First Semi-Final (1.05pm Sunday 1 September @ Morphett Vale)Cove and Reynella clash in the knockout sem-final with the winner to advance to the Preliminary Final next week at Flagstaff Hill. These two sides both won eight games and were separated on the ladder by 0.87%. To add to how even these two sides are they played on four occasions in the minor round with the record locked at 2-2! It’s a very hard one to pick. My tip...Cove by five points.Second Semi-Final (2.40pm Sunday 1 September @ Flagstaff Hill)Minor premier Aldinga face off against Flagstaff Hill with the winner to advance to the Grand Final at Aldinga on September 15. Aldinga have taken all before them on their way to the minor premiership this season, losing just one game and finishing 12 points clear of Flagstaff Hill on the ladder. The Sharks only loss came at the hands of the Falcons back in round five by 14 points but Aldinga have won the two subsequent contests by 15 points and 53 points. The Sharks have a potent forward line with the two leading goalkickers for the season in Cassandra Yerasimou (36) and Jasmine Smith (29). Flagstaff Hill will look to Alana Baker and Carli Morton to continue their stellar years. My tip...Aldinga by 12 points.

First Semi-Final (2.15pm Sunday 1 September @ Wisanger)Reigning premier Kingscote start their premiership defence with a trip to play Wisanger in the knockout first semi-final on Sunday. These two sides have met on three occasions in 2019 with Kingscote being victorious each time by 36 points, 61 points and then in the final minor round by just six points. This last result will give Wisanger confidence it can turn the tables on the Hounds and progress to the Preliminary Final. I’m not so sure though and I think Kingscote will be too focused to try and achieve back-to-back flags. My tip...Kingscote by 15 points.Second Semi-Final (2.15pm Saturday 31 August @ Western Districts)A place in the Grand Final will be at stake when the minor premier Western Districts Saints host the Parndana Roosters in the second semi-final tomorrow. The Roosters have been in good form with their only loss in their last five games coming against the Saints in round 14 by 16 points. The Saints have been a bit off the boil recently, having lost their last two games, but they should be well rested after the bye last week. Both these clubs have had their share of premiership glory in the past decade with Western Districts winning in 2017 and Parndana winning six flags in a row between 2008-13. It should be a classic. My tip...Parndana by 10 points.

First Semi-Final (3.00pm Saturday 31 August @ Strathalbyn)Victor Harbor start their quest for a fourth consecutive premiership when they take on Willunga in the double chance semi-final at Strathalbyn tomorrow. Victor are undefeated this season, as they were in 2018, so they will be full of confidence going into this game. Willunga can go into this contest with a ‘nothing to lose’ approach and throw everything at the Victor Harbor lineup and who knows what might happen. Victor have been far and away the best team in the competition this season so it’s hard to see an upset here. My tip...Victor Harbor by 12 goals.Second Semi-Final (3.00pm Saturday 31 August @ Strathalbyn)Goolwa face off against McLaren Vale in the knockout final. Goolwaa can draw on their recent finals experience having made the Grand Final last season. McLaren Vale have made great improvements this season after finishing in sixth position in 2018. I expect Goolwa’s finals experience may get them over the line in a tight one. My tip...Goolwa by two goals.

Clarendon will face off against Aldinga in the Southern Hills Netball Association Preliminary Final at Port Noarlunga tomorrow from 3.00pm. Both teams are coming off tough semi-final encounters last week and this game should be no different. Clarendon went down by three goals to minor premier Pulse while Aldinga had a four-goal victory over Meadows. Clarendon won the last encounter between these two teams back in round 12 by 26 goals and should have plenty of confidence going into this knockout final. Aldinga can draw on their great win over Clarendon back in round 9 when they defeated the reigning premier 33-22. Clarendon have vast finals experience so they may be a bit strong for Aldinga. My tip...Clarendon by 10 goals.

