By ROY WARD
MINOR premiers Doveton Eagles are ready to enter the Southern Football League division 3 fray this Saturday.
The Eagles will play Moorabbin in the major semi-final at Ben Kavanagh Reserve, Mordialloc, and with a win can directly enter the grand final on September 22.
Eagles coach Paul Davis said his side was ready and raring for the finals football moving straight into the semi-finals as the minor premiers.
“The week off couldn’t have come at a better time,” he said. “We are ready to go and had a good week on the track last week, including a hard night last Thursday.”
The Eagles are further energised about the return of midfielder-forward Corey Wilson, who is expected to play after missing the past two matches due to injury. “Corey trained strongly last week and should slot straight back in,” Davis said.
The Eagles also hope to use their pace and skill on the bigger, harder confines of Ben Kavanagh Reserve after several weeks of muddy matches leading into the finals.
On Saturday Davis scouted the venue during the SFL division 3 qualifying final, which Moorabbin won by 11 points over Sandown.
“It’s a nice big ground,” he said. “We’ve been waiting all year to get onto a big ground in good conditions and use our pace.”
With the two sides playing tight matches in their meetings this season, Davis says Moorabbin will prove a tough opponent,
He also paid tribute to the efforts of the whole club this season to push the senior side into the finals after almost being dismissed from the league last year.
“My mum Jenny, as president, and our whole leadership group have been fantastic. Hopefully we can put all that behind us. We’ve a had a pretty smooth season and we want to take that through the finals.”
Sandown will play either Mt Waverley or Ashwood in the elimination final at Ben Kavanagh Reserve at 2pm this Sunday. Mt Waverley and Ashwood played in the elimination final yesterday. The match finished after the Weekly went to print.
Dingley played Cheltenham in the Southern Football League division 1 elimination final yesterday afternoon. The match finished after the Weekly deadline.
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