THE Demons from Nyah Nyah West United stand in the way of Cohuna Kangas winning the Radio 3SH Central Murray senior footy premiership for the first time this Saturday.
Hundreds of fans will pack into Swan Hill Recreation Reserve to watch these teams fight for glory.
Defeats in the last two rounds of the home-and-away series to Mallee Eagles by 98 points and Nyah Nyah West United by 15 points cast some doubt about Cohuna’s premiership prospects.
The Jack Geary-coached Kangas bounced back to score an 86-71 victory against NNWU Demons in qualifying final one at Swan Hill Recreation Reserve.
Cohuna then outran Koondrook Barham in preliminary final one at Balranald’s Greenham Park to beat the River Raiders by 44 points.
Stung by the qualifying final defeat Nyah Nyah West United beat Hay in semi-final one at Nyah Recreation Reserve by 21 points.
The Corey Daniels-coached Demons then ended Woorinen’s run at back-to-back premierships by winning last Sunday’s preliminary final at Kerang’s Riverside Park by 41 points.
There is plenty of finals experience in both teams.
The Kangas have many players who have achieved premiership wins and earnt league fairest and best honours across central and northern Victoria.
Among them are coach Jack Geary, Ricky Monti and Tom Toma who starred in Golden Square’s grand final victory against Sandhurst in the Bendigo FNL in 2023.
Then there’s Kain Robins who played in Marong’s four consecutive grand final wins in the Loddon Valley from 2022 and was a premiership winner and Michelsen medallist in his time with Eaglehawk.
Another experienced campaigner is Joel Helman who won a premiership with North Bendigo in 2019 and was a Sam Cheatley medallist as fairest and best in the Heathcote DFNL.
Key players in Cohuna’s run to the grand final include ruckman Chris Anderson, Mitch Treacy at centre half-back, ruckman Chris Anderson, Brady Hore from a back pocket, and Lachlan English and Tyson Farrant at full-back and centre half-forward.
More than half of the NNWU team which was beaten in last September’s grand final clash with Woorinen by 12 goals have worked their way into this decider.
There will be plenty of motivation for Brayden Bigham, Charlie Boulton, Corey and Riley Daniels, Alex Erlandson, Mitch Grinham, Nash Richman, Jaydyn Stirling, Max Thompson, Nic and Zack Threadgold, Joel Walsh and Liam White.
Cohuna Kangas:
B: Brady Hore, Lachlan English, Cooper McLoughlan.
Hb: Jack Geary, Mitch Treacy, Jacob Mitchell.
C: Daniel Coates, Tom Toma, Ryder van der Zande.
Hf: Travis Ford, Tyson Farrant, Charlie Ford.
F: Corbin Anderson, Joel Helman, Kain Robins.
Foll: Chris Anderson, Ricky Monti, Sam McGlone.
Inter: Riley Hird, Hudson Fountain, Kyle Monaghan, Bailey Mitchell.
Emerg: Will O’Shea, Lee Pollock, Brady Walerys.
Coach: Jack Geary.
Nyah Nyah West United:
B: Zack Threadgold, Nash Richman, Jack Palmer.
Hb: Brayden Bigham, Joel Walsh, Jaydyn Stirling.
C: Mitch Grinham, Scott Carlin, Riley Daniels.
Hf: Max Thompson, Corey Daniels, Beau Schwarze.
F: Jonathon Ross, Alex Erlandson, Lachlan Ritchie.
Inter: Brady Davidson, Liam White, Nic Threadgold, Charlie Boulton.
Emerg: John Summerhayes, Murndarr McInnes, Ben Shadbolt.
Coach: Corey Daniels.
The run by the Cohuna Kangas to the seniors grand final:
Rd 1: 63-65 v Lake Boga at Lake Boga Sports Club.
Rd 2: 85-38 v Kerang at Cohuna Recreation Reserve.
Rd 3: 90-80 v Koondrook Barham at Barham.
Rd 4: 109-49 v Moulamein at Cohuna.
Rd 5: 91-63 v Swan Hill at Swan Hill Recreation Reserve.
Rd 6: 76-39 v Ultima at Cohuna.
Rd 7: 185-10 v Murrabit at Murrabit.
Rd 8: 31-35 v Hay at Cohuna.
Rd 9: 195-20 v Wandella at Wandella.
Rd 10: 204-10 v Tyntynder at Alan Garden Reserve, Swan Hill.
Rd 11: 149-23 v Balranald at Cohuna.