Kangaroo Island Netball Association - Week 1 Finals previewSecond Semi-Final (3.00pm Saturday 31 August @ Western Districts)Reigning premier Dudley United will go into Saturday’s semi-final against Western Districts full of confidence after finishing the minor round with seven consecutive victories including a 22-goal win over Western Districts back in round 11. Minor premier Western Districts had the week off last week after three tight wins so they’ll be well rested heading into the big clash. They can take confidence from two wins this season against Dudley United, albeit earlier in the season in round one and six. It should be a very tight game as a possible Grand Final preview. My tip...Dudley United by five goals.First Semi-Final (3.00pm Sunday 1 September @ Wisanger)The much improved Parndana Roosters face off against Kingscote in the cut-throat semi final on Sunday at Wisanger. The Roosters finished bottom last season with just three wins but have doubled that tally in 2019 to finish third at the end of the minor round. Kingscote rounded out their minor round campaign with a 16-goal victory over Wisanger to finish in fourth position. The teams played three times in 2019 with Parndana holding a 2-1 advantage head-to-head. My tip...Parndana by eight goals.

Hills Football League (Division 2) - Week 2 Finals previewSecond Semi-Final (2.30pm Saturday 31 August @ Kangarilla Oval)Kersbrook will be red-hot favourites to win their way through to a second consecutive Grand Final when they take on Gumeracha at Kangarilla Oval this Saturday in the second Semi-Final. The Brookers went through the minor round undefeated with an average winning margin of a whopping 86 points. Gumeracha finished the minor round strongly and continued their good form into the Qualifying Final last week where they upset the reigning premier Ironbank Cherry Gardens by 22 points at Kersbrook Oval. The teams met twice during the minor round with Kersbrook winning by 92 points in round four and by 52 points in round 13. The Magpies can take some heart from the round 13 clash as they only trailed by 10 points at half-time before being blown away after the long break. The Brookers have plenty of forward power with seven players kicking 20 goals or more this season, led by Charlie Graeber who took out the Division Two goal kicking award with 48 majors. Brendon Moon has kicked 39 goals for the Magpies this year and he’s been well supported by Ben Hanna with 28 goals and Sam Hanna with 27. Hard to go past Kersbrook in this one but it should be a cracker between the northern neighbours. My tip...Kersbrook by 27 points.First Semi-Final (2.30pm Sunday 1 September @ Mount Pleasant)Ironbank Cherry Gardens suffered a shock loss to Gumeracha in last week’s Qualifying Final and will need to bounce back against a buoyant Macclesfield to keep their dream of back-to-back flags alive. The Thunderers were brought undone by Gumeracha to the tune of 22 points last week with the Magpies kicking 20 goals for the afternoon. Meanwhile, Macclesfield prevailed in a seven-point Elimination Final thriller against Bridgewater-Callington and will be full of confidence heading into another cut-throat final. When the teams met back in round five, the Thunderers were on fire, winning by a massive 116 points with Jeremy Johncock bagging seven goals. It was a tighter affair at Maccy in round 14 with Ironbank Cherry Gardens prevailing by 27 points. Adam Shearwood was the star that day with six of the Thunderers 10 goals. It should be an intriguing affair but I expect Ironbank Cherry Gardens to keep their premiership dreams alive. My tip...Ironbank Cherry Gardens by 21 points.

Willunga’s Daniel Bass won the Great Southern Football League Mail Medal after polling 26 votes at last night’s count. Brett Ellis of McLaren and Langhorne Creek’s James Sellar finished two votes back in a tie for second. Mount Compass’ Ziggy Vitkunas was a further two votes back in fourth position. Bass joined the Demons last year after playing 101 games in the SANFL for South Adelaide between 2010-2017 and was a big reason Willunga finished the season as minor premier.‘A’ Grade Final Leaderboard26 Daniel Bass (Willunga) 24 Brett Ellis (McLaren)24 James Sellar (Langhorne Creek)22 Ziggy Vitkunas (Mt Compass) 18 Sean Beath (Willunga)18 Steven Copestick (Mt Compass)14 Marc Elliott (Strathalbyn)13 Callum Tonkin (Encounter Bay)12 Benjamin Yeomans (Victor Harbor)12 Ben Simounds (Strathalbyn)Douglas Jones from Yankalilla won the Reserves Medal polling 20 votes to win by one vote from Rhys Evans of Mount Compass with McLaren’s John Atie a further vote back in third.Tom Pinyon of Mount Compass won the leading goalkicker award in ‘A’ grade with a whopping 112 goals, including 23 in the last two games of the minor round. Sean Jensen made it a ‘Doggies Double’ as he took out the ‘B’ grade leading goalkicker award with 50 goals.Finals start this Saturday at Victor Harbor and continue Sunday at Langhorne Creek.

