First semi-final Sunday September 3

VAFA DIVISION 1 FIRST SEMI-FINAL

PRAHRAN v UHS-VU 2.30 pm Sunday September 3 at Garvey Oval, 1436 Plenty Road, Bundoora

SO the preliminaries are done, now for the ‘real’ season, finals.

Saturday’s final round match between Prahran and Ivanhoe was soon turned irrelevant when news filtered through that Glen Eira had rested some key players and virtually conceded their clash with Oakleigh which went on to win by 104 points and so deny the Two Blues the double chance.

UHS-VU led all day in the virtual elimination final clash with Therry Penola to earn a finals berth.

The Two Blues put the result of the clash with cellar dweller Ivanhoe beyond doubt with a 6-9 to 0-1 first quarter.

The 45 point win means the Two Blues won their last nine games of  the home and away season after an unflattering 4-5 win, loss scoreline at the half-way mark. 

This was a strange match on many fronts.
On a day where there was a zephyr of a breeze 21 of the 24 goals were scored at one end.

After their meek start Ivanhoe kicked four consecutive goals in the second term and went into the main break only 25 points in arrears.

The Two Blues snapped out of their lethargy with a seven goals third quarter.

The last quarter was a case of going through the motions, the Two Blues goalless while to their credit Ivanhoe, in its last game in the VAFA, added four goals.

Among best players were defenders Jayden Williams and Ben Galbraith with their accurate disposal by foot a feature.

The match continued the reinvention of Team Of The Decade players Jon Simonetta (5 goals) and Beau Adams (3 goals)  who started their careers as wingmen but late in football life have emerged as reliable goal kickers.

The sour note of the day was when forward Jackson Partridge’s season was over after a serious knee injury in the opening minutes.

One observation with two senior field umpires in charge was the rash of 50m penalties conceded by both teams .

In finals the more experienced umpires officiate and they are stricter in their interpretation of the rules, all of which means player discipline will be a definite factor.

PRAHRAN 6-9 8-11 15-12 15-16 (106)
IVANHOE 0-1 5-4 6-4 9-7 (61)

Goals:J. Simonetta 5, B. Adams 3, E. Espinosa, J. Stent-Powell, M. Clifford, D. Campbell, T. Seaman, B. Galbraith, N. Martin

Best :J. Stent-Powell, Z. Podmore, S. Chapman, J. Simonetta, J. Williams, M. Mayne

 RESERVES

UNTIL proven otherwise the scoreline of 43-22 could be a club record for Prahran/Southbank.

Undermanned Ivanhoe had as few as 15 players on the field as the Two Blues chased a mammoth percentage booster which fell 12 per cent short so was all in vain leaving the club in fifth place.

PRAHRAN 10-1 20-5 30-16 43-22 (280)

IVANOE 1-1 1-2 1-2 1-2 (8)

Goals: J. Matherson 10, P. Pavlou 8, N. Kellock 7, A. Perez 4, D. Marrows 3, O. Burke 2, V. Brigante 2, M. Woods 2, P. Rhodes 2, D. Walter, M. Grogan, D. Hughes Churchett

Best  :A. Perez, P. Pavlou, P. Rhodes, O. Burke, J. Panagiotaros, J. Matherson