Rd 12: 57-85 v Woorinen at Woorinen Recreation Reserve.
Rd 13: 121-30 v Tooleybuc-Manangatang at Cohuna.
Rd 14: 28-121 v Mallee Eagles at Cohuna.
Rd 15: 80-95 v Nyah Nyah West United at Nyah.
Qualifying final one: 86-71 v Nyah Nyah West United at Swan Hill Recreation Reserve.
Preliminary final one: 111-67 v Koondrook Barham at Balranald’s Greenham Park.
Nyah Nyah West United’s run to the seniors grand final:
Rd 1: 102-46 v Woorinen at Nyah Recreation Reserve.
Rd 2: 94-54 v Tooleybuc-Manangatang at Tooleybuc.
Rd 3: 185-27 v Tyntynder at Nyah.
Rd 4: 100-53 v Mallee Eagles at Nyah.
Rd 5: 176-45 v Lake Boga at Lake Boga Sports Club.
Rd 6: 120-33 v Kerang at Nyah.
Rd 7: 109-46 v Koondrook Barham at Barham.
Rd 8: 109-27 v Moulamein at Nyah.
Rd 9: 120-35 v Swan Hill at Swan Hill Recreation Reserve.
Rd 10: 120-45 v Ultima at Nyah.
Rd 11: 190-36 v Murrabit at Murrabit.
Rd 12: 92-22 v Hay at Nyah.
Rd 13: 165-49 v Wandella at Wandella.
Rd 14: 143-30 v Balranald at Balranald’s Greenham Park.
Rd 15: 95-80 v Cohuna Kangas at Nyah.
Qualifying final one: 71-86 v Cohuna Kangas at Swan Hill Recreation Reserve.
Semi-final one: 85-64 v Hay at Nyah.
Preliminary final two: 114-73 v Woorinen at Kerang’s Riverside Park.
In the reserves competition it will be Mallee Eagles against Swan Hill from 12.30pm.
When they met in round 10 it was Mallee which claimed a 33-29 victory on its turf in Lalbert.
Their showdown in qualifying final one in Swan Hill ended in a 72-57 victory for the Eagles against the Swans.
Best for the Eagles in that contest were Clem Miller, Charlie Kingwill, Andrew McDonald and Angus McKenzie.
Mallee stormed into the grand final as it beat Ultima in preliminary final one by 76 points.
The Eagles’ squad for the gran final includes Brady and Ryan Fordham, and Ethan Pinchen.
The Swans bounced back to win semi-final one against Lake Boga by 37 points and then defeated Nyah Nyah West United by nine points in the second preliminary final.
Best for the Swans in their latest victory were Will Burns, Matt Battenally, Matt Pearse and Tim O’Brien.
Swan Hill’s team to tackle the Eagles includes Conner Arif, Patrick Conlan and Shannon Polglase.
It’s the Swans against the Saints as Swan Hill and Tooleybuc Manangatang contest the Colts clash from 10.25am.
In round eight the Swans won 55-39 at Tooleybuc.
The Saints charged to a 73-39 win against Swan Hill in qualifying final two.
Best for Tooleybuc Manangatang in that match were Connor Hazlett, Campbell Fisher, Jedd and Rydar Morris.
The Saints won preliminary final one against Koondrook Barham by 11 goals as Oaklea Bird, Callum and Julian Muir were among the best.
Swan Hill dominated semi-final two against Woorinen to win 174-22.
Best for the Swans in a 15-point victory against Lake Boga in the first of the preliminary finals were Sonny Beasy, Sam Brown, Jaron and Lane Cardenas, Thomas Robertson and Harry Hunter.
Grand final action kicks off 8.45am with the Mildura Health Fund under-15s match between Lake Boga and Swan Hill.
The Magpies won at Swan Hil in round 11 by eight points.
In qualifying final two it was Swan Hill which beat Lake Boga, 36-24 as Ryder Wilkins, Archie O’Brien, Lucas and Ethan Germaine were best.
Best for the Swans in a 56-29 win against Murrabit in preliminary final two were Jace Lloyd, Archie Brown and Finn Hufer.
The Magpies won a thrilling semi-final two against Koondrook Barham by five points and then beat Mallee Eagles in the first of the preliminary finals by 10 points.
Ethan Clarke, Jett Dedini, Emerson Doolan, Matt Haines, Lane Lynas, Leevi Mayes and Lucas Pay are among the players to watch in Lake Boga’s line-up.