St John's cause Power outage, Canterbury survive Snake scare ...

The first weekend of Division 3 Men’s finals football perfectly encapsulated the essence of September action. High-pressure, desperation, and the ability for any team to win on any given day.

Both victors in the first qualifying and elimination finals were favourites albeit, but they didn’t win without genuine challenge from their opposition.

St John’s will advance to the Semi Final after a dominant opening term defied a resilient Power House outfit.

The JOC’s kicked 5.8 (38), three of which was contributed by Timothy Werner, to Power House’s 1.1 (7) in the first quarter, instantly forcing Power House into catch-up footy for the remainder of the match.

Power House responded in the next term however, booting five goals to three to close the gap down to 19 points at the main break. Despite a strong wind factor, Power House restricted St John’s to extending their lead by just an additional 11 points. With a 30-point deficit, Power House coach Jeff Scotland viewed St John’s’ lead as gettable.

“We tried hard all day and at three-quarter-time I thought we might’ve been in range,” Scotland said.

“But they defended too well.”

St John’s were outscored in the last, however managed to keep their noses in front, recording a 19-point victory that ensures another double-chance clash against North Brunswick next week.

St John’s coach Tim Edwards credited the resistance of Power House whilst commending his troops.

“[I] was impressed with the standard of footy from both teams. Really worthy of a big final. In trying conditions both teams came to play,” Edwards said.

“Our boys had some really good moments and ultimately it was enough. Looking forward to next week’s challenge.”

2023 Division 4 Best and Fairest winner Corey Ely flexed his football craft, earning best-on-ground votes for the match. Werner, who ultimately scored five goals, and Callum Houghton cap off the JOCs’ best performers.

Jesse Muscatello was Power House’s best-on, joined by season-long vote-polling players Benjamin Circosta and Max McCulloch. Jack Taylor-Evans top scored with four goals.

Canterbury have survived a stunning second quarter from Richmond Central that flipped the game on its head.

The Cobras made the most of their opportunities in the first quarter, scoring 4.2 (26) to the Snakes’ 1.3 (9). Richmond Central returned from their quarter-time huddle with fire in the belly however, outworking Canterbury relentlessly in an unexpected twist.

The Snakes kicked 4.6 to Canterbury’s two behinds, heading into the sheds with an 11-point halftime lead. An upset was on the cards.

Yet, Canterbury would return to the field a hungrier outfit, the second quarter being the wake-up call they needed.

Ruing wasteful first-half goalkicking, Richmond Central’s efforts would unravel by three-quarter-time, as a late Liam Di Martino goal handed the Cobras back the lead. It was a momentum-boosting score, Canterbury surging with their tail up in the last quarter.

The Cobras went on to score 6.2 to the Snakes’ 2.3, keeping their premiership chances alive with a 26-point win.

Canterbury coach Josh Ward applauded Richmond Central for their persistent pressure throughout the final.

“To Richmond’s credit, they brought a lot of heat, and we struggled to execute for the first three quarters due to their pressure,” Ward said.

“But we were able to click and deliver our game plan in the last quarter and were able to run away with it.”

Brad Kelleher was all-round dominant for Canterbury, kicking a game-high three goals that earned him best-on-ground. Di Martino and Michael Wheeler were also amongst the Cobras best.

Jack Bilson, a high-polling Snake in 2024, was once again honoured as best-on-ground, as Eric Nelson punted three majors.

The loss closes the curtains on an outstanding season for Richmond Central, who stormed home in the second half of the year to lock in a finals spot. In their first finals appearance since 2014 (albeit qualifying in an unfinished 2021 season), the future looks bright for the yellow and black.

Only the top four teams now remain in season 2024, a group of clubs that only lost as many as four games, if not less, in the 18-round season.

North Brunswick return from the minor premiership bye with a blockbuster clash against St John’s. In the two encounters this season between the top two teams, the ledger is squared at one apiece, however their most recent fixture saw the JOCs victorious by 62 points.

A win in this match earns a spot in the Grand Final and promotion to Division 2. Expect the heat to be applied from the bounce in this one.

With Canterbury’s win, the Cobras take on Power House in a do-or-die semi-final next week. Another rivalry locked at 1-1 for their two meetings this season, the average winning margin between the two sides is just 12 points. An epic elimination battle awaits.