Finals Round 3 - SportingPulse

FROSTY’S EFL THERMOMETEREach week, Peter Baird takes a look at the teams or players in the EFL that are catching our attention with theirgood, or bad, form. After careful deliberation, he puts the thermometer on the EFL and gives you his weeklynomination as to who’s hot and who’s cold.ON FIRESometimes it is described as ‘the monkey on the back’while others talk about the ‘elephant in the room’.Whatever you want to call it, some teams have baggagefrom past years when it comes to playing finals football.A murmur starts to develop in the lead up to the finalsseries and questions begin to get raised as to how the teamwill perform on the big stage and whether it will crumbleunder the pressure. There are a few clubs in the EasternFootball League that know this scenario all too well. Inthe lead up to last weekend’s finals games in Divisions2, 3 and 4, Rowville, North Ringwood and The Basinall were battling the demons of past finals series. Afterfinishing atop the Division 2 ladder this year, Rowvilleheaded into its Second Semi-Final against Montrose fullof confidence. However a shock loss to the Demonshad people wondering the Hawks were still suffering afinals hoodoo. Six losses from their past eight encounters,including the last four in-a-row, had observers questioningwhether or not the Hawks could be eliminated in straightsets two years in a row. For North Ringwood in Division3, there had been much hype about its failed finalscampaigns of 2010 and 2011. The Saints had earnedthe double chance both years and, after a straight setsdeparture in 2010 and a 1-2 record last year falling toDoncaster in the Grand Final by 65 points, finishing ontop this year was never going to be enough. For TheBasin, the record is perhaps even more daunting. Sinceits 2005 Second Semi Final win over the Waverley Blues,the Bears have played nine finals for just the solitarywin. Taking these records into last weekend, all threeteams stood up on the big stage, with Rowville smashingMooroolbark by 70 points, North Ringwood defeating theGlen Waverley Hawks by 31, and The Basin running out24-point victors over South Belgrave. For breaking theirfinals hoodoo last weekend, all three earn themselves theirplace in Frosty’s Furnace this week.YOUR GAME TODAYGONE COLD“The king is dead!” It is a phrase that has been used overtime to mark the passing of a ruler and the ascension to thethrone of a new monarch, as happened in 1952, when KingGeorge VI died and was succeeded by his daughter, QueenElizabeth II. On August 16, 1977, newspapers around theworld headlined their story of the death of Elvis Presleywith the same phrase. This week in the Eastern FootballLeague, it is somewhat fitting that Frosty’s Thermometermarks the end of the dynasty of the Noble Park FootballClub with the same catch cry. For the past two years, theBulls have dominated the Eastern Football League Division1 competition on their way to claiming back-to-backsenior flags. During this time, Noble Park has exerted asupremacy over its competitors and ruled the league, playingan attacking brand of disciplined, hard-edged football. TheBulls have been ruthless under coach Mick Fogarty. LastSunday out at Tormore Reserve in Boronia though, NoblePark was removed from its throne at the hands of long timearchrival Balwyn in the ‘Choose Tap’ Elimination Final. TheBulls were gallant right to the end, like a gracious monarch,in their attempt to complete a premiership three-peat. But aseason that was crippled by injuries to key players becamea hurdle too vast to overcome. Throughout the year, NoblePark lost skipper and reigning Chandler Medallist, CraigAnderson, as well as Brad Scalzo, to season-ending injuriesand were without the services of key players like ZiggieAlwan, Luky Cody, Glen Manson, Stewart Kemperman,and Craig Jacotine for extended periods. The end for Bullscame swiftly and mercifully, though, as Balwyn allowed theother Division 1 finalists to take a collective sigh of relief atthe elimination of Noble Park for season 2012. Only oncebefore has Noble Park not recorded a win in a month offootball, back in its EFL debut season of 2000. With fourconsecutive losses to end their 2012 campaign, the Bulls areforced to resign themselves into a place in Frosty’s Freezer.“Long live the King!”Wherever you are, whoever you’re watching, keep track of the scores and goals! We’d love you to give quarterly updates via Twitter; just mention@footyefl and tag the relevant division (#efldiv1, #efldiv2, #efldiv3, #efldiv4, #eflreserves, #eflcolts, #efljuniors).HOMEAWAYCOLTSQ1______ Q2______ Q3______ FINAL______RESERVESQ1______ Q2______ Q3______ FINAL______SENIORSQ1______ Q2______ Q3______ FINAL______COLTSQ1______ Q2______ Q3______ FINAL______RESERVESQ1______ Q2______ Q3______ FINAL______SENIORSQ1______ Q2______ Q3______ FINAL______11 THE EASTERN FOOTBALLER 2012