Finals fever – Peter McDonald’s got it, and the Group 10 director is pretty confident the whole competition will be swept up in it soon enough.
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Semi-finals kick-off under lights in 2018 when Bathurst Panthers hosts Oberon Tigers in the Group 10 elimination semi-final at Carrington Park on Saturday night.
All nine Group 10 clubs have had sides qualify for finals this winter, while a bumper card of five games will be on show on both Saturday and Sunday after the Group this year’s included under 18s league tag matches as well. McDonald was hopeful the introduction of junior league tag finals in this year’s series will help spike enough interest for every club to field under 18s teams in 2019. “There’s under 16s in junior league tag now, so it’s a natural progression,” McDonald said.
Sunday’s qualifying semi-finals pit Hawks and CYMS together in Orange with the winner to meet Cowra in the major semi-final at Sid Kallas Oval. Being from Cowra, McDonald said it was impossible not to get swept up in the Magpies’ achievements this season.
The 2018 premier league minor premiership is the club’s first minor title since 1996, and the club will be gunning to hosts its first Group 10 grand final day since 2014 when they host the major semi-final in a couple of weeks.
“After the few rough years they’ve had, it’s a great accolade for them to get the minor premiership,” McDonald said.
McDonald said this weekend’s semis will be split on the Saturday and Sunday, as will the major and minor finals the following weekend.
“It was always the way. There was a bit of a hiccup with the junior semis in Blayney and a lot of the referee resources we have will be out there, so the times are back a bit,” he said.
GROUP 10 FINALS DRAW: WEEK ONE
SATURDAY August 18, Carrington Park:
UNDER 18s LT: Bathurst Panthers v Mudgee Dragons, 2pm
FIRST DIVISION: Bathurst St Pat’s v Bathurst Panthers, 2.40pm (qualifying semi-final).
LT: Blayney Bears v Orange CYMS, 3.50pm.
UNDER 18s: Blayney Bears v Mudgee Dragons.
PREMIER LEAGUE: Bathurst Panthers v Oberon Tigers, 6.15pm.
SUNDAY August 19, Wade Park:
UNDER 18s LT: Bathurst St Pat’s v Orange Hawks, 9.45am.
LT: Orange Hawks v Bathurst Panthers, 10.30am.
UNDER 18s: Bathurst St Pat’s v Orange CYMS 11.30am.
FIRST DIVISION: Lithgow Workies v Orange CYMS, 12.45pm (elimination semi-final).
PREMIER LEAGUE: Orange Hawks v Orange CYMS, 2.15pm.