Great Southern Football League - Round 18Reigning premier Langhorne Creek has roared into third spot at the end of the minor round and have set up an intriguing Qualifying Final clash with Mount Compass on Saturday. The Hawks were sitting at 5-5 after 10 rounds but have put together eight wins in a row which includes the scalps of all finals contenders. On Saturday it was Victor Harbor which felt the Hawks power with Langhorne Creek winning at Victor 15.12 (102) to 10.6 (66). The Kangaroos started well and held an eight point advantage at the first break but then the Hawks took over in the second and third quarters, kicking nine goals to three to open up a match winning 32-point lead at the final change. The last term was even before Langhorne Creek won by 36 points. Caleb Howell kicked four goals and Lachie McGregor three for the victors while Sam Basham and Luke Davey kicked three goals each for Victor. Mitchell Cleggett was best on ground for the Hawks and he was well supported by McGregor and Howell. Zac Dowling, Michael Ross and Jack Lang were best for Victor Harbor.Willunga wrapped up the minor premiership with a comfortable 51-point win at Strathalbyn. The home side started well but inaccurate kicking for goal (1.7) cost them a bigger lead than the 10-point advantage they enjoyed at the first change. Willunga awoke from their slumber and piled on seven unanswered goals in the second stanza to take a handy 33-point lead into the long break. A further six goals to three in the second half saw the final score blowout to 13.13 (91) to 4.16 (40) in the Demons favour. Billy Cook was best on ground for Willunga with four goals and he was supported by Sam Alexopoulos and Marcus Burdett. Ben Simounds was the only multiple goalkicker for the Roosters with two, taking his season tally to 57. Daniel Pegler, Riley Clamp and Joseph Slattery were amongst the best players for Strath.Mount Compass tuned up for the finals with a 95-point demolition at home against Yankalilla. The home side started well to lead by 27 points at quarter time before the Tigers bounced back kicking six goals to four in the second quarter to go in just 14 points down at half-time. That appeared to fire the Bulldogs up as they kicked 16 goals to three in the second half to win 26.9 (165) to 11.4 (70). Tom Pinyon continued his amazing season, kicking 12 goals to take his season tally to 112. Ziggy Vitkunas kicked eight majors for the Bulldogs. He now has 72 goals for 2019. Jed Durdin was a star up forward for the Tigers kicking five goals. Best players for Mount Compass were Steven Copestick, skipper Adam Hunter and Ziggy Vitkunas while for Yankalilla Ben Shute, Xavier Gotch and Jono Lee were named amongst Yankalillas best.McLaren finished their minor round campaign with a 29-point victory over Encounter Bay at McLaren Vale. The win saw the Eagles finish fourth and they will play Victor Harbor in the Elimination Final on Sunday. The game was tight for the first three quarters with McLaren holding a slim 10-point advantage at the final change. The home side pulled away in the last quarter kicking three unanswered goals to win 15.13 (103) to 11.8 (74). James Mathews kicked four and James Grimley three for McLaren while Nick Marshall was the only multiple goalkicker for Encounter Bay with three goals. Myponga-Sellicks got to sing their victory song for the first time in 364 days after a thrilling four point win over Goolwa-Elliot at Myponga. The Mudlarks got off to a flyer kicking six goals to one to lead by 30 points at quarter time. The joy was short lived for the home fans as the Magpies hit back in the second term to amazingly lead at half-time by a point. It was tight and tough in the third term with Goolwa-Port Elliot turning for home with a slender four point lead. In a fight to the end with the Mudlarks crowd roaring, the home side kicked two goals to one as the siren sounded for a 11.10 (76) to 10.12 (72) triumph. Bradley Clarke was best for the Mudlarks with three goals while Brock Godwin-Knott, Thomas Ferguson and Logan Payne kicked two goals each for the Magpies. Clarke was joined on the best players list for Myponga-Sellicks by Cambell Dahlitz and Scott Ogilvie with Ethan Cinc, Matthew Wiese and Brayden Miller named in the Magpies best players.Final LadderWillunga 29 points, Mount Compass 27, Langhorne Creek 26, McLaren 24, Victor Harbor 24, Strathalbyn 20, Encounter Bay 14, Yankalilla 10, Goolwa-Port Elliot 4, Myponga-Sellicks 2.

