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00:00 Welcome to Thursday night Team Talk. I'm David Brio and I'm joined by Edward Holland. Good
00:04 evening.
00:05 Good evening David.
00:06 Well, it's been another big week in the football world in the Ballarat region. Of course, last
00:13 night, Wednesday night, we had the Central Highlands Netball and Football Best and Fairest.
00:19 You were there and it was a great night, wasn't it?
00:21 Yeah, it was a good night. Congratulations to Sean Ty winning the league Best and Fairest,
00:25 Central Highlands Football League and Kato Mira taking out for the third consecutive
00:29 year the Central Highlands Netball.
00:30 Yeah, you don't see that too often. You don't see consecutive Best and Fairest anywhere,
00:33 but to win it three times in a row is a great achievement. Of course, both of those players
00:39 still engaged in finals and playing this week in preliminary finals. So, yeah, a lot on
00:45 their plate as well as their individual honours. As always, they're focused on the team, aren't
00:50 they?
00:51 Yeah.
00:52 But anyway, they'll have time to sit back and savour that later on. Anyway, we're going
00:54 forward and it's preliminary final time in the Central Highlands. We've got two games.
01:00 We've got Springbank and Hepburn and we've got Gordon and Bungaree. And in the Ballarat
01:04 Football Netball League, on the football front, we have the semi-final. So, we have the second
01:09 semi which carries another double chance.
01:11 Yeah, so second semi-final at Daly and North at Daly Park and the first semi-final which
01:16 is an elimination final, Melton and East Point at City Oval on the Sunday.
01:20 Yeah, so perhaps some match-ups there that we didn't envisage coming. There are always
01:24 possibilities but I would suggest if you went back four or five weeks, you would have
01:30 got long odds for these to be the second-week match-ups in the Ballarat League.
01:34 Yeah, especially that East Point or the Melton and East Point match-up given where East Point
01:38 came from to sneak in the finals.
01:40 And the fact that Sebas with injuries has fallen straight out of the finals because
01:46 you would have, I think a matter of weeks ago, looked to be pretty well, well, they
01:51 looked to be the third team, didn't they? And a big show of getting through.
01:54 So, look, we'll go to the Central Highlands first though and on Saturday, it's Springbank
02:00 and Hepburn at Learmonth and yeah, this is a rematch of the same match-up in the preliminary
02:09 final of last year. You were there, Edward, it was a thrilling finish. It went right down
02:16 to the wire, as they say in the classics, scores were level, it looked like extra time
02:20 and of course, Springbank stepped up against the inaccurate Hepburn and kicked the winning
02:24 goal after the siren.
02:27 So will it be that close this year? Well, it's got the potential to be. Springbank goes
02:32 in as favourite and they welcome back three players to their side. James Curran, his brother
02:39 Jared, of course, James plays on the wing, Jared, the centre-half back, both those boys
02:47 relatively young in football terms, certainly, and they've come across the North Ballarat
02:51 this year and added a bit of vibrance to the side and the veteran at the other end of his
02:56 career, Chris Quinlan, he returns as well after missing just the one game. So the three
03:02 back in, the two Currans and Chris Quinlan.
03:05 For Hepburn, the big question again this week is will Andy McKay play? Now, I don't think
03:10 it's a question that will be answered until probably match day, as far as the outside
03:15 world goes anyway. I know after the semi-final win by the Boroughs, Coach Mitch Banner was
03:25 pretty certain that he'd have his staff forward, back and the side. I don't know if that was
03:30 just putting on a brave front or not, because I know he's still got a lot of trouble with
03:35 that leg, Andy McKay. So they'd naturally like to have him back, but it's really going
03:40 to come down to a medical opinion. So we'll see what happens there.
03:44 So it's a question that, as I say, we'll probably just have to wait until match day. I'm going
03:49 for Springback. I think I've mentioned a few weeks now, they are rightly the premiership
03:54 favourites just on their form. They've won 14 in a row, 13 home and away games to finish
04:00 off that season. They won their qualifying final and they're looking the goods, I think.
04:08 So they've really freshened up too. They've got those players back and they had a bye
04:12 in the last round, they've had a bye that last week, so they've only played once in
04:15 the last three weekends and they're raring to go. And very keen to get another crack
04:19 after losing the grand final last year.
04:21 On that game last year, you mentioned it was a prelim final from 2022, that Zach Boswin
04:26 etched goal after the siren. Was Hepburn favourites heading into that one? Has it flipped the
04:30 script a little with Springback this year?
04:31 I think it was pretty even. I think Hepburn may have had their noses in front last year,
04:35 I think. But anyway, when you get down to this point, there's nothing in it. As we've
04:40 seen, even in the couple of weeks of finals so far, you have a bad quarter here or there
04:47 and your chances can be gone.
04:48 Okay, Sunday, Gordon and Bungaree at Bunyong. And it's worth noting, this will be Hepburn's
04:57 third final in a row at Learmonth and this will be Bungaree's third final in a row at
05:04 Bunyong. So both those teams are really familiar. Gordon, the reigning Premier, they come in.
