NEWBRIDGE v MARONG - 2.15pm Sunday at Serpentine.
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Since 1995: Newbridge 25; Marong 16.
Last final: 2013 elimination final: Marong 13.12 (90) d Newbridge 2.5 (17).
This year's meetings:
Round 9: Marong 15.10 (100) d Newbridge 12.12 (84).
Round 18: Newbridge 18.12 (120) d Marong 2.5 (17).
NEWBRIDGE and Marong meet for the second time in as many weeks in Sunday’s Loddon Valley Football League elimination final at Serpentine.
The big question heading into the game is how much did last week’s shock 103-point hiding at the hands of the Maroons dent the confidence of the Panthers and can they bounce back?
The Panthers were held to the lowest score of the season - 2.5 (17) - against the Maroons, with young coach Corey Gregg facing a challenge to turn around last week’s debacle with the season now on the line.
After starting the season 6-1, the Maroons went 4-5 through their past nine games, but last Saturday’s belting gave a timely reminder of the quality brand of football Newbridge is capable of.
Sunday is the second year in a row the two sides have met in the elimination final.
COACHES COMMENTS:
Matt Dillon (Newbridge) - “We know we’re not going to get what we got off Marong last week.
“We’ll be bracing for a fairly fierce Marong side to come at us on Sunday and a really tough game.
“Like last week, we’re not concerned about who we’re playing... it’s all about focussing on the way we want to play and we got the closest to that for the year over four quarters last week.”
Corey Gregg (Marong) - “Obviously last week was very disappointing, but we’ve spoken this week about putting that performance behind us and focussing on the work that we’ve put in all year to play finals.
“We took a fair bit of confidence two weeks ago in the way we were able to push Bridgewater for three quarters, but as disappointing as last week was, the boys are all looking to get stuck into finals footy and having another crack at Newbridge.”
TALE OF THE TAPE:
NEWBRIDGE
Won: 10 Lost: 6
Average for: 109.0 Against: 69.6
Quarters won: 42/64
MARONG
Won: 10 Lost: 6
Average for: 93.4 Against: 83.8
Quarters won: 35/64
SELECTIONS:
ADAM BOURKE - Marong (7)
LUKE WEST - Newbridge (4)
NATHAN DOLE - Newbridge (16)
KRISTEN ALEBAKIS - Marong (30)
LUCKY STEW - Marong (1)