ANOTHER EPIC LOOMS IN GF RE-MATCH
A year ago the O’Rourke Realty North Beach A-Grade team locked horns with Trinity Aquinas in the WAAFL Grand Final.
Tomorrow only one of those teams will get the chance to re-live that opportunity when they clash in the first semi-final at Bill Grayden Reserve – Trinity Aquinas holding home ground advantage on the basis of finishing higher after the qualifying rounds.
In the home and away season they played out two epic clashes, splitting the results, and on that evidence this will be a cracking game.
In the first game at Charles Riley Reserve, the Beach played some mesmerising football in the first half and then held on to win.
In the return bout, on the Boomers home saucer, the Beach led for much of the day but failed to capitalise on the opportunity and lost by a few points.
Naturally, Shane Paap and his team will be looking to reproduce their best football, which they re-discovered against University in the elimination final last week.
The Beach were simply unstoppable in the first half, lost momentum in the third quarter, but showed genuine steel to wrest back control in the last term to upset their more fancied opponents by a goal.
There is a genuine belief in the team and they are looking forward to the challenge against TA at a ground that holds no fears.
Meanwhile, the Lifenet A-Reserves will be playing for a place in the Grand Final when they play Trinity Aquinas at Millington Reserve – home of Scarborough.
The Beach earned the week’s rest last Saturday by finishing on top of the ladder and are refreshed and ready to go against a formidable opponent.
The A-Reserves are defending premiers and like the team that carried them to the pinnacle last year, this team is punctuated by youth.
It is one of the reasons the club is so excited about the dawn of a new era and it will be exciting to see them in action against a respected foe. There will be a contrast in this match, with the youthful exuberance of the Beach, combatting a more experienced opponent.
Also at Millington Reserve, the club will further showcase its future, with the Plasterwise Phil Scott Colts playing against their great rivals of the past five years, University.
Like the A-Reserves, the Beach will play for a spot in the Grand Final and are playing some of their best football at the right time of the year. With both colts teams still active at this time of the year it gives riser to optimism about the next generation.
This will be an intriguing battle and one worth taking the time to roll up early to witness.