The Northern Footy Show

Daz & Pete have made their choices for the grand final, but Ben tipped...😎🤓🧐
Enjoy this weeks podcast out now!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Aj5227IiaxXCJcGcQJaLH?si=16c021be69a74302

🎙️ **YOU CHOOSE THE GAME!** 🏉

LSN Radio listeners—it’s your call! Which game would you like us to broadcast **LIVE this Saturday?**

🔵 **GAME 1 – Preliminary Final**
South Morang v Old Paradians
📍 Eltham Central Park
⏰ Saturday, 5 September at 2:10pm

🔴 **GAME 2 – Qualifying Final 2**
Heidelberg v Montmorency
📍 Epping Recreational Reserve
⏰ Saturday, 5 September at 2:10pm

👇 **COMMENT 1 OR 2 BELOW!**

The game with the most votes will be broadcast live on **LSN Radio** this weekend. Get voting and tag a mate who’ll be listening!

One of the NFNL's Greatest Skippers...Re-Signs for 2027

Daz commented "Kain is a leader, gentleman, amazing footballer and part of the Stars Dynasty it is creating. It's so much more than football for Kain...Its family".

🌟CAPTAIN COMMITS FOR 2027🌟
The Fitzroy Stars are proud to announce that our 2025 Premiership Captain, reigning Best & Fairest winner and current Captain, Kain Proctor, has recommitted to the club for the 2027 season.
Kain continues to set the standard both on and off the field. A fierce competitor, inspirational leader and true club man, he led our Stars to Premiership glory in 2025 and was rightly recognised with the club's highest individual honour as Best & Fairest.
Week after week, Kain drives standards, puts the team first and leads from the front when the game is on the line. His commitment, toughness and passion for the Fitzroy Stars make him one of the most respected players in the competition and a role model for our next generation of Stars.
In further recognition of his outstanding contribution to the club, Kain will also be formally awarded Life Membership at our Presentation Night in just a few weeks, a fitting honour for someone who has given so much to the Fitzroy Stars both as a player and leader.
Having our skipper locked in for another season is a huge boost as we look ahead to 2027 and continue building on the success of recent years.
Congratulations Kain, we're thrilled to have you leading the Stars again in 2027! ⚫🌟🔴

Bongo lined up in the 2s again today in their win over Diamond Creek . The man still has it ♥️

Old Paradians tame the Cougars...out in straight sets.

Greensborough deliver a finals smashing and the bulls season ends.

BURRA MAKE CLUB HISTORY

By Michael Thompson

IT’S history for St Mary's Senior Football & Netball Club, progressing through to the first Division 2 grand final in club history after a thrilling two-point win over South Morang Football & Netball Club.

The Burra perhaps made it a lot harder than it arguably should have been, having to repel wave after wave of South Morang attacks in the last term after sitting 37 points up midway through the third quarter.

Either way, the win was built off a powerful first half, featuring incredible forward half pressure, terrific ball movement along both wings and efficiency kicking for goal. We’ll get to the 0.11 they kicked in the second half later.

The Burra got off to a flying start, kicking the first three goals of the game.

Jack Cicitta kicked the first, before Harry Butterworth added another. When Cicitta had his second, the Burra sat 18 points up.

South Morang needed a firestarter and Josh Lansfield provided it from a set shot, but from the bounce, it was Tom Eames who restored the three-goal cushion for the Burra.

Eames then added another, and it was 24 points the difference at the first change, 5.3 (33) to 1.3 (9).

Nicholas Dean added another for the Burra and the margin was five goals.

The Lions, at this point, desperately needed something to keep themselves in the game. Jesse John Christidis provided it, but again, St Mary’s had an immediate response, with Huon Macgibbon kicking a goal from a set shot.

When Will Dean added the Burra’s eighth, it looked like it was a matter of how much the Burra. But if you can believe it, this was the last goal the club would kick for the day.

Lansfield kicked another to give the Lions something going into half time, trailing 3.5 (23) to 8.8 (56).

Early in the third quarter, it looked as though there was no indication the Lions would get back into the game, with St Mary’s wasting opportunities, kicking five behinds in a row.

But down 37 points, the Lions mounted a charge, and it was three goals in three minutes that did the trick.

The underrated Christidis added his second, before Seb Latina added a second. When Alex Kirkopoulos added another, suddenly it was three goals the difference, and it was 19 points at the last change, 8.14 (62) to 6.7 (43).

