by four points to secure a Grand Final berth.
Endeavour shot out of the gate, kicking two first quarter goals. From there they managed to hold off East Brighton, matching every score the Vampires put on the board.
Brittany Charalambous kicked two to be the only multiple goalkicker for Endeavour Hills. Siona Pilkington and Aleisha Lannigan were among the best and will be crucial heading into the Grand Final against Murrumbeena.
For East Brighton, Rebekah Halprin kicked two and Jessica Pham, along with Jade Barnden and Aish Ravi, put in a strong game.
East Brighton can leave the season with their heads held high having been among the top teams since the start of the season.
Endeavour Hills now face the mammoth task of toppling the undefeated Murrumbeena in order to complete their Western Bulldogs-esque finals series.
DIVISION 2
Lyndhurst 4.11 (35) def Murrumbeena 2.1 (13)
Lyndhurst have ended Murrumbeena’s hopes of a surprise Grand Final appearance, outplaying them all over the field this week and scoring where it counted. Minor premiers Lyndhurst kept Murrumbeena scoreless for the first quarter, and conceded just two goals for the rest of the match.
Despite some inaccuracy from the Lightning, they earned themselves 15 scoring opportunities and were simply the better side on the day. Their four goals came from four individual goal scorers as Belinda Clark, Tarryn Hart, Abbey Mckill and Jade Irvin all scored one each.
Frankston Dolphins 3.1 (19) def by Clayton 11.11 (77)
Clayton have caused a huge upset and gotten themselves a well-deserved Grand Final berth against Lyndhurst after thrashing competition heavyweights Frankston this week.
Clayton dominated the play all day, with 22 scoring opportunities to the Dolphins’ four. The underdogs got the jump on them in the first quarter, kicking two goals and keeping the Dolphins scoreless, before letting them kick three straight in the second and trailing by just four points at the major break.
But efforts from Catrina Mastroianni kicking six goals, and Kelsey Tomkins who kicked two, were more than enough to secure a spot for Clayton. After a lapse in concentration in the second quarter, the Clayton midfield and backline put a stop to any opportunities for the Dolphins in the second quarter, conceding just one behind for the rest of the day.