05:09 Now, their coach Adam Toohey has declared himself fit to play. Well, he's declared himself
05:14 that he will play. Whether he's fit, we'll find out. But he will play. Injured his shoulder
05:23 in that last round. And on that day, Gordon thought that's it, his season's done. What's
05:29 made the difference is he's avoided surgery. If he'd had surgery, no chance of playing.
05:35 He'd be in a sling, he said, for about three months or so, 10 weeks. So the fact he hasn't
05:40 done that, he's given himself a chance and he's willing to take that chance to help the
05:44 side get through. So he's a question, or he is in the big question mark, a bit like McKay,
05:53 for the Eagles is Gerard Clifford. He hasn't played for nearly half the season with a hamstring.
06:00 Similar story last year, had a hamstring late in the season, a bit shorter, came back for
06:04 the preliminary final and played in the grand final. He's more borderline this time. The
06:10 question is, do they risk playing Toohey, who could easily get knocked to that shoulder
06:16 and who knows what that might cause? And Clifford, they haven't declared him. And so there still
06:24 must be a little bit of doubt about this hamstring. So do they risk potentially losing two players
06:30 during the game that could cost them? Or do they just say, right, we're going in, we're
06:36 going to play both of them because we want to make the grand final. That's our best shot
06:40 and then we'll worry about what happens next week. So anyway, Clifford's a question. For
06:44 Bungaree, another player under a cloud, hasn't been in the side for quite a few weeks. And
06:51 that's young Ben Dodd, did a quad. The talk was, or the feeling was, outside anyway, that
06:59 he would be back fairly quickly, perhaps within three or four weeks, as you'd expect with
07:04 a quad, but it hasn't been the case. It's gone on and on. So it was obviously a lot
07:08 worse than perhaps the demons led on. He's another player that whether they name exactly
07:16 what their, how their team looks at the moment, he's a player they'll give every chance to
07:23 play. So there could be a player like McKay for Hepburn, Dodd and Clifford could be all
07:29 players that a call is made on the day about those players. I'm going for Gordon. I think
07:36 they've got the edge over Bungaree. Bungaree's done a great job. I just think they're a little
07:41 bit off the pace with these three sides, but then who knows, they've been wrong before
07:45 many times. Okay, so two big games, knockout games, winners into the grand final. Wow,
07:51 we're only nine days away from another big day. But anyway, that's enough from me. We've
07:57 already had a teaser from the Ballarat League, but let's delve into it in a bit more depth.
08:02 Yeah, so Dali and North at Dali Park, that was the game that's been moved from City
08:07 Oval. That's created a bit of controversy, has it? Yeah, a little bit of controversy
08:10 across the league. I think Spass is a little bit unhappy with it as well, given they had
08:14 to play at Eastern Oval, but that's been locked in. But yeah, move to Dali Park. Sorry, did
08:18 they try to get it to Barney Bush or it was locked in and they just had to go with it?
08:23 They would have had a few words, but it was locked in for the month and a half out. Well,
08:28 so was this one. I think the league, deep down, if Dali Park was available, we're always
08:32 going to move it here. It's just unlucky for North Ballarat that they're hitting the road
08:36 and playing out. It's not the first time. They've played a lot of finals down there
08:40 and when they've played finals each year, they have tended to have at least one, perhaps
08:45 even two at Dali. So it is a regular finals venue. Yeah, so these two sides have gone
08:52 a piece this season. Dali had the most recent win at Dali Park. But yeah, I think this one
08:59 is probably a little bit closer than everyone might be thinking. Dali heads in as favourites,
09:04 but Sam Glover will line up for North, the Collingwood VFL forward. So that's a massive
09:08 inclusion for them. And probably a little bit of an underrated out is Will Johnson,
09:15 who was rewarded for a strike, actually for headbutting against Melton. He's been a key
09:20 avenue to goal for Dali over the back half of the season. He's averaging three and a
09:25 half goals a game in the last eight games of the season. So Dali's goal kicking has
09:31 mainly been Billy Myers, Brett Bily and Johnson stepping up. So they lose one of those avenues
09:37 and if one of the other ones gets shut down, then you have to find another way to get some
09:41 goals flowing. So yeah, if North can shut down at least one of Myers and Bily, which
09:46 is a tough ask.
09:47 And they got the defenders to do that. You start the spread thing if you're looking for
09:51 that third forward.
09:52 Yeah, absolutely. You can also back in Brendan McCartney, I'm sure. There's probably two
09:56 of the best coaches in the league going head to head. And yeah, we mentioned the double
10:00 chance as well. So winner goes through to the grand final. Loser will play the winner
10:06 of Melton and Peace Point. Just back to Dali. Mace Cousins is a bit of a watch. He broke
10:10 his leg about six weeks ago and he's almost at full fitness. So either he might be playing
10:17 on Saturday or he could be rocking up the grand final. So we'll have to wait and see
10:21 for that one.