Southern Football League - Round 18Noarlunga has finished the minor round undefeated after another big win, this time over Christies Beach to the tune of 86 points at home. The Shoes have been untouchable this season, winning all 16 games by an average of 96 points! Christies Beach got off to a good start and held a narrow four point lead at quarter time. From that moment on it was all Noarlunga as they piled on 20 goals to four to win 23.10 (148) to 8.14 (62). Victor Robertson dominated up forward for the minor premier kicking seven goals and he was well supported by Terry Milera and Reece Martell who both booted four. For the Saints Ryan Parry kicked three and Jacob Crate two. Blake Carter was held goalless for Christies Beach but still took out the leading goalkicker award for 2019 with 72 goals. Best for Noarlunga were Nathan Schulz, Robertson and Josh Thewlis. Aidan Coakley, Mathew Hodge and Clayton Mesecke were gallant for Christies Beach. Noarlunga now have the week off to get ready for their second semi-final clash while Christies will need to bounce back against reigning premier Flagstaff Hill in the Qualifying Final on Saturday at Aldinga.Three-time reigning premier Flagstaff Hill are beginning to look ominous as they warmed up for finals with a crushing 113-point home victory over a hapless Port Noarlunga. The Falcons have now won six games in a row and will enter Saturday’s Qualifying Final against Christies Beach full of confidence. Meanwhile it was a shocker for the Cockle Divers as they prepare to play an Elimination Final against Reynella on Sunday as luck would have it, on their home deck at Port Noarlunga. The Falcons were ruthless opening up a 61-point lead by half-time before a further 11 goals to three in the second half pushed the final score out to 22.19 (151) to 5.8 (38). Flagstaff Hill had 12 different players kick goals with Ben Rossi leading the way with four. Rossi was named best on ground for the Falcons and he was ably supported by David Kearsley and Sam Smith. The Saints had all individual goalkickers while their best were Jed Hickey, Aaron Peterson and Matthew Skrypek.Happy Valley finished the season with six wins following a final round 66-point win over wooden spooner Aldinga. It was a tight game for the first three quarters with the Vikings holding a 16-point lead at the last change. Aldinga were confident they could finish the season in style by claiming their second win of the campaign but Happy Valley were having none of it in front of their home fans as they piled on eight goals to zero in the final term to win 16.10 (106) to 5.10 (40). Ryan Matthews finished the season on a high for Happy Valley kicking six goals and being named best on ground. Corey Mathewson was the only multiple goalicker for Aldinga with two goals while Nyaningu Thomas was named best for the Sharks.Reynella warmed up for their finals clash with Port Noarlunga with a tough 20-point win over Cove. Reynella dominated the first three quarters to lead by 40 points at the last change before Cove fought back in the last quarter with three unanswered goals to leave the final score in Reynella’s favour 11.12 (78) to 8.10 (58). Ben Lockett kicked three goals for the Wine Flies while Lincoln Holder played a lone hand up forward for the Cobras with four goals. Steven Farrelly, Bailey Marshman and Adam Broadbent were best for Reynella while Alex Shaw, Holder and Michael Galley were named best for the Cobras.Morphett Vale had the bye.Final LadderNoarlunga 32 points, Flagstaff Hill 28, Christies Beach 24, Port Noarlunga 20, Reynella 14, Happy Valley 12, Morphett Vale 10, Cove 2, Aldinga 2.

