James Murphy
RESERVES – HATHERLEIGH v KALANGADOO
THE Eagles will be favoured heading into this weekend’s Reserves football preliminary final at Kalangadoo.
However, the home-ground advantage should never be taken lightly and Hatherleigh will need to put in a strong four-quarter performance to put an end to Kalangadoo’s hopes for a title defence.
Last year the two sides met in the season decider, but that will not be the case in 2024.
Robe was too hot to handle for the Eagles last week, forcing them to utilise their second chance.
Despite the result there were some standout performances to come from the clash, with Jason Faulkner best on ground after a solid four quarters.
The Magpies will be buoyed by a strong win over Glencoe in the first semi-final, where a four-goal game from captain Nathan Reeves had him receive the best-on-ground honours.
The last time the two sides met Hatherleigh won by 33 points at home, having led at every change.
Jack Altschwager slotted six goals on the day, while Eli Keen was the best of the Eagles’ bunch.
Reeves was Kalangadoo’s top scorer on that occasion as well, while Axel Page and Jacob Simmonds also impressed.
Hatherleigh should get the job done, but it will not come without a fight.