10:22 Melton and Peace Point in the first semifinal of the elimination final of the weekend on
10:26 Sunday. Melton 2-0 against Peace Point this season. They'll be without Riley Walker, who
10:32 was also reported against Dali. One match suspension. And I guess the talk of Peace
10:40 Point is Jordan Johnson. He's been ruled out of this game. Broken thumb. And he was, I
10:45 think...
10:46 Is he definitely out?
10:47 He's definitely out of this one.
10:48 Not a sneaky feeling that he could be a late inclusion and...
10:52 Don't be surprised if...
10:53 Just to throw the bloods off their game?
10:55 Yeah, well, don't be surprised if he's on the extended bench. But I'm going to say he's
10:59 definitely out. And I know Jackson Merritt and Jordan Johnson himself were holding out
11:03 hope that maybe he's a chance, but I don't think so. So that's at City Oval on Sunday.
11:08 Can I see your medical qualifications?
11:11 Not mine, personally. You can't see Jordan Johnson's either. So we'll have to see how
11:16 that goes. But I actually think I'm going to be bold and tip North Ballarat in the second...
11:23 To go straight into the big one?
11:24 Yep. I think just with the way it's gone, with moving to Dali Park as well, I think
11:28 they're a bit fired up and ready to prove a point.
11:32 And there's a little bit of a hangover from that junior game too.
11:35 Exactly. These two sides of the fence.
11:37 Again, a bit of controversy in the last couple of weeks.
11:40 That's my bold tip for three weeks to go. Is North going to be the first one through
11:44 the grand final? And I think Melton will make it 3-0 against East Point.
11:47 I'm confident a team will be wearing black and white in the grand final.
11:50 That's a huge call, David. And I like where your head's at.
11:54 Because it's a definite. That is locked in. We don't know which side. But then you are.
11:58 Yeah, for sure. And Melton, as you say.
12:00 Yep.
12:01 Any chances or not?
12:03 I think they're a chance. They've got probably up and about.
12:06 But I think they have nothing to lose.
12:09 That's the dangerous thing for Melton is that East Point didn't expect to be in finals in the first place.
12:14 Now all of a sudden they're in the semi-finals.
12:16 Yeah, obviously they go off the Eastern Oval because that is now with cricket.
12:19 But does the City Oval change any of that?
12:22 Because I know Melton's watched a few finals pre-COVID at City Oval.
12:30 And it is just a slightly different feel to the Eastern Oval.
12:35 Yeah, I'm not too sure.
12:36 I think, thinking back to Melton's one game at City Oval this year was a big, big win against Redan.
12:42 So, yeah, that will give them plenty of confidence, I'm sure.
12:46 Alright. So a lot to look forward to.
12:48 And of course, on Saturday, we should also mention that the BFLW have their grand final day.
12:56 So it's Seniors 130. It's at Mars.
12:59 So a big day.
13:00 And so that, yeah, 130.
13:03 And then of course the lead-ups with the under-14s, the under-16s and the under-19s.
13:09 Yep, so Daly and Redan.
13:11 So a big year for Daly, actually.
13:13 They could go to doubles this year.
13:14 Yeah, for sure. Well, they could.
13:15 And we wouldn't see that too often.
13:17 Of course, and a big weekend for women's football with not only the BFLW grand finals at Mars on Saturday.
13:27 On Sunday, we've also got a big match at Mars.
13:31 Yeah, the Bulldogs hosting Caitlin Ashmore, Ballarat's own.
13:34 Her Hawks coming to town on Sunday.
13:36 So AFLW action.
13:39 Yeah, it's a busy weekend.
13:40 Yeah, double-header there.
13:42 Alright, and then no special events next week.
13:46 Just a big build-up to the Central Highlands grand final.
13:49 And then, of course, it will be the turn of the Ballarat Football League after that.
13:53 So just war to war things happening at the moment in the Ballarat regional football world.
14:01 And, of course, we've still got junior finals taking place and the like.
14:05 And if anyone missed all the action from the Central Highlands Best and Fairest Night,
14:12 that's available online.
14:14 And, of course, on Saturday and Sunday, we will have live streams.
14:21 On Saturday, the Springbank Hepburn game at Learmonth.
14:25 As we mentioned last week, unfortunately, no signal there.
14:28 So we will be covering that game and then the replay will go up immediately after that.
14:34 So it'll be a Saturday evening.
14:36 And on Sunday, Gordon Bungaree will bring that live,
14:40 all the action live from Bunningham of that Nockett preliminary final.
14:44 So plenty of content for people wanting information and the like
14:50 on the Ballarat regional footy scene.
14:52 So any other news from you?
14:54 - Hello. - Any more coaches?
14:55 No, I think we've covered everything.
14:57 There's plenty of rumours, but maybe one day we'll report on those.
14:59 We'll mention that and we'll just wait for it to be reality
15:02 because if we reported on all the rumours, we'd be here all night
15:06 and we'd have to put another show on
15:08 and half of the information would just be tipped out the window anyway, wouldn't it?
15:13 So, Edward, thanks for joining us.
15:15 And we'll be back over the weekend with a wrap-up of some of these, all these games.