Finals Preview: Week One - Victorian Wheelchair Football League
The Victorian Wheelchair Football League (VWFL) and Community Wheelchair Football League (CWFL) are gearing up for a huge first week of finals this Sunday 21 July.
The State Netball and Hockey Centre in Parkville will host four finals matches across both the VWFL and CWFL on Sunday, kicking off at 1pm. Matches will be live streamed via the Victorian Wheelchair Football League Facebook page, beginning at 12:50pm.
The VWFL finals series will kick off with a crucial elimination final between Collingwood and Essendon at 1pm, before Richmond take on St Kilda in a qualifying final at 2pm. The CWFL will run concurrently, with a qualifying final between Richmond and St Kilda at 1pm before the elimination final between Collingwood and Essendon.
See below for match previews and players to watch for each game.
VWFL Elimination Final
Collingwood Football Club vs Essendon Football Club
Ladder Position
Collingwood Football Club: 3rd - (5W, 3L- 135%)
Essendon Football Club: 4th - (2W, 6L - 88%)
Previous encounters
Round 2: Collingwood - 14.6 (90) def Essendon - 7.11 (53) - COLL by 37pts
Round 7: Collingwood - 20.6 (126) def Essendon - 8.5 (53) - COLL by 73pts
Key to victory
Collingwood: Synergy. The Pies can be so dangerous when they are in sync. In their previous match with the Dons, they had three players finish with five goals or more which set up a 73-point victory. If the Pies can work well as a team, they are one of the hardest units to beat. Martyn Ford and Josh Christian who are so versatile and can chop & change position’s will be another big key to victory. Watch out for Anthony Perito, he has X-Factor written all over him and can take a game away within a quarter.
Essendon: Sharing the load. The key to winning this game for the Dons will be ensuring that Caleb Logan doesn’t have to do majority of the scoring. Caleb finished the season with 74 goals, which was the second most in the league. His next best teammates on the goal-tally had eight throughout the season. The Bombers need to ensure their forward line has multiple options, whether that’s Jeremy Tyndall, Adam Georgelin or even putting Scott Van Gemert in for some forward minutes. The Bombers averaged 81pts throughout the season compared to Collingwood’s 96.
Player to watch
Collingwood: Patrick McKay – Had 19 combined goals in the two encounters with the Dons this year and was able to take control of both games.
Essendon: Jeremy Tyndall – A player who joined the competition this year and has been improving each week. Found a role in defence that he has flourished in but can play forward minutes. Has shown moments of brilliance that could come in handy come finals time.
VWFL Qualifying Final
Richmond Football Club v St Kilda Football Club
Ladder Position
Richmond Football Club: 1st – (7W, 1L – 208%)
St Kilda Football Club: 2nd – (6W, 2L – 172%)
Previous Encounters
Round 2: Richmond: 15.6 (96) def St Kilda: 7.6 (48) – RICH by 48pts
Round 7: St Kilda: 18.5 (113) def Richmond: 14.5 (89) – STK by 24pts
Key to Victory
Richmond: Defence. The only game the Tigers lost in 2024 was to St Kilda and in that game, Ryan Smith was able to put through a mammoth 17-goals. Richmond conceded 113 points in that contest, which was the most all-season, the next highest score they conceded was only 61. James Weinert who is a star defender and won the Kevin-Faulkner medal in last year’s winning Victoria Metro National Squad will have a tough job trying to stop St Kilda’s forward line. We know that James likes to get up the ground and works well with Tiesha in the centre-section but due to the prolific goal-scoring the Saints can put on, he may have to have more of a lockdown role along with club stalwart in Judeland Antony,
St Kilda: The Saints will be coming into this game with lots of confidence based off their previous game with the Tigers. What they were able to do well in that victory, was their transition ball coming out of the backline. Quick transition and sometimes a more methodical approach saw them find open space in the forward line as Ryan Smith had 17 goals on the day. They do need to make sure they don’t just rely on Smith, as he will garner lots of attention. Michael Milton will need to take his opportunities when they come if the Saints are to win this game.
