Picola locks in finals opponent with Deni win

Rovers were hot on the Blues’ tails on the Picola and District League table and had Deni taken the game, it would’ve had the opportunity to pass Picola in the final round.

That was not how things turned out and it was the Blues who were able to solidify their table position with a 10.11 (71) to 4.8 (32) win.

It was Deni who grabbed the early lead, kicking two goals to one in the first and putting Picola under pressure.

The Blues responded in the second, adding three goals to one to hold an eight-point advantage at half-time.

A tense third quarter saw the two sides cancel each other out with a major apiece before Picola burst away in the final term, six unanswered goals handing it the win.

Cody Haub continued to make contributions at the scoring end, kicking three to lead the Blues, while Taylor Beard and Kian Wise each added a pair of majors.

This result, and those around the league, set up an interesting circumstance for Picola heading into the final round next weekend.

The sixth-placed Blues will travel to Tungamah to face off with their table neighbours. Although the Bears could pass Picola should they win that fixture, the two sides can’t be dislodged from finishing in a combination of sixth and seventh place.

So, regardless of next week’s result, Picola and Tungamah will meet again in the first round of the finals in a sudden-death elimination final clash.

This makes Saturday as an important warm-up game for both sides, who will look to learn as much as they can about their opponents before both of their seasons are on the line the following weekend.