Sport
8 September, 2024
Stawell hold off Tigers and punch ticket to prelim | WFNL finals
Contested ball was a key according to senior coach Tom Eckel.
WFNL Finals
Football
The Stawell Warriors are through to the WFNL preliminary final after an 8.9 (57) - 7.7 (49) win against Nhill on Sunday, September 8.
Stawell will now play Southern Mallee at Murtoa on Sunday, September 15.
Warriors senior coach Tom Eckel was pleased with how his side persevered after the Tigers had waves of momentum.
"We got the good start, which was handy. Nhill came back at us, but we're still getting enough repeat entries inside 50 [that] there was no need to panic or stress.
"It was pretty hard to score in that last quarter. So, having those two goals was handy."
Eckel believed that the contested ball battle was key to the eventual result.
"We just won the contested ball, which is what we wanted to do; we got our hands on it first,"
"[We were able to] bank those early, quick goals, which would come in handy towards the end."
Eckel credited the work of Josh Fowkes in the ruck, Mitchel Taylor in key defence and Cody Driscoll inside the forward 50.
After it absorbed some early pressure, the Warriors transitioned the football from one end to the other before Ben Davis finished on the run.
Aiden Graveson and Cody Driscoll kicked the remaining goals of the term as the Warriors led by 17 points at the first change.
Driscoll added his second three minutes into the second term as Stawell kicked the first goal to the hospital end of Coughlin Park.
After its defence held firm, Nhill added its first goal through Jake McQueen after 14 minutes of the quarter.
McQueen's solo effort was the only other goal of the quarter as the Tigers reduced the margin to eight points at the long break.
After a strong pack mark, Drew Schneider converted a set shot after nine minutes to close the margin to three points.
However, Stawell responded immediately through Ash Driscoll after a stoppage.
Both sides traded late goals, and Stawell led by nine points at the last change.
As the rain rolled in, Cody Driscoll added the important first goal of the opening term less than three minutes in.
Xavier Bone snapped from a stoppage nine minutes into the quarter after Nhill had dominated territory.
James Sclanders looked like he had sealed the result after he snapped home a goal 17 minutes into the last term.
However, a major in the 23rd minute gave the Tigers a fighting chance, but it proved too little too late as Stawell held on by eight points.
Cody Driscoll finished with three goals for the Warriors.
Bone and McQueen added two for Nhill.
The Horsham Saints have secured a spot in the under-14s preliminary final after a 9.5 (59) - 3.4 (22) victory against Stawell.
Chase Kannar booted five goals.
The Saints will face Ararat at Murtoa Recreation Reserve.
Ararat has defeated Nhill 11.4 (70) - 6.7 (43) to book a preliminary final spot in the under-17s.
Jed Rhodes kicked seven goals for the Rats.
Up next for Ararat are the Horsham Saints.
A late comeback has secured Southern Mallee a spot in the reserves preliminary final with a 10.3 (63) - 9.6 (60) victory against Stawell.
Ben McGee kicked four goals as the Thunder will face Horsham.