Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
SEA Lake Nandaly and Birchip-Watchem have been the two heavyweight sides of the North Central league this year, but only one will be left standing after Saturday's grand final at St Arnaud.
Between them the Tigers and Bulls have combined records of 32-3, percentages of 541.0 and the only losses they have suffered have been against each other.
The upper hand though has gone to the Tigers, who have won two of their three meetings, including by 27 points in the second semi-final a fortnight ago.
"We've had a good lead-up and everyone is really keen; we've got all four of the football teams in on Saturday, so it's really exciting for the club," Tigers coach Joel Donnan said this week.
The Tigers have reached Saturday's grand final on the back of bowing out in the preliminary final the past two years.
"We were able to recruit really well this year, but probably the biggest thing is that right throughout the club we've got our gameplan filtering through... even the under-13s are doing some of the things we're doing in the seniors, which has been good to see," said Donnan, who played in a flag at Woorinen last year before taking on the Tigers' coaching role.
While any premiership is special, a victory on Saturday for Donnan would have that little bit of extra icing on the cake attached to it given he has three brothers - Kane, Trent and Wade - also part of the Tigers' grand final team.
"We've all proven that we can perform in big games, so I'm not worried about them not coming to play... they'll be all ready to go," Donnan said.
Wade and Trent - a 2017 premiership player at Strathfieldsaye - have been key cogs in the engine room for the Tigers.
Wade finished joint runner-up to Charlton ruckman Mitch Gleeson in the Feeny Medal with 17 votes and Trent wasn't far behind him on 14 votes.
Defensively, it's doubtful there would be many senior football teams across the state who have a record as stingy as the Tigers this season.
The 16-1 Tigers head into the grand final conceding an average of just 38 points per game - the figure had been as low as 34 after round 14.
"We've had a really good back six; they communicate really well and know where everyone is going to be," Donnan said.
"Jason Collins is our captain and he organises the backline really well; Nathan Wight has a lot of experience and is a fundamental leader in our backline; and Kane (Donnan) takes the best forward every week and does a really good job."
Down the other end the Tigers' forward line features the competition's leading goalkicker in Billy McInnes (70), while the team's dominance is kickstarted in the ruck by star veteran Ryan O'Sullivan - a winner of five league medals throughout his decorated career.
Saturday is Sea Lake Nandaly's first senior grand final since joining the NCFL from the disbanded Mallee league in 2016, while for Birchip-Watchem, it's the Bulls' third-straight appearance on the big stage.
The Bulls have lost the past two grand finals to Wycheproof-Narraport, but get another crack at trying to win their first premiership since 2001.
"The hunger multiples every consecutive one that you lose, so we'll have a really hungry group out there on Saturday," Bulls coach Lochlan Sirett said.
"After losing the first one (in 2017) we wanted to learn from our mistakes, but it was disappointing to lose again last year, so with another opportunity, that hunger is amplified to another level for the guys who have played in both.
"Probably the biggest things we've learned over the past couple of years is about the occasion and the intensity that the game is played at.
"You can't just tell someone what a grand final is going to be like, you have to experience it to really understand it and that's the same for the coaching side of things as well."
The Bulls enter the grand final with a 16-2 record and coming off a 23-point preliminary final win over Charlton last Saturday.
Birchip-Watchem named three inclusions in its team on Thursday night with the additions of key forward Stephen Paulke (46 goals) from a shoulder injury, Riley Hogan and Fraser House.
"I'm confident we'll have a side that is arguably our best of the year," Sirett said.
Like the Tigers, the ability for Birchip-Watchem to stifle its opposition defensively has also been a trait of the Bulls, who have conceded just 43 points per game.
Although, in their two losses to the Tigers the Bulls gave up scores of 94 and 100.
The Bulls' side includes the winner of the Rookie of the Year in Will Sheahan, who is one of only three Birchip-Watchem players, along with Jacob Christie and Lachlan Foott, to have played every game.
Saturday's senior grand final starts at 2.30pm.
THE TEAMS:
B: R. Craig, N. Wight, L. Martin
HB: J. Collins, K. Donnan, B. Adcock
C: J. Schaper, A. Pollock, T. Wemyss
HF: J. McInnes, B. Collins, J. Donnan
F: M. Elliott, B. McInnes, W. Donnan
R: R. O'Sullivan, B. Delmenico, T. Donnan
Int: B. Weir, J. Poulton, W. Simpson
B: B. Colbert, J. Noonan, J. Lindeback
HB: F. House, S. Paulke, J. Christie
C: W. Sheahan, B. Hogan, J. Reid
HF: L. Foott, D. Hinkley, N. Gordon
F: R. Vesikuru, L. Sirett, A. Noonan
R: D. Grining, S. Simmons, S. Pye
Int: J. Goldsmith, J. Lee, R. Hogan
In: R. Hogan, F. House, S. Paulke
Out: M. Barry, N. Robertson, B. Lee
SEASON MEETINGS:
Round 5 - Sea Lake Nandaly 15.4 (94) def Birchip-Watchem 7.6 (48).
Feeny Medal: 3 - Wade Donnan (SLNT) 2 - Matt Elliott (SLNT) 1 - Stefan Pye (BW)
Round 12 - Birchip-Watchem 6.9 (45) def Sea Lake Nandaly 5.5 (35).
Feeny Medal: 3 - Stefan Pye (BW) 2 - Ryan O'Sullivan (SLNT) 1 - Nathan Gordon (BW)
2nd semi-final - Sea Lake Nandaly 15.10 (100) def Birchip-Watchem 10.13 (73).
Saturday's North Central league grand finals:
FOOTBALL
SENIORS:
Sea Lake Nandaly v
Birchip-Watchem
RESERVES:
Sea Lake Nandaly v
Wedderburn
UNDER-16S:
Sea Lake Nandaly v
Birchip-Watchem
UNDER-13S:
Boort v Sea Lake Nandaly
..........................................
NETBALL
A GRADE:
Wedderburn v Boort
B GRADE:
Wedderburn v Donald
C GRADE:
Wedderburn v St Arnaud
16-UNDER A:
Wedderburn v Boort
16-UNDER B:
St Arnaud v Boort
13-UNDER:
Donald v Boort
..........................................
HOCKEY:
MEN:
St Arnaud v Boort
WOMEN:
Wedderburn v Charlton
UNDER-15:
St Arnaud v Boort
UNDER-12:
Charlton v
Birchip-Watchem
..........................................
TEAMS COMPETING:
Boort - 7
Wedderburn - 6
Sea Lake Nandaly - 4
St Arnaud - 4
Birchip-Watchem - 3
Charlton - 2
Donald - 2
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.