Seasons’ on the line in semis

Semi final 1

Melton v Sebastopol

WITH the winner set to advance into the 2022 McDonald’s Ballarat Football League grand final, there’s everything to play for this weekend when Melton take on Sebastopol this Saturday at MacPherson Park.

It’s no secret that there’s no love lost between these two sides in recent memory, with some close finishes including a back and forth 2019 preliminary final encounter.

All that history should make for a fascinating contest that will be played at an extremely high level.

The Bloods overcame a half time deficit to steam roll the Ballarat Swans last weekend.

Jack Walker put together his best game since returning from a broken jaw earlier in the season and kicked a couple clutch goals from the midfield.

On the same day but 70 kilometres away, Sebas were too strong for North Ballarat, winning every quarter of the match and being led all afternoon by vice-captain Lachlan Cassidy.

Yet the win came at its cost with Tony Lockyer injuring his ankle meaning a call up is in the offing for somebody in this one.

The Burras’ flexibility means that maybe it is a forward that could even replace Lockyer with Adam Forbes, Samuel Hill and out of favour spearhead Michael Powell all in contention this week.

Michael Searl also has a readymade replacement in Jack McNab waiting in the wings, the 2017 BFNL Team of the Year representative was best on ground in the reserves competition last weekend.

The last time these two sides met was back in round 11 where the Bloods took a 39-point victory over a depleted Sebas.

History is expected to repeat itself come Saturday.

Prediction: Melton by 30 points.

Semi final 2

Ballarat v Darley

Genuine 50/50 in this one with it being curtains for the loser as the Ballarat Swans take on the Darley Devils.

Both sides had their major gun player miss at the weekend, with Josh Gibson out due to a hamstring and Devils skipper Brett Bewely with a calf complaint.

Both are also an unlikely chance of getting up for this one with a high stoppage game expected here.

The Swannies have been the masters of winning the tight ones in season 2022 and possess arguably the best slingshot game in the competition with quarterbacks Nick Swain and Nick Weightman patrolling the defensive back 50.

If Darley are without Bewley again, coach Dan Jordan will be hopeful for a bigger performance out of Dylan Landt who struggled under the pressure in the weekend’s dramatic one point victory.

Nick Rodda could only muster the one goal in the win over East Point and with seven individual goal kickers, Jordan will be looking or somebody, whether it be Trent Angwin or even youngster Will Johnson to bag some multiple majors to give his spearhead a bit of a chop out.

The last time these two sides met, Ballarat won by 18 points at Darley Park as Andrew Hooper and Aiden Domic kicked three goals each.

The 2019 Tony Lockett Medallist, Hooper, is also carrying is own injury complaint into the finals series, but this weekend gives pundits the sense it could one of those afternoons where he is the difference.

Prediction: Ballarat in a tight one.