COUNTRY and Metro conferences cross over for a pair of Coates Talent League preliminary finals on Sunday. The four remaining premiership contenders will converge on RSEA Park in Moorabbin to decide who makes the cut for next week’s decider. We preview both fixtures.

Note: Squads will be updated as they are confirmed over the next day.

Sunday September 15, 11:00am @ RSEA Park

IN A NUTSHELL

The two highest ranked remaining sides from either conference meet in the first preliminary final, both with similar ambitions. Dandenong has won its last six games compared to Sandringham’s two-game streak, but the Stingrays’ last loss came at the hands of the Dragons in Round 15. The latter region will be gunning for a chance at its third-consecutive premiership.

H&A RECORDS

Sandringham Dragons: 4th (2nd Metro) | 10-5 | 123.9%
Dandenong Stingrays: 3rd (2nd Country) | 10-4-1 | 123.3%

LAST FIVE

Most recent first

Sandringham Dragons: WW | L | W | L
Dandenong Stingrays: WWWWW

WILDCARD

Sandringham Dragons: def. Western Jets 15.9 (99) to 3.5 (23)
Dandenong Stingrays: def. Bendigo Pioneers 12.7 (79) to 7.11 (53)

QUARTER FINAL

Sandringham Dragons: def. Calder Cannons 17.14 (116) to 8.8 (56)
Dandenong Stingrays: def. Gippsland Power 9.10 (64) to 7.16 (58)

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Round 15 @ Belvedere Reserve
Sandringham Dragons 11.7 (73) def. Dandenong Stingrays 9.11 (65)

SQUADS

Sandringham Dragons:

TBC.

Dandenong Stingrays:

TBC.

ONES TO WATCH

The midfield battle is a big watch here. Sandringham boasts a robust ruck in Brodie Findlay compared to the more athletic Dandenong frontliner, Jordan Doherty. The latter’s service will be key to feeding the Dragons’ quality on-ball group, but the latter can beat him around the ground.

Dandenong’s one-two punch of Harvey Langford and Cooper Hynes is complimented nicely by Elwood Peckett. Together, they are tall and powerful combination capable of giving any side trouble. Sandringham’s mix is equally talented, if not more so, but has a different set of skills.

Top-line talents Levi Ashcroft and Murphy Reid have run riot together with their ability to accumulate possessions around the ground. Add Samuel Marshall to that mix too. Goals can come from both sides’ engine rooms, but Dandenong can look to rattle the Dragons’ high class operators physically.

PREDICTION

These are arguably the best two sides left in the premiership race. Sandringham’s squad, on paper, clears any other region for its sheer depth of talent. How that comes together at the pointy end of the season has been observed in its two consecutive premierships. Though, Dandenong is well poised to spoil the three-peat and has quality of its own. Home ground advantage counts for plenty here, with Sandringham 5-1 at RSEA Park this year. Dragons by 7.

Sunday September 15, 1:30pm @ RSEA Park

IN A NUTSHELL

Two sides who have turned the tables on their bottom three home-and-away campaigns lock horns for the second time in a month at RSEA Park. That fixture marked Oakleigh’s last loss, and both teams have had to knock off the highest ranked regions of their respective conferences en route to the preliminary finals. Anything could happen from here.

H&A RECORDS

GWV Rebels: 11th (6th Country) | 5-10 | 92.1%
Oakleigh Chargers: 13th (6th Metro) | 4-11 | 72.5%

LAST FIVE

Most recent first

GWV Rebels: WW | L | WW
Oakleigh Chargers: WWW | LL

WILDCARD

GWV Rebels: def. Tasmania Devils 4.12 (36) to 5.4 (34)
Oakleigh Chargers: def. Calder Cannons 14.10 (94) to 10.7 (67)

QUARTER FINAL

GWV Rebels: def. Geelong Falcons 14.11 (95) to 12.10 (82)
Oakleigh Chargers: def. Northern Knights 9.16 (70) to 10.8 (68)

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Round 18 @ RSEA Park
Oakleigh Chargers 10.12 (72) def. by GWV Rebels 12.13 (85)

SQUADS

GWV Rebels:

B: #41 N. Bennett – #19 M. Lloyd – #1 A. Taylor
HB: #2 H. Charleson – #18 B. McGlade – #25 H. Toner
C: #42 R. Holloway – #12 A. Caldow – #30 F. Molan
HF: #7 O. Hannaford – #8 J. Faull – #16 H. Hicks
F: #31 T. Byrne – #20 F. Burmeister – #22 J. Grayland
FOL: #23 F. Penry – #3 R. Unwin – #6 J. Ough

INT: #5 W. Rantall, #10 H. Lawson, #17 S. McDonald, #21 R. Mast, #33 C. Glenwright-McGuane

EMG: #34 S. Janetzki, #36 B. Phillips, #40 D. Harten, #44 C. McKinnon

Oakleigh Chargers:

TBC.

ONES TO WATCH

Both sides go in with some key omissions. GWV will be without top prospect Sam Lalor, whose hamstring strain will also keep him out of the draft combine. Oakleigh has lost two-thirds of its Wildcard Round goals via Jasper Alger (finger) and Waylon Davey (suspension), but regain Zane Cochrane.

The midfield battle remains elite. Jack Ough has stepped up of late and is complimented by another tall ball winner in Archie Caldow, while small Rhys Unwin provides energy and speed. The Rebels’ size means Oakleigh stopper Noah Yze will have a key role to play on-ball.

The Chargers’ makeup is a little different, but all-round looks as well balanced as any side. Jagga Smith and Finn O’Sullivan work in perfect harmony on the attack, while Tom Gross can impact through the centre bounces when not winning games off his boot up forward.

An area where GWV can stretch Oakleigh is with its tall forwards, Jonty Faull and Floyd Burmeister. The Chargers did a great job of shutting down Faull last time, but if one of them doesn’t get you, Oliver Hannaford will. He did in Round 18, kicking a match-winning five goals.

PREDICTION

It’s another tight matchup here to round out the preliminary finals. GWV finished the home-and-away rounds with one more win, but given both teams have gone through enormous turnover throughout the year, things will look a little different. Their Round 18 matchup was a good indicator of what is to come. On the same surface, perhaps the same result will follow. Rebels by 10.