Here we go again! Once more unto the breach and all that as the top four clubs in the National Premier League go at it for three weeks in the bod to be crowned Grand Final winners and take home the shiny piece of silverware that encapsulates the traditions of Australian sporting contests.
For those of a European heritage, the League Champions crown will always hold the greater sway, but Finals football brings with it it’s won sense of wonder, its only matches that make memories and a chance to end the campaign on a high, heading into the long summer break.
The League Champions, Gungahlin United, will get the Finals series underway when they meet second-placed Canberra Croatia in the Qualification Final at Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the Monaro Panthers home venue providing the stage for back-to-back knockout football.
As we are all aware, meetings between these two rarely pass by without incident and with the Gunners having only won one Grand Final in their history, they will be out to seize their place in the showdown in a fortnight.
Gunners have scored seven goals in three NPL matches against Croatia this year, winning two and losing one, with Lukman Ahmed-Shaibu, now no longer at the club, providing three. By contrast, of the five goals scored by Croatia against Gungahlin this season, Atiya Waraga and Nick Pratezina have struck two each. Thomas James has the other.
Last time out a penalty six minutes into added time, converted by Jeremy Habtemariam, won a five-goal thriller at Deakin Stadium and, with eight finals/cup matches between the teams having provided forty goals there is every optimism that this match will be one for the ages.
Gungahlin rightly start as favourites, being League Champions entitles them to that tag, however they are coming up against the masters of the end of season football and Croatia will not go quietly into the night.
Neither will either of the teams whose very future in the Finals will be determined on Saturday evening as O’Connor Knights and Tigers FC meet yet again, this time under the floodlights of the Riverside Stadium, both clubs knowing that anything other than a win means its curtains for 2024.
The Knights, defeated Grand Finalists in 2023, have not lost to Tigers FC in three matches this term, winning the last two after the opening encounter played at South Jerrabomberra Sporting Complex ended in a 1-1 stalemate. In all three of their matches against Tigers FC in 2024, the Knights have scored a first-half goal and an early one here night be critical.
This is the tenth meeting in the NPL era between the two teams with Knights leading the ledger five to two helped by a brace of wins this season, the previous nine matches having seen thirty-five goals netted, twenty by the men from O’Connor. This though will be their first post-season meeting.
Neither side come into the match in particularly sparkling form, Knights having lost their last two and conceded seven goals in the process whilst Tigers have lost the last two from three including shipping four goals at the Australian Institute of Sport to Gungahlin United in Round 21.
Knights have unfinished business, this trophy being the only one to elude them since their return to the top-flight, but Tigers are missing the taste of silverware and a filly fit, firing, squad will make this a classic occasion. For the winner’s progression, for the defeated side, heartache.
FIXTURES
QUALIFICATION FINAL
Saturday 7 September
Gungahlin United v Canberra Croatia
(Riverside Stadium, 16:00)
ELIMINATION FINAL
Saturday 7 September
O’Connor Knights v Tigers FC
(Riverside Stadium, 19:00)
TOP SCORERS
17: Lukman AHMED-SHAIBU (Gungahlin United)
13: Atiya WARAGA (Canberra Croatia)
12: Daniel BARAC (Canberra Croatia)
11: Roko STRIKA (Monaro Panthers)
9: Steve NEALON (Tuggeranong United)
8: Micheal ADAMS (O’Connor Knights), Aisosa IHEGIE (O’Connor Knights), Nick PRATEZINA (Canberra Croatia)
7: Jeremy HABTEMARIAM (Gungahlin United), Nikos KALFAS (Tigers FC), Michael KATSOULIS (Gungahlin United)
6: Augustine BANGURA (Gungahlin United), Archie MCGREGOR (Tigers FC), Own GOALS
5: Jenno CERUTI (Monaro Panthers), Luca FLOREZ (Canberra Olympic), Daniel OLAOYE (Gungahlin United), Nik TANESKI (Tigers FC), Keegan VUCETIC (Canberra Croatia), Sam WALKER (Tuggeranong United)
4: Ben BASSER-SILK (Monaro Panthers), Joshua DE ROSSI (Yoogali SC), Stephen DOMENICI (Canberra Olympic), Niko KRESIC (O’Connor Knights), Santiago LUPINO (Monaro Panthers), Phakedi MANDA (O’Connor Knights), Davaadelger OKTYABRI (Tuggeranong United), Patrick O’ROURKE (O’Connor Knights), Jackson PAESLER (O’Connor Knights), Sam WHITHEAR (Tigers FC), Shandon WHITEHEAD (Gungahlin United)
3: Angus BAILEY (Tigers FC), Sam HABTEMARIAM (Canberra Olympic), Alen JAMES (Canberra Olympic/O’Connor Knights), Amilio KISTA (Tigers FC), Joshua MILICEVIC (Tigers FC), Tomohiro OGAWA (Tigers FC), ROMEO (Gungahlin United), Daniel SPARROW (Canberra Croatia), Antoni TIMOTHOEU (Gungahlin United), Kristian TOKIC (O’Connor Knights)
2: Darren BAILEY (Yoogali SC), Adam DE FRANCESCHI (Monaro Panthers), Nic EMANUEL (Tuggeranong United), Bevan FOXALL (Tuggeranong United), Axel GARBIN (Yoogali SC), Jack GREEN (Gungahlin United), Michael JOHN (Canberra Olympic), Tyson LIVERMORE (Monaro Panthers), Zac MCLAREN (Monaro Panthers), Adam NEOU (Canberra Olympic), Joshua PEDERSEN (Tuggeranong United), Niko PERINOVIC (O’Connor Knights), Michael PICCOLO (Canberra Croatia), Jordan REZEK (Tuggeranong United), Vinnie SANCHEZ (O’Connor Knights), Tony SPASESKI (Canberra Croatia), Daniel SUBASIC (Canberra Croatia), Harry TRUMAN (Canberra Olympic)
1: Jack BITANI (Tigers FC), Samson CARR (Tigers FC), Izach CLEMENTS (Canberra Olympic), Daniel COLBERTALDO (Canberra Croatia), Elie DARWICH (Canberra Olympic), Xabier DAVIES (Canberra Olympic), James DRISCOLL (O’Connor Knights), Lachlan FIELDS (O’Connor Knights), Marley JACKSON (Tigers FC), Thomas JAMES (Canberra Croatia), Christopher JOHN (Yoogali SC), Christian JUNNA (Gungahlin United), Ryan KEIR (Canberra Croatia), Chirstian KRESKAS (Monaro Panthers), Zac LAWRENCE (Tuggeranong United), Jack LEVERETT (Tuggeranong United), William MCCLOSKEY (Gungahlin United), Marko MILUTINOVIC (Tigers FC), Patrick MITCHELL (Monaro Panthers), Luciano MONSERRAT (Yoogali SC), Shinzaburo NAKAYAMA (Canberra Olympic), Alessandro PENA (Tigers FC), Euan PETERKIN (Tuggeranong United), Joe PREECE (Yoogali SC), Nik POPOVICH (Tigers FC), Sam ROESTBAKKEN (Canberra Olympic), David SESELJA (Canberra Croatia), Patrick SHORE (Canberra Olympic), Julian SMITH (Gungahlin United), Bailey SORENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Michael SOUTHAM (Tigers FC), Noah STEINACKER (Tigers FC), Luke STEVENS (Tuggeranong United), Matt WILLIAMS (Tuggeranong United), Ryan ZANATTA (Yoogali SC)
