RELATED – WEEKEND FOOTBALL TEAMS
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• BENDIGO LEAGUE
STRATHFIELDSAYE v SANDHURST
Preliminary final – 3.10pm Saturday at QEO.
One spot in the BFNL grand final is vacant and it will be taken by either reigning premier Strathfieldsaye or Sandhurst on Saturday.
The Storm and Dragons lock horns in the preliminary final where the winner will advance to the grand final next week against Eaglehawk.
The Storm have carried the flag favourite tag for the bulk of the season, but look to have a challenge on their hands just to get through to the grand final against an in-form Dragons side.
The Dragons are coming off two finals victories, including a 104-point mauling of Kyneton last Sunday that was their ninth win in their past 10 games, with that patch of matches including a 46-point win over Strathfieldsaye at the QEO in round 14 built off the back of four quarters of pressure football.
Strathfieldsaye – which has never lost a final against Sandhurst in four September encounters – used up its double chance last week when beaten by Eaglehawk by 40 points in the second semi-final after the game had been in the balance at three quarter-time.
The Storm named captain Kallen Geary and Bendigo Pioneer-listed Hunter Lawrence as inclusions on Thursday night.
X-factor forward Daniel Connors and Zac East are ins for the Dragons, who named an extended squad of 24 ahead of the do-or-die clash.
• How they stack up:
STRATHFIELDSAYE:
Record – 16-3, 209.7%
Avg for/agst – 119/57
Quarters won – 63 of 76
SANDHURST:
Record – 14-6, 193.9%
Avg for/agst – 102/52
Quarters won – 55 of 80
• Season meetings:
Rd 4 – Strathfieldsaye 14.13 (97) d Sandhurst 12.6 (78).
Rd 14 – Sandhurst 16.14 (110) d Strathfieldsaye 9.10 (64).
• Head to Head: Strathfieldsaye 14; Sandhurst 10.
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• LODDON VALLEY LEAGUE
Grand final – 2.15pm
Saturday at Bridgewater
• How they stack up:
NEWBRIDGE:
Record – 15-2, 161.3%
Avg for/agst – 104/64
Quarters won – 45 of 68
MITIAMO:
Record – 12-7, 125.8%
Avg for/agst – 86/68
Quarters won – 41 of 76
• Season meetings:
Rd 5 – Newbridge 13.4 (82) d Mitiamo 5.12 (42).
Rd 14 – Newbridge 14.10 (94) d Mitiamo 13.8 (86).
• Since 1995: Newbridge 24; Mitiamo 27.
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• NORTH CENTRAL LEAGUE
Grand final – 2.30pm
Saturday at Charlton.
• How they stack up:
WYCHEPROOF-
NARRAPORT:
Record – 15-2, 140.7%
Avg for/agst – 84/60
Quarters won – 39 of 68
BIRCHIP-WATCHEM:
Record – 13-5, 151.3%
Avg for/agst – 81/53
Quarters won – 45 of 72
• Season meetings:
Rd 5 – Birchip-Watchem 12.12 (84) d Wycheproof-Narraport 7.4 (46).
Rd 12 – Birchip-Watchem 13.7 (85) d Wycheproof-Narraport 8.8 (56).
Second semi-final – Wycheproof-Narraport 10.14 (74) d Birchip-Watchem 8.12 (60).
• Since 2009: Wycheproof-Narraport 17; Birchip-Watchem 11.
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