By Sophie Wheeler
The Wide Bay Seniors finals series will kick off this weekend with the Hervey Bay Bombers, the Gympie Cats, the Bay Power and the Brothers Bulldogs qualifying for a chance at the flag.
Hervey Bay Bombers vs Gympie Cats
Saturday, 18th August 2018
4:00pm ATW- Frank Coulthard Oval
Minor premiers Hervey Bay will battle second-placed Gympie for a reservation in the big dance in a fortnight’s time.
The two sides concluded the regular season on 52 points apiece, with a narrow percentage margin edging Hervey Bay into first place.
The two sides have been neck-and-neck all season, which all but promises that this weekend’s clash will not be a dull affair.
Across their four encounters this season, the Bombers and Cats have recorded two wins each.
The first two clashes in rounds 3 and 7 were nail biters with just four points separating the teams on both occasions.
Their next two clashes had wider yet almost identical scoring margins, with Hervey Bay winning in round 12 by 39 points and Gympie responding in round 17 with a 40-point victory.
The losing team will take on the winner of this weekend’s Bay Power and Brothers Bulldogs knockout final.
Bay Power vs Brothers Bulldogs
Saturday, 18th August 2018
4:00pm, Bay Power- Keith Dunn Oval
The Bay Power or the Brothers Bulldogs will have their premiership chances thwarted this weekend in their knockout semi-finals match.
Bay Power concluded their season on the same points as the first and second placed sides and will head into the weekend’s match five games clear of the Bulldogs.
The two sides have encountered each other four times this season in rounds 1, 6, 10 and 15.
Bay Power dominated in the first two clashes, but the Bulldogs managed to reduce their defeat to just 6 points in their third encounter and produced a narrow victory in their most recent contest.
The Bulldogs will need to dig deep and repeat a win to keep their finals hopes alive.
Capricornia Finals Preview
Yeppoon vs Glenmore
Saturday, August 18th 2018, 2:15pm
Swan Park
A spot in the Capricornia Seniors Grand Final will be up for grabs this weekend as the Yeppoon Swans take on the Glenmore Bulls in the second round of finals.
Minor premiers the Swans finished the regular season four games clear of the second-placed Bulls and are yet to lose a match.
The two sides have gone head-to-head three times this season.
Yeppoon have taken home convincing wins on all three encounters, scoring a combined 277 points more than Glenmore across the 3 matches.
Glenmore will head into this weekend seeking to maintain their recent spur of exceptional form, having not lost a match since last facing the Swans in round 11.
Regardless, the Bulls have a momentous task ahead of them and will need to produce an enormous upset to knock Yeppoon off their pedestal.
The loser of the match will face the Boyne Island Tannum Sands (BITS) Saints in a knockout preliminary final match.
