By David Nagel
The 2022 champions take on the reigning premiers from last year in a desperate WGFNC elimination final battle that looks sure to go down to the wire.
Which of these two giants really has what it takes?
ELIMINATION FINAL 2
INVERLOCH-KONGWAK (4) V TOORADIN-DALMORE (5)
Sunday at Bass
LAST TIME THEY MET
Inverloch-Kongwak 11.4(70) def by Tooradin-Dalmore 11.10(76)
KEY PLAYERS
INVERLOCH-KONGWAK
Tate Short
The Team of the Year centre half back from 2023 was moved forward in round eight against Tooradin-Dalmore, kicked two goals, and hasn’t looked back ever since.
He has kicked 26 goals in 11 games since swapping ends, with bags of five and six in recent weeks giving an indication of his adaptability and ever-present danger to opposition defenders.
His likely battle with Adam Oxley will be exciting to watch and will have a huge bearing on the final outcome.
If Short can kick three or more, and use his elite defensive skills from last year to quell Oxley’s impact on the rebound, then the Sea Eagles could be well on the way to victory.
TOORADIN-DALMORE
Piva Wright
Powerhouse Piva is virtually unstoppable at his best and looks ready to reproduce the form that saw him claim the grand final best on ground medal in 2022.
Tooradin-Dalmore defeated IK by just six points at Inverloch in round eight this year and it was Piva that did all the damage.
He was simply too strong for the IK defence, booting four goals in a brutal display of sheer power.
If Matt Buntine, Brad Butler, Lewis Hill and Adam Oxley can win their fair share of the ball, and get it down quickly to Piva, the Sea Eagles could be in all sorts of trouble.
Butler is another to keep an eye on; but the Piva’s the man on Sunday.
OUR TIP
One of the two most recent premiership teams in the WGFNC will be licking their wounds by 5pm on Sunday; eliminated from the premiership race.
At the start of the season most would have predicted IK to go deep into September, while the loss of Brent Macaffer and Hayden Bertoli-Simmonds was expected to impact Tooradin hard; with a slide down the ladder predicted.
But new Seagulls coach Jordan Kelly has made some tough decisions and has reinvigorated his group with some fleet-footed youngsters who certainly don’t lack confidence.
Logan Downe has been eye-catching at times this year, while Xavier Shinners is making the step from promising talent to productive commodity look easy.
The inclusion of Matt Buntine has been huge for the Gulls this year, while Rory Neate has been tidy with some key roles in defence.
IK coach Tom Hams has suffered several setbacks this season, but none bigger than the loss of exquisite onballers Will Hams and Paul Pattison.
The pair was looking dangerous in the six games they played together before Hams went down with injury after a heavy clash against Phillip Island in round seven.
Pattison was probably leading the league medal count when he was also injured, suffering a facial fracture in round 13.
Fellow midfielders Oscar Toussaint, Ethan Park and Andy Soumilas are all class, but lack the elite leg speed of the injured two.
Expect the pace of Brad Butler, Lewis Hill and Shinners to cause the Sea Eagles all sorts of trouble and get the Gulls across the line.
It’s Tooradin to stay alive; and earn a date with Nar Nar Goon in week two, courtesy of a 13 point victory.
