And just like that - It's Finals Time!! Congrats to the four coaches who have made it through to this years' finals series. Commiserations to @dmandrews @Chloe @Peter W @CamCamMan88 who all competed hard but unfortunately only 4 can go through. In a quirk of fixtures it's round 3 all over again with finalists playing each other from that Covid ravaged round, so expect to see vastly different sides and scores from that weekend!! Finals week one matchups look like this: Stuttgart Storm (6-2) vs Kyoto Kruisers (4-4) Congratulations to @TheTassieHawk and the Storm for finishing minor premiers for 2022. TTH has the team humming coming into week one of the finals while it could be said that the Kruisers @FreoDockers have limped into the finals thanks to some results going their way. Last time they met Storm 814 (T Lucas-Rodd 96, A Riddell 90, O O'Dwyer 77) def Kruisers 647 (A McDonald 96, M Prespakis 78, K Ashmore 69) Lima Llamas (6-2) vs Las Vegas Legends (5-3) The well drilled Llamas outfit, lead by @hoschke118, finished second on points scored by less than 100. Boasting a strong midfield, they will be hard to take down, however the Legends @Pearcey47 have reeled off 5 wins on the trot to be the most inform team coming into the finals. For what it's worth - Last time they met Llamas 703 (E Bates 84, T White 77, G Houghton 76) def Legends 613 (B Jakobsson 77, D Hooker 71, K Dempsey 64) Good luck everyone!
The Kruisers team is locked and loaded (barring any catastrophes at Sunday selection later today!!!) Def: Hannah Priest, Sarah Lampard, Lauren Butler (Kat Smith) Mid: Amy McDonald, Maddy Prespakis, Meagan Kiely, Jenna Bruton (Darcy Moloney) Fwd: Ebony Antonio, Charlie Thomas, Jess Fitzgerald (Kate Surman) Ruck: Celine Moody (Parris Laurie) IC: Mimi Hill, Alison Drennan (Kaitlyn Ashmore)
https://www.womens.afl/news/88622/sunday-teams-big-in-for-crows-star-lion-to-miss Reminder lockout at 7pm Melb time!
The Storm selection committee have named the side to take on the Kruisers @FreoDockers in our preliminary final matchup. Note that this team is subject to change Def = TLR, Verrier, Sherriff (Koenen) Mid = Webster, Parker, Ridell, Lamb (Egan) Fwd = Woodland, B Brown, Georgostathis (Lochland) Ruck = L Pearce (Tighe) IC = Gavalas, Cann (T Brown) 2nds - Watson, Garnett Injured/HSP - Newton, McEvoy, O'Dwyer
Progress score: Lima - 9/504 + Bates, Garner, Hickie, Stanton Las Vegas - 9/552 + Anderson, Hatchard, Ahrens, Bohanna
Midway through the 3rd quarter Stuttgart 8/515 leads the visiting Kyoto @FreoDockers side 8/351, by 164 points. The Storm will attempt to extend their lead in the early and mid Sunday match via Riddell, B Brown, Gavalas, Woodland and Cann vs Bruton and Butler for the visitors. The Kruisers will then have the prolific trio of Maddie Prespakis, Drennan and Hill taking the field to complete proceedings and decide the fate of this preliminary final.
Unofficial scores have the Storm 190 point winners over the Kruisers @FreoDockers 857-667 however injury concerns abound with Alyce Parker unable to play out the second half due to concussion.
Official semi final scores - Stuttgart Storm 863 defeated Kyoto Kruisers @FreoDockers 671 Lima Llamas @hoschke118 725 defeated by Las Vegas Legends @Pearcey47 803 The Minor premiers bursh aside the Kruisers to move through to the Grand Final where they will host the Legends who dispatched the Llamas to record their 6th consecutive Premier League win. Meanwhile the Kruisers and Llamas will be commencing plotting their 2022/23 season planning with the common theme of achieving swift ball movement under the pressure cooker of finals football the key to building on the excellent foundations they have laid this season and achieving the ultimate at the next time of asking.
Big congrats to the Storm and the Legends - this should be a cracker of a grand final - best of luck to both teams this weekend!