By Lachlan Onions
SOUTH GAMBIER 9.14 (68) d MILLICENT 0.0 (0)
FINALS fever hit McCorquindale Park on Sunday with four games played in the Limestone Coast Women’s Football League.
Action began with the elimination consolation final, where South Gambier claimed an emphatic 68-point win to kick off proceedings.
After a tight contest early, the Demons went into the first break with a two-goal lead.
However, the margin increased to 28 points at the main break.
There was no respite for Millicent in the second half as South Gambier added another 40 points and claimed a 68-0 win to keep its season alive.
Ella Guest was named best on ground for the Demons after a strong showing, while Sophie Wight kicked one major and was second-best.
South’s Jarrah Altschwager and Dakota Trotter were in fine form as they both kicked three goals, while Lucy Pridham and Chloe Lines kicked one goal each.
After an impressive display on Sunday, the Demons will now take on Kongorong in the Group B preliminary final with a grand final berth at stake.
KYBYBOLITE 7.9 (51) d KONGORONG 3.2 (20)
The consolation qualifying final saw the Tigers claim a strong 31-point win over the Hawks to book a spot in this year’s grand final.
Kybybolite hit the ground running and led 14-0 at the end of the first stanza.
The Tigers then repeated their efforts in the second term to take a 28-0 lead at the long break.
However, Kongorong fought back in the third quarter with two goals and held the Tigers to one major.
Despite their efforts, the Hawks still trailed by 22 points with one quarter to play.
The Tigers then ensured victory was theirs as they added two majors in the final term to earn a grand final berth.
Dellie Brown’s dominant season which saw her honoured as the league best and fairest continued on Sunday as she was named best on ground in the qualifying final, while Evie Sealey was best on ground for the Hawks.
Genevieve Blake led the way for Kybybolite in the forward 50 as she kicked three majors, while Ella Boston, Anna Davies, Taylor Ryan and Maryann Thompson all kicked one goal each.
Kate Wright led the way for Kongorong with two goals, while Marnee Formosa kicked one goal.
NORTH GAMBIER 6.1 (37) d PENOLA 2.3 (15)
The Tigers kept their season alive with a strong win over Penola in the main elimination final.
In a tight tussle, North took an early five-point lead at the main break.
The second quarter saw the Tigers begin to take control of the game as they added another two majors and led by 17 points.
However, a late goal for the Eagles meant they remained within touching distance at the main break and reduced the deficit to 11 points.
With the game in the balance, North Gambier showed its class as it restricted the Eagles to two minor scores and kicked two majors to hold a 21-point lead with one quarter to play.
Angela Broad showed her skill in the forward line as she kicked a goal to give Penola a glimmer of hope.
However, it was all in vain as the Tigers added one more goal late in proceedings to keep their season alive for another week.
Grace Altschwager was named best on ground, while Alice Tentye continued to be a threat in the forward half as she was the only player to kick two goals in the game.
Tentye was supported by Nartha Coleman, Layla McPherson, Chloe Perryman and Geordan Thomas who all kicked one major each.
MUNDULLA 7.7 (49) d CASTERTON SANDFORD 1.1 (7)
Mundulla booked its place in the big dance with a dominant win as it sent a statement to its remaining competitors in the main qualifying final.
From the outset, the Tigers held the authority and took a 20-0 lead at the first break.
The Cats then fought back and restricted Mundulla to seven points in the second stanza.
However, despite their improved defensive efforts, they failed to add a major score and were held to just one point.
With a 26-point gap at half time, it was all smooth sailing for Mundulla in the second half as it added three goals and gave up just one major score on its way to a 42-point win.
Casey McElroy was once again the main threat in the midfield as she dictated terms and racked up the disposals around the contest.
Her performance earned her best on ground honours, while Kellsey Hinge was second-best for Mundulla and Gabrielle Sullivan was best on ground for Casterton Sandford.
Melody Maddern led the way in the forward line with three goals, while Erin Horsnell, Eliza Orrock, Kaylene Rowett and Anna Hill all kicked one major for the Tigers.
Paige Richards was the Cats’ only goal-kicker.
Casterton Sandford will look to dust itself off and gear up for an exciting preliminary final clash with North Gambier next weekend.