Southern Football League Women’s - Round 16Reynella grabbed the last finals spot available with a comprehensive 35-point victory at Morphett Vale. The win saw the Wine Flies finish fourth and send the Emus out of the finals race. After a tight opening term which saw Reynella lead by just two points at the first change, they kept Morphett Vale goalless from that point on to win 6.8 (44) to 1.3 (9). Rebecca Denyer was a star up forward for the Wine Flies with four goals, taking her season tally to 25. Brooke O’Brien was the solitary goal kicker for the home side. Emily Woods, Caitlin Williams and Shanique West were best for Reynella while for Morphett Vale it was Ellie-Louise Ellingham, Renee Harrison and Neve Le Duff on the best players list. Flagstaff Hill wrapped up second position with a comfortable 22-point victory over the winless Hackham Hawks at Flagstaff Hill. After a goalless first quarter, the Falcons through Soriah Moon slotted goals in the second and third terms before winning 2.10 (22) to 0.0 (0). Best players for the Falcons were Moon, Meghan Bell and Karen Galliford while for the Hawks Caitlin Ross, Chelsea Deeth and Courtnie Noble battled hard all day.Aldinga won their 11th game in a row to finish the season with the minor premiership and a 15-1 win/loss record. But they were made to fight by a committed Cove outfit. It was a dour struggle in the first half with neither team able to kick a major and the scores were locked together at the main break. Cove got on top in the third term kicking two goals to one and taking a seven point lead into the final term. Aldinga dug deep and held Cove scoreless in the final quarter and kicked 1.2 themselves to win 2.5 (17) to 2.4 (16). Jasmine Smith and Kimberly Robinson kicked goals for Aldinga while Jaime Norup and Samantha Franson hit the scoreboard for Cove. Best for the minor premier Sharks were Madison Russell, Sophia Flanagan-Sjoberg and Lauren Ferors while best for the brave Cobras were Emma Sandor, Franson and Kate Galley. Final LadderAldinga 30 points, Flagstaff Hill 18, Cove 16, Reynella 16, Morphett Vale 16, Hackham 0.

Southern Netball Association (A1) - Week 1 FinalsFirst Semi-Final (Aldinga v Meadows)Aldinga have overcome the heartbreaking fire that destroyed their clubrooms last Friday morning to win a thrilling knockout semi-final against a brave Meadows outfit 37-33. The win puts Aldinga into the Preliminary Final at Port Noarlunga where they’ll face the reigning premier Clarendon.Second Semi-Final (Pulse v Clarendon)Pulse have won their way into their second grand final in a row with a spirited 39-36 win over reigning premier Clarendon. Pulse started well and had a six goal lead by half-time but Clarendon came roaring back into the contest to level scores at the last change 29-29. The big crowd at Morphett Vale were treated to a fantastic game with Pulse reclaiming the lead in the final term to win by three goals. Clarendon will now face Aldinga on Saturday for the right to challenge Pulse in the Grand Final on September 7 at Kangarilla.

Hills Football League (Division 2) - Week 1 FinalsElimination Final (Bridgewater-Callington v Macclesfield)Macclesfield have eliminated 2016 premiers Bridgewater-Callington in a thriller at Meadows Oval. It was tough, tight and low scoring as the Blood ‘n Tars prevailed by seven points, 10.9 (69) to 9.8 (62). Maccy got off to a good start kicking to the town end scoring 3.1 (19) and restricting the Raiders to 0.3 (3). Bridgewater-Callington finally got on the board in the second term kicking three goals to two but still trailed by 13 points at the long break. The Raiders were working their way back into the game and by three quarter time they trailed by just a solitary point. A big final term was in store and it proved to be a ripper! It went goal for goal until first Isaac Cope and then Ben Flood goaled to open up a 13-point lead for Maccy with five minutes remaining. A strong mark and goal from the Raiders’ Sam Foutoulis gave them some hope but Macclesfield held on to win by seven points and set up an intriguing First Semi-Final battle with Ironbank Cherry Gardens at Mt Pleasant next Sunday. Joshua Lewis-Burns, Cope and Flood all kicked two majors for Maccy while Foutoulis and Jackson Hooper kicked three goals for Bridgewater-Callington. Brodie Hart, Jack Reynolds and Ryan Norton were named best for the winners while Hooper, Alex Bryars and Jack Bevelander battled hard for the Raiders.Qualifying Final (Ironbank Cherry Gardens v Gumeracha)Gumeracha have caused an upset by defeating reigning premier Ironbank Cherry Gardens by 21 points in a high scoring Qualifying Final at Kersbrook. The Magpies now progress to the Second Semi-Final to take on the undefeated minor premier Kersbrook for a shot at a Grand Final spot. Gumeracha started well to open up a 24-point lead at the first change. The next two quarters were even and Gumeracha turned for home with a handy 19-point lead. Ironbank Cherry Gardens pushed hard in the final term they were wayward in front of goal kicking 3.5 which cost them any chance as Gumeracha kicked four goals straight to prevail 20.5 (125) to 15.14 (104). Robert McCard was a star up forward for Gumeracha kicking six goals and he was ably supported by Brendon Moon with four and Matthew Armstrong who kicked three. For Ironbank Jeremy Johncock kicked four with Levi Grigg and Elijah Ware slotting three majors each. Best for a jubilant Gumeracha outfit were McCard, Matthew Marsden and Moon while best for Ironbank Cherry Gardens were Thomas Watton, Josh Rosman and Joel Van Paridon.

