Kangaroos through to a fourth straight grand final appearance

FISH Creek have hopped into the grand final with a dramatic two point win in extra time on Saturday at Meeniyan.
The predicted weather held off and big game was underway under bright sunshine, Fish Creek took the early ascendancy kicking the first two through Hunt and Shaw.
Hargraves for Fishy was repelling Stony Creek’s attacks, his ball use dynamite.
Hutchison for the Maroons was composed cutting off the poor entries from the Roos as they cut a path through the middle kicking there first and only goal for the stanza.
Fish Creek had plenty of inside 50’s but could not convert.
Stony Creek’s defenders in Sigeti and Logan stood tall marking the long bombs in from the Roos.
Fish Creek was up by 14 points at quarter time.
Zuidema v. Manne in the ruck was proving pivotal.
Fishy onballers through Harfield-Park and Ethan Park doing the grunt work seemed to be getting on top willing the ball forward and the Roos kicked goals from Cooper, Wilson and Hunt.
The other big match was Bergles v. Hayes.
Bergles, the five time leading goal kicker, had his ears pricked slamming on two for the quarter.
Fish Creek’s inaccuracy at goal was preventing them from kicking away.
A strong Stony Creek defence only allowed the Kangas long shots at goal.
The Roos had Stony where they wanted them going into the second half, 18 points in front.
It’s a big ground at the Meeniyan Recreation Reserve, however and Stony Creek were using it very well, stretching the Fishy boys from side to side.
The Maroons came out with a take the game on mantra and it worked with goals through Bergles and Byrnes that saw the margin trim up.
Hargraves into the middle for Fish Creek gave the Roos a bit more run.
Hutchison with his pin point ball use was setting up the Maroons at will.
The dreadlocked Atkins was becoming busy around the stoppages along with Marriott and Newton receiving a lot of outside ball.
A late goal to Bergles gave Stony a sniff and it was game on at three quarter time with the Roos up by nine points.
Fish Creek attacked time and time again, but Logan for Stony stood tall taking towering marks and with his long kicking set up goals for Bergles and Nolan.
Manne was intercepting everything across half back, but Stony Creek’s ability to turn the footy over enabled them to attack kicking three for the quarter.
As scores drew level the bell rang and it was extra time.
Unbelievably this would be the second year in a row the second semi would be decided after normal time.
Harfield-Park received a free kick 60m out and bombed it long to the square where the big man Adlington took a mark and put the Roos a goal in front.
At the change of ends the next five mins would decide who went through to the big dance.
The Roos held a seven point lead.
The Maroons poured forward, a goal to Hutchison had the crowd on their feet. Bergles left foot snap hit the post, as Fish Creek held on by 2 points.
It was an epic battle, a fantastic second semi-final.
Fish Creek scrape through to its fourth grand final in a row and Stony Creek live to fight another day in preliminary final against the much improved Foster.

Clash: Stony Creek’s Darcy Atkins fights off Fish Creek’s Willem Voorham to gain possession of the ball. Photo courtesy Gerard Bruning-@ fourcornersframing.biz.

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Posted by Sarah Vella on Aug 21 2018. Filed under Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry