IT may be hard to believe, but the second round of Tallangatta league finals were even more unpredictable than the first. In last Saturday’s second semi-final, where the winner would automatically progress to the grand final in a fortnight, Kiewa-Sandy Creek showed why they are the team to beat in a ruthless display against Yackandandah. The Hawks, who only lost one game during the regular season, extended their lead at every break to finish with a 50-point win – 13.16 (94) to 6.8 (44). The biggest story of the weekend was pre-season premiership fancy Beechworth being knocked out of the TDFL finals series in a stunning straight-sets exit. A rampaging Chiltern showed no mercy in the 55-point drubbing, where they kicked nine goals to two after quarter-time, thanks to impressive hauls from Mark Doolan (five goals) and Kyle Cooper (three goals). The Swans’ victory sets up a preliminary final showdown against Yackandandah on Saturday afternoon for a spot in the big dance, where both teams will back themselves to reach the final game of the season. If recent results are anything to go by, with a 64-all draw in their first meeting followed by a 10-point win to the Roos in Round 13, all three possible results remain a genuine chance. A combined margin of nine goals across both A grade finals highlights the evenness of the TDNA competition with only two finals remaining. In a shock result on Saturday, Yackandandah were behind on the scoreboard at the first, second and third break, but were in front when it mattered most to defy the odds and beat the previously undefeated Kiewa-Sandy Creek by two goals (40-38). Thurgoona has quickly forgotten about last year’s finals loss to Chiltern after exacting revenge against the same opponent in last Sunday’s sudden-death semi-final, with a dominant second quarter the key to their victory. The seven-goal win (48-41) means that Thurgoona will advance to Saturday’s preliminary final and will play a Kiewa-Sandy Creek side looking to make amends, with the winner to play Yackandandah in the season decider on September 16.
