MILLICENT will fight for glory on its home ground this Sunday, when it takes to McLaughlin Park against Kybybolite in the Limestone Coast Women’s Football grand final.
The Saints finished their minor season on top of the premiership ladder, with last week seeing the top three sides take on their Round 7 opponents hoping to claim the percentage needed for a grand final berth.
As it unfolded, reigning premiers South Gambier failed to make the cut, settling for a place in the consolation final against East Gambier.
In other games, North Gambier and West Gambier will open the day’s matches in the bottom-order final, followed by a meeting between the Glencoe All Stars and Kalangadoo.
Millicent v Kybybolite
THIS season of Limestone Coast women’s football has seen Millicent in fine form and it will go into the grand final with only one loss, which came from the Demons in Round 4.
With South not a factor in this game, spectators can still expect a tight match, as Kybybolite has also proved to be a dominant force in its inaugural season in the league.
The northern Tigers joined both South and Millicent with only one loss for the season.
And it was the Saints that instigated that loss, with a close Round 5 result.
Only four points separated the two sides at the final siren, with a score of 16 points to 12.
Lucy Barber and Grace Carnellor were the goal-scorers for the Saints, kicking a goal each, while for Kybybolite Sophie Ford managed one for her team.
Millicent has shown many options up forward this year, with three of its players in the top five leading goal-kickers for the season.
Kristie Rowe leads the way for Millicent with a total of eight majors, closely followed by Barber and Olivia Fuller, both with six.
All three have been regulars in the best players for their team and will be influential in the grand final.
Madi Turner will be another one to watch for the Saints, as she was named best-on-ground in the previous match against Kybybolite, form she carried into the following game, backing up the performance against West Gambier in Round 6.
Last week Millicent claimed a solid 28-point win over East, in a tough match not reflected on the scoreboard.
There was plenty of contest in the middle of the ground, giving the Saints a good taste of what is to come in Sunday’s game.
A hard-working midfield was a deciding factor in the victory and this will be another element the hosts will look to carry over to the grand final.
Rowe scored three majors in this game, while Tayla McCourt and Hayley Bell converted singles.
Bell was also named best-on-ground for the clash and she will hope to replicate this effort in the final game of the 2018 season.
For Kybybolite, last week saw it with a good 36-point win over North Gambier.
Tyler Atkinson led the way for the northern Tigers, bagging two goals and the title of best-on-ground.
She will be one to watch this week, while Susannah Maber will also be out for a big game after kicking a single goal last round, along with Georgia Irvine.
Maber is the leading goal-kicker for Kybybolite, with her nine goals for the year seeing her ranked second in the league season standings.
She will be joined by the likes of Casey McElroy, Annabel Mould and Atkinson, who have all been among the best players of recent weeks.
In a match which could easily go either way, all eyes will be on McLaughlin Park on Sunday, when the 2018 premiers are crowned.
South Gambier v East Gambier
SOUTH will go into the consolation final as the hot favourite over East, after the Demons narrowly missed out on a grand final berth due to a lower percentage.
However, the Bulldogs are not to be underestimated, as they have found good form in the later stages of the season.
With an 86-0 win over West Gambier in Round 5 and a closer six-point win over Kalangadoo the following week, last round saw them contest with Millicent in a good display of football.
Despite an eventual 28-point deficit, East never looked out of the match, contesting the ball through the midfield throughout the game.
Tyne Bosko was the best-on-ground for the Bulldogs, as her work both around the ground and in the ruck was recognised.
Nic Collins also had a solid game, along with other consistent performers Bo Creek and Tulle Perryman, who all found themselves among the best.
Madeline Fry converted her team’s only score for the day, which was a major at that.
Each of these players will be looked to once again on Sunday, but if the side will claime an upset win over the Demons, it will need to work on its conversion rate against the top teams.
South has no shortage of goal-scorers in its ranks, with Imogen Walker, Chelsea Frost, Kendall Saffin and Kelly Anderson all converting majors last week against Kalangadoo.
Add into the mix the likes of Jasmine White, Tess Clark and Aimee Beck and the Demons are well represented in front of goals.
White is the leading goal kicker for her team with five for the season and will look to further this tally after Sunday’s game.
Although South is likely to take out the consolation honours, spectators may well be treated to a closer match than anticipated.
Glencoe All Stars v Kalangadoo
THE second match of the day will see Glencoe and Kalangadoo take to the ground, as fifth and sixth on the ladder contest for the bragging rights.
Both teams have been stuck in the middle order this season, with Glencoe finishing with three wins and the Magpies with two.
Despite these results, the All Stars have a positive achievement to look back on.
Providing she is not overtaken after the grand final games, Simone MacDonald leads the league goal-kicking table, with 12 for the season.
Seven of these majors came from last week’s 77-0 triumph over West Gambier and MacDonald will look to reproduce this performance going into the final game of the year.
She was joined by Holly Smith, Madeline Carrison, Paris Trotter and Adele Cooper on the goal-kicker list, with each converting a major score.
Each of these players will give it their all on Sunday, in hopes to secure the fifth placing for 2018.
For Kalangadoo, it will be a matter of utilising the consistent players in its ranks.
The likes of Paris Ackland, Chloe Pratt and Bianca Thorn will look to back up their solid performances from last round, while leading goal-kickers Abbey Shannon, Brianna Devine and Emmason Isley will also be out for a big game.
North Gambier v West Gambier
THE battle for the wooden spoon will see North and West face off in the opening match of the day.
With both teams having little to show this season, it will be a matter of making one final statement before regrouping and preparing for the 2019 season.
Despite an eventual 36-point deficit, the Tigers played a solid game against Kybybolite last round.
In this game, Lorrelle Walker was best-on-ground, adding to her total of six appearances in the best players, with Ella Firth, Simone Morony and Kimberly McKinnon also making the list.
They will be joined by the likes of Samantha Scott and Simone Walker, who rounded out last week’s best players, when the Tigers hunt the Roos on Sunday.
And that may well be what they do, as West has had a mediocre season, scoring only eight points in total.
Emma Lynch has been a regular in the Roos’ best players, as has Codie Millard and Brittany Allen and they will be looked to for solid games again this week.
With the last match up between the sides resulting in a draw, North has shown signs of improvement as the season progressed and will be the favourites going into the clash.