Great Southern Netball Association - Round 18Victor Harbor has completed the minor round undefeated for the second season in a row after a comprehensive 64-17 victory over Langhorne Creek at Victor Harbor. Victor are hunting down a fourth consecutive premiership and it would take a brave person to bet against them doing it. Langhorne Creek finished with five wins for the season, a good improvement  on their two wins from 2018. Victor Harbor will now take on Willunga in the second semi-final for a place in the grand final.Willunga travelled to Strathalbyn needing a win to secure second spot on the ladder and that’s just what they did recording a comfortable 49-31 win. Willunga will need a big improvement to challenge Victor Harbor in the second semi-final but at finals time, anything is possible. Strathalbyn finished the season in sixth position.Mount Compass finished their season in style with a tight one goal victory at home over bottom side Yankalilla. Mount Compass improved from just one win in 2018 to notch four victories for their 2019 campaign. It was a tough year for the Tigers as they finished without a win.Goolwa warmed up for finals action with a 54-44 victory at Myponga. The win for Goolwa puts them into a knockout semi-final against McLaren Vale next week. Myponga finished in fifth position for the season with seven wins.McLaren Vale had the bye. Final LadderVictor Harbor 32 points , Willunga 25, Goolwa 24, McLaren Vale 18, Myponga 14, Strathalbyn 13, Langhorne Creek 10, Mount Compass 8, Yankalilla 0.

Kangaroo Island Netball Association - Round 15Dudley United secured the double chance with a tight 44-40 win at Penneshaw over Parndana. It was the seventh win on the trot for the reigning premier after they won just one of their first five games. Dudley United will now take on minor premier Western Districts in the Second Semi-Final next week. Meanwhile Parndana will take on Kingscote in the knockout First Semi-Final.Kingscote warmed up for finals action with a good 52-36 win at bottom side Wisanger. Kingscote will be looking forward to going further in this year’s finals after being knocked out in week one of the major round last year. After a Grand Final appearance last year, Wisanger unfortunately could only manage two wins this season.Western Districts had the bye. Final LadderWestern Districts 18 points , Dudley United 16, Parndana 12, Kingscote 10, Wisanger 4.

Kangaroo Island Football League - Round 18Parndana has forced its way into second position at the end of the minor round my a mere 1.10% after crushing Dudley United at Penneshaw Oval in the final round by 114 points, 23.13 (151) to 5.7 (37). They will now face minor premier Western Districts in next week’s Second Semi-Final. Dudley United had a wretched season taking out the wooden spoon without registering a victory. Nathan Trethewey made sure of the leading goalkicker award as he bagged 11 goals to finish the minor round on 58. Clayton Willson played a lone hand up forward for the Eagles kicking three goals to finish on 41 for the season. Best for Parndana were Nathan Trethewey, Trad McMulkin and Zac Trethewey while for Dudley United Jake Lee, Sam Howard and Ryan Boers battled valiantly all day.Wisanger and Kingscote played out a thriller at Wisanger with KIngscote overcoming a nine-point half-time deficit to win 13.8 (86) to 12.8 (80). The two times will meet next Sunday in the First Semi-Final and hopefully the game will be as good as this one. Koby Cockshell kicked four goals for the victorious Hounds while Nick Berry kicked three for the Panthers. Rory Lovering, Paul Green and Rhys Lovering were best for Kingscote while for Wisanger Scott Hutchins, Patrick Hure and Sam Snowball were named in their best players.Western Districts had the bye. Final LadderWestern Districts 18 points , Parndana 18, Kingscote 18, Wisanger 16, Dudley United 0.

