Five teams have been eliminated from the 2019 NAB League Boys season following Wildcard Round, with the weekend’s winners now joining the top three finishers on the ladder for this week’s start of the finals series proper.

The five higher-placed teams after the conclusion of the home-and-away season all prevailed over their lower-ranked opponents in Wildcard Round, with the fourth-placed Sandringham Dragons (10-6 record overall) earning the right to meet minor premiers the Eastern Ranges (12-3) in a qualifying final at Mars Stadium this Saturday from 2pm.

The Dragons were too strong on Saturday for the 13th-placed Geelong Falcons (3-12-1), whose campaign was ended in a 20.6 (126) to 3.5 (23) loss at Preston City Oval. The Falcons held a slender lead midway through the opening quarter, but Sandringham quickly powered away with 11 consecutive goals until early in the third term.

 

The victors boasted 12 individual goalkickers – including six multiple scorers – led by Miles Bergman with four majors from 18 disposals and eight marks. The Dragons also dominated possession, with Angus Hanrahan (game-high 29 disposals), Ryan Byrnes (28 and six clearances), Darcy Chirgwin (27 and six tackles) and Finn Maginness (26 and six clearances) all prolific.

In a promising sign for 2020, several bottom-agers were among Geelong’s best players, including Charlie Lazzaro (team-high 19 disposals), Tanner Bruhn (18 and four clearances) and Archie Hildebrandt (11 and two goals), while skipper Jesse Clark ended his consistent season with 16 touches.

 

Later on Saturday at Preston City Oval, the sixth-placed Northern Knights (9-7) advanced to an elimination final against the Western Jets at Mars Stadium from 11.30am this Saturday thanks to a 15.7 (97) to 7.13 (55) defeat of the 11th-placed Bendigo Pioneers (5-11).

The Knights were unable to shake Bendigo for the best part of three quarters, with the Pioneers still leading by five points with less than 10 minutes remaining in the third stanza before conceding nine of the game’s last 10 goals. Northern was too efficient up forward in scoring eight more majors from the same number of inside-50s, with bottom-age Knights tall Liam McMahon leading all comers with three.

Adam Carafa (game-high 31 disposals, 10 clearances and nine tackles) and Sam Philp (23 and six clearances) were standouts in tight for the winners, while Ryan Sturgess impressed across the ground with 16 touches, six rebound-50s and two goals.

Bendigo was well served by the likes of on-baller Thomson Dow (team-high 23 disposals), ruck Aaron Gundry (22, 12 hitouts and six clearances) and consistent bottom-age goalkicker Jack Ginnivan (two goals from 16 disposals).

 

Meanwhile, the seventh-placed Jets (9-7) will turn their attention to Northern after accounting for the 10th-placed GWV Rebels (6-10) at Box Hill City Oval on Sunday, 14.15 (99) to 7.7 (49). On the day co-captain Lucas Rocci claimed the club’s first-ever Morrish Medal, a strong-finishing Western booted the last nine goals of the match after the Rebels took a 10-point lead shortly before three-quarter time.

NAB League Boys leading goalkicker Archi Manton continued his heroics inside 50 for the Jets with four majors, bottom-ager Lucas Failli kicked three, and 19-year-olds Daly Andrews (game-high 34 disposals, nine marks and 11 clearances) and Will Kennedy (17, 37 hitouts and six clearances) gave Western a clear advantage at stoppages.

Mitch Burgess recorded a team-high 22 disposals (as well as 10 rebound-50s) for GWV alongside under-16 on-baller Ben Hobbs, with Jay Rantall (19 disposals and seven tackles) and Izaac Grant (two goals) also contributing well in defeat.

 

The fifth-placed Calder Cannons (10-6) suffered a scare against the 12th-placed Tasmania Devils (4-12) at Rams Arena on Sunday, but a 9.9 (63) to 7.15 (57) triumph saw them scrape through to an elimination final against the Dandenong Stingrays at Ikon Park this Sunday from 11am.

The Devils will rue their inaccuracy throughout the encounter, with scores level at half time despite Tasmania having posted five more scoring shots and then ultimately losing with four more scores and 11 more inside-50s. The Cannons, meanwhile, secured victory with three straight goals – two to Harrison Minton-Connell – in the game’s defining period from midway through the final term.

Calder’s defence held firm under pressure, with skipper Brodie Newman (22 disposals and 12 marks) and bottom-ager Campbell Edwardes (20 and 11 marks) proving integral in the win, while Sam Ramsay (game-high 33 disposals and 11 marks) and Daniel Mott (21 and five clearances) fired the Cannons forward from congestion.

The Devils had their first Victorian under-18 season under their current name ended, but the likes of 19-year-old Matt McGuinness (equal-team-high 25 disposals and nine rebound-50s), co-captain Jared Dakin (25 and eight clearances) and Will Peppin (21 and six tackles) did all they could to prevent it happening.

 

Finally in Wildcard Round, the eighth-placed Stingrays (7-8-1) snapped an eight-match losing run and will now face Calder following a 13.13 (91) to 10.10 (70) victory over the ninth-placed Murray Bushrangers (6-10) at Box Hill City Oval on Sunday.

Three unanswered Dandenong goals in the third stanza broke open an even contest and set up the result, as the likes of skipper Hayden Young (team-high 24 disposals and seven tackles), Ned Cahill (21 and three goals), William Lewis (19 and seven clearances) and Bigoa Nyuon (14, 18 hitouts and two goals) proved game-breakers for the Stingrays.

Dashing Bushrangers captain Lachlan Ash led all players on the ground with 27 touches, while tough midfielder Jye Chalcraft (22 disposals and eight clearances) and under-16 talent Josh Rachele (three goals from 17 disposals) also performed well in Murray’s loss.

 

In addition to Eastern, the second-placed Gippsland Power (11-4) and third-placed Oakleigh Chargers (11-4) earned a bye for Wildcard Round and will line up against each other in a qualifying final at Ikon Park from 1.30pm this Sunday.