Get your EFNL Women’s Footy Fix and read Tash Gunawardana’s weekend preview!
Premier Division:
SBL Wolves vs South Croydon: SBL Wolves tackles South Croydon at Belgrave South Recreation Reserve. South Croydon have won seven games and are third on the ladder and SBL Wolves have secured four wins and are last, so they will not play finals this season and will be hoping they can end their season on a high and take some confidence into next season.
Tip: South Croydon
Eastern Devils vs Mount Evelyn: It is the top of the table clash between the Eastern Devils and Mount Evelyn at Mulgrave Reserve in what shapes to be an appetiser before the finals. It might also be the grand final matchup in a few weeks’ time as these sides have been a class above the rest of the Premier Division in recent times. Eastern Devils will head into the match as favourites as they have only had 288 points scored against them and have dropped just the one game, a remarkable season to date. Mount Evelyn will need to bring their best defensive efforts if they want to come away with the victory.
Expect a great quality contest of women footy.
Eastern Devils – “Expecting a hard-fought game against the inform team of the division before facing off against week one of the finals,” Eastern Devils Senior Coach Jason Cridland said.
Tip: Eastern Devils
Vermont vs Donvale: Vermont clashes with Donvale at Vermont Recreation Reserve and it is the standalone Premier and Premier B crossover match. Vermont is currently fourth on the Premier Division ladder and Donvale are atop of the Premier B ladder, so expect a top-notch finals like clash. Both teams will feature in their own respective finals this season, so expect a high intensity finals contest.
Vermont – “Donvale are sitting on top of Prem B for a reason, so we are expecting a tough hit out,” Vermont Premier Coach Tim Da Silveria said. “We want to go into finals with confidence, so we will be looking to raise our intensity for this game.”
Donvale – “Last game of the home and away season with a good challenge in a crossover game against Vermont,” Donvale Coach Stephen Latino said. “Playing them last year, we know exactly what they’re capable of. We see this challenge as a good opportunity before finals to play against the best.”
Tip: Donvale
Premier B:
Whitehorse vs Boronia: Whitehorse takes on Boronia at Springfield Park. Whitehorse will be eyeing off a win in their last home and away match of the season. A win from Whitehorse could allow them to finish as the Premier B ladder leaders and overtake Donvale dependent upon other results. It could be the confidence Whitehorse needs to launch into a premiership assault.
Boronia – “It’s really exciting watching the results come through in Premier B at the moment, Whitehorse had a great win against Donvale last week, which just shows how tight our division is,” Premier B Coach Scott Nicholas said. “We came within three points against Whitehorse last time we played in a tight contest, so hopefully with a few adjustments we can take it a step further! They have some strong experienced players which will be a great test for our team heading into finals. We’re looking forward to a great game of footy!”
Tip: Whitehorse
The Basin vs Ferntree Gully: Ferntree Gully travels to The Basin to play at Batterham Reserve. The Basin will be playing in the finals, but Ferntree Gully will just be looking to end their season on a high as they have been winless all season and it would be fitting if they notched up their first win in the last round.
The Basin – “Really looking to bounce back after a tough loss against Boronia last week,” The Basin Senior Captain Julia Baker said. “Keen to hit the scoreboard this week under lights at home against FTG.”
Ferntree Gully – “Last game of the season for us, excited to play The Basin in the twilight/feature time slot,” Ferntree Gully Coach Tim Cavanagh said. “We were hit by Covid last week but played some great footy the week prior against Donvale and are confident we can recapture that form and finish the season on a high.”
Tip: The Basin
Division One:
Chirnside Park vs Park Orchards: Chirnside Park faces Park Orchards at Kimberley Reserve. Park Orchards has heaps of scoring power including Alannah Boell, Mia McAuliffe, Monique Trusler, Georgie Searle, and Penny Bowman, so Chirnside Park’s backs will have their hands full if they do not bring their absolute best.
Tip: Park Orchards
North Ringwood vs Beaconsfield: North Ringwood hosts Beaconsfield at Quambee Reserve in what is the third and fourth placed Division One matchup. Both teams will be looking to gain some form and confidence ahead of the finals.
North Ringwood – “Looking forward to a dress rehearsal to the first final,” North Ringwood Coach Jules Hanson said. “The girls have been working very hard on the track to implement some new layers to our game. I am interested to see how that translates into Saturday’s game.”
Tip: North Ringwood
Blackburn vs Ringwood: Blackburn and Ringwood will play each other at Morton Park. It will be the last game of the season for both sides, so both will be playing for pride come Saturday and hope they can take away confidence as they look ahead to the 2023 season.