Hills Football League (Division 2) - Week 1 Finals previewQualifying Final (2.30pm Saturday 24 August @ Kersbrook Oval)Reigning premier Ironbank Cherry Gardens will make the long trip out to Kersbrook Oval to begin their title defense against a much improved Gumeracha outfit in an intriguing Qualifying Final match-up in Hills Football League Division 2 action. The Thunderers have had another excellent season losing just two matches (both to Kersbrook) on their way to second position at the end of the minor round. After missing the finals in 2018, Gumeracha have hit back hard and finished the minor round well with three consecutive victories. The last time these two sides met it was a high scoring encounter at Ironbank with the home side prevailing by 24 points in a game that saw a whopping 34 goals kicked. The crowd will be hoping to see a similar game for the Qualifying Final on the wide open expanses of Kersbrook Oval. The Thunderers have plenty of forward options with five players kicking 20 or more goals this season and they are well led by Will Muirden. The Magpies have Brendon Moon up forward with 35 goals and he’s been well supported by dual mail medalist Ben Hanna who has kicked 28 goals this season and been named best player for the Magpies on six occasions. It should be a great game but finals experience should count for the reigning premier. My tip...Ironbank Cherry Gardens.Elimination Final (2.30pm Sunday 25 August @ Meadows Oval)Macclesfield will make their first finals appearance since 2015 when they head down the road to Meadows Oval to take on 2016 premiers Bridgewater-Callington in the knockout Elimination Final. Maccy had the bye last week to freshen up while the Raiders went down to Ironbank Cherry Gardens, costing them the double chance. Maccy playing coach Denis Iljcesen looms as the major threat for the Raiders with the key forward kicking 42 goals so far this season. He has been well supported by Daniel Noble with 35 majors. Isaac Lallard and Ben Flood will look to continue their excellent 2019 campaigns and push the Blood ‘n Tars into week two of the finals. Youngster Jamie Drew has had a good season for the Raiders with 37 goals and Jackson Hooper holds the key through the midfield and has been handy up forward kicking 23 goals as well. The teams shared the spoils in their two clashes this year with Macclesfield winning in round five by 35 points before Bridgewater-Callington hit back with a comprehensive 66-point victory in round 13. Finals experience could be a key for the Raiders so I think they’ll win a tight one. My tip...Bridgewater-Callington.

Great Southern Netball Association - Round 18 previewVictor Harbor will look to complete the minor round undefeated when they clash with Langhorne Creek at Victor. Victor are hunting their fourth successive flag and would be odds-on to do so after another dominant season where their average winning margin has been 26 goals. Langhorne Creek has shown improvement this season with five wins after just two victories in 2018. It will be a big day for Victor Harbor's Kelly White as she celebrates her 300th senior game in the GSNA! My tip...Victor Harbor.Willunga travel to Strathalbyn knowing a win will shore up the double chance and a crack at Victor Harbor in the second semi-final. The Demons have dropped their past two games so they’ll be keen to get back on the winners list heading into the major round. The Roosters should be fresh after winning their past two games before the bye last week but Willunga should have too much to play for. My tip...Willunga.Goolwa travel to Myponga needing a win to have any chance of claiming second spot from Willunga. The Magpies need to win and hope Strathalbyn can knock Willunga off to grab the double chance. When these two sides met back in round nine Goolwa were too strong winning by 20 goals. My tip...Goolwa.Mount Compass will be chasing their fourth win of the season when they host winless Yankalilla on Saturday. It was a tight affair when they met back in round nine when Compass prevailed by six goals. My tip...Mount Compass.McLaren Vale have the bye.

