The finals series of two of Narrabri Touch’s three mixed competitions got underway at Hogan Oval and Leitch Oval on Monday as two of the 14 sides were eliminated.
Eight teams across the A-grade and C-grade divisions competed in either a qualifying or elimination final, while the top-ranked teams from each both played social games to tune up for this Monday’s semi-finals, as did all four B-grade sides.
The Sprayerbarn Spinouts took on the Tapscott Pumpers in the A-grade qualifying final this week. Just one win separated those two sides on the overall ladder following 13 rounds of the 2022 regular season, and when they met in round six back on Monday, March 14, the Spinouts prevailed 5-3. The Spinouts got the job done again on Monday as they progressed to the major semi-final by scoring a 6-3 win against the Pumpers.
The Sprayerbarn team will take on the undefeated Agies in the major semi-final in week two of the finals for a place in the June 17 A-grade decider.
The A-grade division’s elimination final was contested between fourth-placed Tradies and Ladies and fifth-placed Hammer Time on Monday. Not much separated them in 2022. They both finished on 33 points after scoring 10 wins and three losses in the regular season, and when they met in round eight on Monday, March 28, Tradies and Ladies downed Hammer Time 6-5. However, it was Hammer Time that prevailed when they met again in the elimination final. It won the match 7-3 to progress through to the minor semi-final, in which it will challenge Tapscott Pumpers.
Tradies and Ladies are now eliminated after their loss.
In the C-grade qualifying final, the 11th-placed Cougars challenged the 12th-placed Witty Wizards. When those two teams went head-to-head in round nine of the regular season on Monday, April 4, the Witty Wizards scored a 10-5 victory. However, Cougars were the winners when they met again in week one of the finals series after edging out Witty Wizards 6-5.
Cougars now turn their attention to Hounddogs, which they will meet in the C-grade major semi-final in week two of the finals series.
The C-grade elimination final was contested by 13th-placed RSL Guys and Gals and last-placed Kerrigans. RSL Guys and Gals only scored one win in the 13-round regular season when they outscored Kerrigans 6-4 in round nine back on Monday, April 4. After going through the full season without a win, Kerrigans remarkably produced their first victory of the year on Monday when they outscored RSL Guys and Gals 5-3.
Kerrigans will meet Witty Wizards in the minor semi-final this Monday, and the RSL Guys and Gals are now eliminated from the competition.
The three social matches were all close contests. The top-ranked A-grade side Agies played the top-ranked B-grade side TRTW and scored a 5-3 win, and the other two matches were draws as B-grade teams Win Or Booze and the Lumberjacks (and Jills) contested a 6-all draw, and the lowest-ranked B-grade team Who’s Shout and the top-ranked C-grade side Hounddogs played out a 5-all draw.
The draw and referee appointments for the semi-finals this Monday, May 30, are as follows:
Major semi-finals at 6pm:
Desk duty – Joan O’Neill; field one – A-grade – Sprayerbarn Spinouts v Agies (referees – Hamish Duncan, Nathan Dicks, Tom Nolan); field two – B-grade – TRTW v Win or Booze (referees – Linton Grumley, Ken Nolan, Wayne Nott); field three – C-grade – Hounddogs v Cougars (referees – Cassidy Staines, Brett Allison, Clayton Pursche).
Minor semi-finals at 6.35pm:
Desk duty – Joan O’Neill; field one – A-grade – Hammer Time v Tapscott Pumpers (referees – Jakeb Nipperess, Alisha Conomos, Brendon Warnock); field two – B-grade – Who’s Shout v Lumberjacks(and Jills) (referees – Tori Allison, Jydon Hill, Teagan Conomos); field three – C-grade – Witty Wizards v Kerrigans (referees – Michael Knox, Blake Hilderson).