Tip: Ringwood
Rowville – BYE
Division Two:
East Ringwood vs Kilsyth: East Ringwood and Kilsyth clash at East Ringwood Reserve. East Ringwood will finish second on the Division Two ladder even if they win or lose on the weekend, but the fourth placed Kilsyth will be keen to lock in the four points because if they do, they could climb to third spot if Surrey Park loses to Knox. Kilsyth has a lot to play for so East Ringwood should expect Kilsyth to come out all guns blazing.
Kilsyth – “The last home and away game we’re looking forward to playing East Ringwood,” Kilsyth Coach Clint Martin said. “The girls have improved since we last met so we’re expecting to be more competitive.”
Tip: Kilsyth
Heathmont vs Montrose: It is the bottom of the table Division Two contest between Heathmont and Montrose at HE Parker Reserve. Both teams have two wins apiece, so expect it to be an even match.
Montrose – “We were so excited that we were able to pull off a hard-fought win against Kilsyth,” Montrose Coach Shilette Baker said. “The future looks bright with the combination of what we have been building as a team this season and what we have coming through from the juniors. Last game this weekend – we’ve really enjoyed the games against Heathmont and hopefully we can get a game in to finish off. I’m sure both of use will be looking to finish off the season on a positive. Good luck to all the teams in the finals for 2022.”
Tip: Heathmont
Knox vs Surrey Park: The top of the table Knox battles it out against the third placed Surrey Park at Knox Gardens Reserve. Knox have been the premier team in Division Two all season and have only dropped one game. They will be a force to be reckoned with come finals time, but Surrey Park will be eager to walk away with the victory because they know a win will help them to lock up third spot.
Knox – “Despite the fact that ladder positions won’t change, playing Surrey Park in the last round is an important game for us,” Knox Coach PJ said. “The last two times we’ve met have been close and it’s important we push hard for the win to maintain our unbeaten record at home. We also may have to play them in finals, so a win will help us with maintaining a psychological advantage over them.” Tip: Surrey Park
Division Three:
Coldstream vs Mooroolbark: Coldstream takes on Mooroolbark at Coldstream Reserve. Coldstream will be playing finals, but they will be looking to win so they can move up to third on the Division Three ladder dependent upon other results going their way.
Mooroolbark – This season coaching the inaugural Senior Women’s Team at Mooroolbark has been an honour, a privilege and one of the best experiences of my life,” Mooroolbark Coach Domenic Ciancio said.
“I am truly blessed to have experienced the birth of women’s football at this awesome club. This weekend against Coldstream who we played in our first ever practice match will once again be a great challenge and we will learn just how far we have come this season. Not by the result but the way we play on the day.”
Tip: Coldstream
Nunawading vs Fairpark: Nunawading plays against Fairpark at Koonung Reserve. It will be Nunawading and Fairpark’s final match of the season, so both will want to finish it off with a win. Tip: Nunawading
Mitcham vs East Burwood: East Burwood travels down to Mitcham to play at Walker Park. On paper this match looks like it be a high-level contest between the second and third placed Division Three teams as they both embark on finals. Expect a great showing from two quality teams.
Mitcham – “Each week, we welcome a new challenge,” Mitcham Senior Coach Reece Thomas said. “We respect them and look forward to the challenge they will give us.”
Tip: Mitcham
Croydon North MLOC – BYE
Division Four:
The Basin Green vs South Croydon Red: The Basin Green and South Croydon Red will be looking to end the home and away season on a high with a win at Batterham Reserve, as they both look ahead to a Division Four finals series.
The Basin Green – “We’re looking forward to using this week’s game as an opportunity to test our ongoing development and growth throughout the season,” The Basin Green Coach Kirsty McConnell said. “We look forward to the challenge of playing South Croydon as we appreciate what they can bring to the table.”
Tip: The Basin Green
Eastern Devils Black vs SBL Wolves Teal: Eastern Devils Black hosts SBL Wolves Teal at Mulgrave Reserve. It will be a tough task for SBL Wolves Teal to topple the might of the ladder leaders, with Eastern Devils Black having just two losses this season. Tip: Eastern Devils Black
Vermont Gold vs Boronia Gold: Vermont Gold clashes with Boronia Gold at Vermont Recreation Reserve. The second placed Vermont Gold could finish atop of the Division Four ladder with a victory over the last placed Boronia Gold and secure a home final if other results across the weekend go their way. It looks like being an exciting end to the Division Four regular season.
Vermont Gold – “We are looking forward to playing Boronia on Saturday and setting ourselves up for the finals.”
Boronia Gold – “We are thrilled to have made it through out season with such a fantastic group of women, knowing we are heading into our final game of the season celebrating our small wins is a big focus.”
Tip: Vermont Gold