Southern Netball Association (A1) - Week 1 Finals preview1st Semi-FinalAldinga will take on Meadows in the knockout semi-final at Morphett Vale tomorrow. Aldinga finished in third position with a 7-4 win/loss record while Meadows were fourth with a 5-6 win/loss record. Meadows have shown good improvement this season after finishing second bottom last season while Aldinga will look to bounce back after finishing minor premier in 2018 before going out in ‘straight sets’ in the finals. The last time the two teams met was back on August 3 and in a close tussle, Aldinga prevailed by six goals. Expect another tough game tomorrow. My tip...Aldinga.N.B. There is a Go Fund Me page (Rebuild Aldinga Netball Club) that has been created to help the Aldinga Netball Club after their clubrooms were destroyed by fire early Friday morning (23/8/19). Please get behind them after this terrible incident. Click HERE to help.2nd Semi-FinalPerennial powerhouse and reigning premier Clarendon face off against minor premier Pulse in the second semi-final at Morphett Vale tomorrow. Pulse only lost one game in the minor round and had success against Clarendon in two tight clashes by a combined eight goals. Pulse will be seeking to avenge their Grand Final defeat at the hands of Clarendon last year but Clarendon have amazing finals experience and success to draw on. It should be a cracker! My tip...PulseBoth games will be played at Southern United Netball Association (SUNA) (Wilfred Taylor Reserve, Sports Park Drive, Morphett Vale)

Great Southern Football League - Round 18 previewIt’s been one of the closest seasons in recent memory in the GSFL with just five points separating top of the ladder Willunga and fifth placed McLaren with just one round to go.The match of the round sees reigning premier Langhorne Creek travel to Victor Harbor with the prize of a double chance on the line. To underline how tight the competition is in 2019, Victor would’ve entered the round on top had they won last week (lost to Willunga by a point) and if they fail to knock off the Hawks they could slip as slow as fifth! Sam Basham has been in excellent goal kicking form for Victor Harbor with 28 goals in his last five games and 67 for the season. Langhorne Creek have plenty of avenues to goal with three players kicking 25+ goals for the season including Jarrod Kellock with 40 majors. When the teams met back in round nine it was an absolute cracker with the Kangaroos prevailing by nine points. A real toss of the coin to pick a winner. I’ll go with the home team. My tip...Victor Harbor.Mount Compass could pinch top spot with a win against Yankalilla at home tomorrow. They’ll need some help from Strathalbyn to beat Willunga though to make it possible. The Bulldogs sit second on the ladder and can draw level with Willunga if results go their way and with a superior percentage they’d take the minor premiership. Tom Pinyon has had an amazing season and brought up the magical ‘ton’ of goals last week when he bagged 11 majors. Expect more of the same tomorrow. My tip...Mount Compass.Willunga need to beat Strathalbyn to sew up the minor premiership and the week’s rest ahead of the second semi-final. It won’t be an easy trip for the Demons with the Roosters still an outside chance of making the finals. It’s out of Strath’s hands though as they’ll be relying on Encounter Bay upsetting McLaren and they’ll need a major swing in percentage as well to have any hope. My tip...Willunga.Last years runner-up McLaren can make sure of their spot in next Sunday’s Elimination Final at Langhorne Creek with victory at home against Encounter Bay. McLaren have been in excellent recent form having won four of their past five games. Encounter Bay have been inconsistent in 2019 and will miss the finals after finishing fifth last season. McLaren have too much to play for so I think they’ll win. My tip...McLaren.Pride is on the line as Myponga-Sellicks host Goolwa-Port Elliot in the last game for these sides in 2019. The Mudlarks are yet  to taste victory so they’ll be desperate to knock off the Magpies and sing their song for the first time in 364 days. Goolwa-Port Elliot have had a couple of wins this season and I think they’ll get their third victory. My tip...Goolwa-Port Elliot.Ladder (after 17 rounds)Willunga 27 points, Mount Compass 25, Victor Harbor 24, Langhorne Creek 24, McLaren 22, Strathalbyn 20, Encounter Bay 14, Yankalilla 10, Goolwa-Port Elliot 4, Myponga-Sellicks 0