It will be an exciting road trip down to RJ Rowley Reserve as Pearcedale and Devon Meadows meet in the Mornington Peninsula Division 2 preliminary final.
The two sides have become well-acquainted recently, with tomorrow’s match-up set to be their third meeting in four weeks.
Will it be an early Cruiz West hanger to kick things off for the Dales? Or an inspiring effort from Panthers’ fearless leader Joel Hillis to set the tone?
In the qualifying final, Devon Meadows roared to a 47-point victory and everything went wrong for an injury-ravaged Pearcedale side.
Before last week’s win over Somerville, Pearcedale had one win from its past five games, while Devon Meadows had won six in a row.
Last week’s 11-point loss to Frankston Bombers ended the win streak for the Panthers, but they were close – so close that they could taste victory.
Pearcedale overcome recent form and injury to beat Somerville by 22 points last week as Cruiz West (five goals) and Luke Daniel (three goals) propelled them into a prelim.
Coach Peter Bastinac said his side had to be on from the first bounce.
“We just have to bring our pressure like we did last week in that second half,” he said.
“If we bring that pressure, we can match them and hopefully it goes our way.
“It’s a prelim and it’s a test, it’s the chance to play in the last game of the year, so it should be a good game.”
LAST TIME THEY MET
A few short weeks ago, it was a train wreck for Pearcedale and while Daniel (six goals) and Brett Eddy (four goals) kept the Dales in the contest – the scoreboard flattered them.
The final margin was 47 points but could’ve been far worse if the Panthers kicked straighter, or if the Dales didn’t kick accurately with 13.5.
The scoring shots were 38-15 which tells the story of Devon Meadows’ dominance.
Admittedly, Pearcedale almost had players going down everywhere, quickly running out of rotations.
Cooper Thornton (concussion), Mason Morris (broken collar bone), Mitch Davis (quad) and Eddy (ankle) were just some of the casualties from the game – not to mention West, who was already sidelined with a shoulder injury.
But Devon Meadows was too good from the beginning; Joel Hillis and Nick Battle winning the midfield contest.
The Panthers’ ball movement was too slick for the Dales, who were forced to go long down the line in reply, struggling to play any good transition football.
This was largely due to the pressure from Ryan Hendy’s side, which could only be described as elite.
James Frawley (four goals), Arnold Kirby (three goals) and Lucas Thompson (three goals) did the damage up forward.
WOUNDED DALES
Pearcedale’s injury ward remains pretty full, but in a big boost to their winning chances, Brett Eddy is named to play tomorrow.
There is no doubt that having Eddy in the side makes them a lot better, freeing up Cruiz West and allowing Luke Daniel to get off the chain.
Eddy’s experience and pure strength in marking contests makes him hard to nullify – you can stop him for a quarter, two or even three – but he will eventually get his chances.
Mitch Davis (quad) and Cooper Thornton (concussion) will both miss, eyeing off a grand final return if the Dales win through.
RUCK BATTLE
There will be plenty of keen spectators keeping a close eye on the ruck battle.
The big men have been some of the best performing players on the ground every time these sides have met.
Pearcedale’s Huw Jones is an imposing figure, who dominates the hitouts most weeks and gives his midfielders first use.
But that isn’t all he offers to the side, his work at ground level and his willingness to lay tackle after tackle sets him apart from other big men.
On the other side, you have Arnold Kirby, the brilliant mid-season recruit from the NT, as well as Riley Simmons.
Simmons is more of a like-for-like player in comparison to Jones, whereas Kirby gives something different to the ruck position.
His athleticism, X-Factor and ability to push forward and hit the scoreboard has made him one of Devon Meadows’ most important players.
Kirby kicked two goals against the Dales in the final home-and-away match, and three against them in the first final – five of his six season goals.
Simmons and Kirby share the ruck duties, which seemed to have worked well against the Dales last time, wearing Jones out as the game progressed.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
#3 Joel Hillis (Devon Meadows)
A genuine superstar who is made for games like this. His leadership, grunt and ability to hit the scoreboard in a big way make Hillis a barometer for this Devon Meadows team. When the game is on the line, you want the George Osborne medallist playing for you.
#16 Jack Wilson (Devon Meadows)
He goes by Jack, but should go by ‘Mr Clutch’. Wilson had one of the best games of his season last weekend against Frankston Bombers, collecting 31 disposals and will be a key player in this contest. Pearcedale can’t afford to give him too much space or he may just bob up and kick another match-winner after the siren – could he do it for a third time?
#25 Dean Kent (Devon Meadows)
Kent is the co-coach of the Panthers and played 100 AFL games. He doesn’t stuff the stat sheet, but his importance to the side transcends numbers – he is the general in defence. His run and burst off half-back ripped Pearcedale apart in the first final and if his forward opponent doesn’t work the other way and go with him, he will do it again.
#22 Cruiz West (Pearcedale)
He has kicked nine goals in two games against the Panthers this season, and quelling his influence will go a long way to a Devon Meadows win. West is an incredibly tough match-up who is brilliant in the air and at ground level. He hated watching on in the first final with injury and will be excited to be back out there. Also comes in with confidence after a five-goal haul last weekend.
#23 Luke Daniel (Pearcedale)
With much of the focus on the Eddy-West duo, Daniel has gone under the radar a bit this year. He has 36 goals so far, including nine in the past two finals. His ability to capitalise on opportunities and kick six goals single-handedly kept his team in the match for long periods against Devon Meadows last time. He is running hot in this finals series.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Round 1 – Pearcedale by 30 points
Round 18 – Devon Meadows by 11 points
Qualifying final – Devon Meadows by 47 points
All roads lead to RJ Rowley Reserve in Rye, so pack the car, bring an esky, and settle in for some electrifying finals action – the match kicks off at 2.15pm.
