WILL Darebin Falcons win their sixth in a row or can VU St Albans win their first premiership since 2004?

 

All roads lead to the home of women’s football, Mantello Holden Oval Coburg this Saturday (August 27) for the Victorian Women’s Football League Premier Division Reserves and Senior Grand Finals.

 

Reigning premiers the Darebin Falcons will take on VU St Albans Spurs in the battle for the Susan Alberti Cup with the first bounce at 2.30 pm.

 

In an astonishing effort, the Darebin Falcons will be aiming to win their sixth flag in a row.

 

The Falcons winning streak started in 2006 and they did not lose a single game until round 4 in 2011 when VU St Albans beat them by 48 points.

 

The Falcons team boasts plenty of premiership experience and they have also introduced some youth into the team. 

 

VU St Albans last played in the Grand Final in 2004 at Whitten Oval.

 

On that day they won their first premiership with a great win over Melbourne Uni and seven players from the 2004 premiership team will be playing on Saturday.

 

The teams have met three times in 2011 with the Spurs winning two of those encounters and the Falcons hitting back to win the Qualifying Final.

 

The Spurs beat the Falcons at Darebin in round four by 48 points and again in round 15 at St Albans by 22 points.

 

The Spurs went into the Qualifying Final at Nab Oval Preston as favourites but were missing their inspirational, spiritual leader Debbie Lee and backline general Melissa Hickey, both were injured in the last game of the home and away season. 

 

The Falcons got on top in the second quarter kicking four goals to one and they were never headed to run out 18-point winners. 

 

Jane Lange was strong up forward for the Falcons kicking 4 goals and the Falcons win gave them a week off as they moved straight into the Grand Final.

 

The Qualifying final loss was to be the Spurs only loss for 2011 as they hit back last Sunday to comprehensively defeat Diamond Creek at Bill Lawry Oval, booking their spot in this hotly anticipated Grand Final.

 

It was no coincidence that Debbie Lee returned to the team from injury for this match.

 

Both teams boast very strong line ups and will go into the game in good form.

 

Darebin are now coached by Anna McIlroy following the era of success under Peta Searle and are led by their inspirational captain Daisy Pearce.

 

Pearce, a member of the Victorian leadership group is a sublime user of the ball and a very strong and courageous player who will be willing her team over the line.

 

VU St Albans is led by Shannon McFerran who returned to the field in 2011 from surgery to remove a brain tumour. McFerran is one of the most courageous and inspirational individuals in sport.

 

The Spurs are coached by Lloyd Balshaw and Debbie Lee.

 

Some other players to watch out for on Saturday for Darebin include Jane Lange, Aasta O’Connor, Alisha Habib, Sam Smith, Lauren Arnell and Jessica Dal Pos.

 

This group is a mix of experience and youth with O’Connor, Habib, Smith and Arnell playing key roles for the Victorian team in 2011 and Dal Pos a star of the future making her way up from the Youth Girls competition. 

 

Lange is the Falcons leading goal kicker for 2011 with 45 goals.

 

The Falcons back line may be missing experienced defender Kristen Douglas who has a knee injury but they have added hard as nails defender Roi Boutsikakis to the team.

 

For VU St Albans watch out for Karen Paxman, Kylie Nicolaci, Emily Stanyer, Ashleigh Guest, Gemma Jones and Kara Donnellan.

 

Paxman, Guest and Donnellan also played key roles for Victoria in 2011 where their team mates included the Falcons players.

 

Nicolaci and Stanyer have both been in very good form coming into this game and Gemma Jones will be working hard up forward having kicked 30 goals in 2011.

 

The Spurs backline has been weakened by the loss of gun backman Melissa Hickey whose season is over after she suffered a serious knee injury. 

 

These two clubs have had very successful seasons in 2011.

 

Both clubs have Youth Girls teams that won the Premiership in their respective competitions and these two clubs will compete in both the reserves and senior Grand Finals on Saturday.

 

Both are very worthy but there can be only one premier.

 

 

Saturday 27 August 2011

Entry: $10 per adult, childen U15 free

Special guest perfomance by Tina "BOBBY" Macumber singing the national anthem

Reserves - 12 pm: VU St Albans Spurs v Darebin Falcons

Seniors - 2:30 pm: Darebin Falcons v VU St Albans Spurs