Early in the last term, the Lions kicked the first two and looked winners, with Chris Petroro kicking a goal, before Kobe Van Zwienen added another.

St Mary’s defended resolutely, and it took 17 minutes – following eight straight behinds between both teams – before Teague Van Zwienen got the margin within three points.

The Lions had one last chance in the hands of Lansfield, but his shot from long range skewed off the side of his boot, and it rushed through.

The 25-minute last quarter ended with St Mary’s winning 8.19 (67) to 9.11 (65). The Burra are through to the decider at Preston City Oval in two weeks’ time.

The work of St Mary’s’ defenders was critical. Joshua Carelli, Tarwan Rennie, Kieran Abbott, Dom Akuei, Nicholas Daisley and Lachlan Read were all named in the Burra’s best, while for South Morang, Ben Power, Kobe Van Zwienen, Petroro, Nathan Stefanile, Christidis and Tyson Gresham were all named in the Lions’ best.

Victorious coach Jack Bianchin was relieved, but excited about the prospect of the opportunity to perhaps get promoted to Division 1.

“It might sink in after a couple of beers. I can’t believe it – it’s been a long way for this footy club. We’ve been in the division eight or nine years, toiled away. We haven’t really recruited; we just play the kids. We played five or six under 19s, we play on low points every week. We back them in, biding our time knowing this time would come. It’s finally here – we’re stoked,” he said.

“It was built off the back of our pressure. The boys in the middle and up forward were outstanding, we just tackled and harassed and put them under the pump, which was the key. When we got it right, we got our hands on the footy and we spread. We used the wings, we got out wide and our ball use was terrific, choosing the right options.

“Our first half was outstanding, but we probably left a couple of goals out there.

“We felt they beat us in the second half, but if we kicked a couple of steadiers after kicking 0.11… it hurts, you don’t often get away with it. We would have liked to have taken our chances and swing the momentum back our way, but although they held that momentum, our pressure remained.”

Bianchin said the success of the club was through its defensive nous.

“Our back six are terrific. Dom is a brick wall – he’s the best defender in the comp for me, he has those Go-Go Gadget arms, he gets in there and gets to everything. He’s been super for us,” he said.

“We conceded 65 points, 40 points last week. Premierships are built on defence. It’s important for us.”

That’s not to mention the success of the club’s under 19s throughout the process as well.

“It’s been on the back of some of those kids. We’ve played 14 under 19s this year; five, six, seven of them have played almost every game, and they don’t just take part, they contribute heavily every week,” Bianchin said.

“The strength of our side is in the 22 – we feel we bat all the way down; everyone plays their role. It’s exciting times at the footy club.”

Bianchin is looking forward to a return to Preston City Oval after the club took over the ground last week, with both its women’s teams in the grand finals, and the Division 1 team taking the premiership. He said community, as well as delivering more potential success for the likes of long-serving veterans Daisley, Jake Dambrauskas and Nicholas Dean, drove the club.

“It was awesome to go to the women’s grand finals last week and see the sea of teal, white and black. Both groups are really close and support each other. We pride ourselves on having the best culture, environment in the league; that’s what we strive for across men’s, women’s programs, reserves and 19s, we see ourselves as one big group. When you see people coming to support us, we feel it is that, and we thrive on it too,” he said.

“Those guys were emotional after the game. Daisley was out of the team round two, in the reserves, but he’s taken his spot. He is tenacious, the way he defends, and he’s been super for us. I’m thrilled for him. Nick Dean is the same, he is a terrific leader.

“Nic Gedge, who is the captain for a long time, wasn’t out there today, but those guys still play a massive role during the year.”

As for preparations for next week? Bianchin hasn’t thought that far ahead yet.

“I haven’t had a think about that. It’s one to nut out over a couple of beers. We’ll reflect, start to plan the week. We’ll try keep the week as normal as possible, nothing much will change. We’ll train Tuesday, Thursday and then we might have a run around on Saturday morning as a get-together. We’ll reflect on the achievement of making a grand final, but we’re not satisfied with that. We’re not content with coming this far to only come this far. We have one more to tick off,” he said.

Laurimar to take on Ivanhoe in the GF next week.

Monty win and take on Heidelberg next week for a place in the GF

St Mary's off to a grand final!