NEWBRIDGE has learned over the past fortnight to read nothing into what has happened previously in the Loddon Valley league this season.
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In week one of the finals the Maroons lost the qualifying final to Bridgewater after having twice defeated the Mean Machine in the home and away season.
Last Sunday Newbridge bounced back in the first semi-final to beat Mitiamo – a team the Maroons had lost to twice during the home and away season.
Again on Saturday the Maroons come up against a team they lost both home and away matches against – one of which was by 91 points – when they battle Calivil United in the preliminary final at Maiden Gully’s Marist College Oval.
The winner earns a shot next week at trying to stop Bridgewater from winning an eighth premiership in a row.
“We’re now really just worrying about what we’re doing, rather than who we’re coming up against,” Newbridge coach Matt Dillon said on Friday.
“It has taken a little while, but everyone now has a really good understanding of their role and is contributing.
“We know we need our full side up and going… we can’t rely on our top six to 10 players, and the fact we’ve had everyone contributing has been important for us over the past couple of weeks.”
Whatever momentum the Maroons lost when they blew a 15-point lead in the final quarter against Bridgewater a fortnight ago, they regained it last week with an impressive 49-point win over Mitiamo, which featured their biggest spread of goalkickers for the season with 11, while also getting through the game unscathed.
Tyler Romeril did a superb job in restricting Mitiamo’s Justin Maddern to one goal, and could get another big task on Saturday against the competition’s leading goalkicker in Calivil United’s Bryce Curnow (86 goals).
Curnow has proved a massive handful for the Maroons in both meetings so far, kicking 10 and seven goals.
Just as the Maroons were last weekend, the Demons – who sat on top of the ladder from round two onwards – are aiming to bounce back from a loss to Bridgewater after they were beaten by the Mean Machine in the second semi-final by nine points.
None of the three Demons players who were injured in the third quarter – Sam Green (shoulder), Henry Miller (ribs) and Brodie Fraser (shoulder) – were named in Calivil United’s team on Thursday night.
However, they have added two of their top defenders in Matt Magee and Alex Davis, who have both been out with injury.
“Injuries happen in football… we were fortunate throughout the season in that we were able to rest players when we needed to,” Calivil United coach Anthony Dennis said.
“We’ve had a target all season of finishing in the top three and making a grand final. We’ve ticked the top three box off, now we have to tick off the other one on Saturday.
“We know there’s plenty on the line on Saturday and the boys are all focused on bringing their best to the contest.”
The Demons – aiming to go at least one better than last year’s preliminary final exit – have already had one win this week, with captain Ben Knight claiming the Loddon Valley Harding Medal.
“It was a fantastic effort by Ben, but as he said afterwards, our focus is on winning a premiership and everyone is on the same page in trying to achieve that,” Dennis said.
Saturday’s game starts at 2.15pm.
• How they match up:
Calivil United:
Record – 15-2
Average for – 111
Average against – 61
Quarters won – 54/68
Newbridge:
Record – 12-6
Average for – 80
Average against – 71
Quarters won – 39/72
• This season:
Rd 5 - Calivil United 21.10 (136) d Newbridge 15.7 (97).
Rd 14 - Calivil United 20.8 (128) d Newbridge 5.7 (37).