Player to watch
Richmond: Tiesha Shadwell – One of the premier players in the league, who won the best-on-ground medal in their 2022 Grand Final victory. If Tiesha can stay on top of St Kilda’s Shaun Groenewegen in the middle, then the Tigers will have a great chance of winning.
St Kilda: Sebestian Welsh – Can play either as a forward or defender. Was a massive reason in why the Saints beat the Tigers earlier in the year. Has a knack of popping up in big moments of games and is a true game-winner.
CWFL Elimination Final
Collingwood Football Club vs Essendon Football Club
Ladder Position
Collingwood Football Club: 3rd – (4W, 4L – 165%)
Essendon Football Club: 4th – (3W, 5L – 84%)
Previous encounters
Round 2: Collingwood: 4.3 (27) def Essendon: 0.1 (1) – COLL by 26pts
Round 7: Collingwood: 8.4 (52) def Essendon: 1.3 (9) – COLL by 43pts
Key to victory
Collingwood: Defence! In the two games Collingwood defeated Essendon this year, they managed to only concede one goal in both of those games. Players like Brad Axford, Andrew Paddle and Alex McKay who have done a stellar job in the backline all seasons will be the key to victory for the Pies. If they can shut down Essendon for what would be the third time this season, then the Pies should have no trouble advancing into the preliminary final.
Essendon: Goals!! The Bombers have been inconsistent with their ability to hit the scoreboard in 2024. They were able to produce winning scores of 63, 69 and 97 throughout the season but on the other hand, they were kept goalless twice and under 10-points three times. If the Dons can recreate the form that we we’ve seen at stages throughout the year, then they are every chance to win this game.
Player to watch
Collingwood: Brad Axford – Started to find some brilliant form in the tail end of the season. Making the Team of the Week in three of the last four rounds of the season. Can play both forward and defence at a high level and will be pivotal for the Pies to win.
Essendon: Kaleb Powell – Was able to produce a career high six goals in a game earlier in the season and has shown glimpses of brilliance. He is also a team lifting type of player.
CWFL Qualifying Final
Richmond Football Club v St Kilda Football Club
Ladder Position
Richmond Football Club: 1st – (8W, 0L – 477%)
St Kilda Football Club: 2nd – (5W, 3L – 102%)
Previous Encounters
Round 2: Richmond: 10.6 (66) def St Kilda: 3.2 (20) – RICH by 46pts
Round 7: Richmond: 10.6 (66) def St Kilda: 4.5 (29) – RICH by 37pts
Key to Victory
Richmond: The Tigers don’t have to change too much of their playing style coming into this game. Going undefeated throughout the entirety of 2024, the Tigers just need to continue their brand of football, which is a team-first mindset. The Tigers have been able to utilize all their players and find roles for them that suit. They play with a lot of enjoyment and the chemistry between players is quite evident. Just keep being you Richmond, and you should be fine.
St Kilda: The Reigning Premiers haven’t fully recreated the from of 2023 but they did look closer to that form in the latter-stage of the season. Defence is going to be important as they will have to try shut down Bryant Parsons and Gabe Sharp who work brilliantly together. Shannan Sykes, Matt Ingram and captain Caitlyn Alger will be the key players in defence that can potentially put the Saints over the line.
Player to watch
Richmond: Bryant Parsons – Finished first in the league for goals in 2024 with 49 on the season. Scoring a combined 11 goals in the two games he played against the Saints this year. If Barge can fire in the forward line, the Tigers are hard to stop.
St Kilda: Piers Wall – One of the best centres in the Community League. He will have his work cut-out for him against a Richmond side that can put numerous players in that role, while Piers normally plays all of his minutes in the centre. If Piers can have a big impact not just in the centre, but also helping in the forward/back line then the Saints are every chance to win.
Click here for full fixtures and results.
