2nd Semi Final -Sale City V Glengarry
SALE CITY and GLENGARRY will square off in a mighty North Gippsland Football Netball League clash with the winner advancing to the grand final.

Spectators will get an early taste of what may be to come on the third Saturday in September with both sides form throughout the season seeing them touted as potential premiership contenders.

The Dogs have been at the fore front of the competition all season. Sale City finishing three games clear of their nearest rival and this week's opponent Glengarry on the premiership ladder standings.

On a 24 game winning streak, the Dogs have endured an indifferent four weeks with the side hitting the park just twice in the past month, having drawn the weeks break a fortnight ago before watching from the sidelines in week one of finals.

While the flag favourites haven't had much game time, this week's opponent Glengarry has enjoyed a stellar month winning three on the run with the Magpies sealing their semi final berth in nail biting fashion over Cowwarr.

The victory came much to the relief of coach Josh King, who like his team endured the heartbreak last year of bowing out of the finals race in straight sets.

"We were lucky on the weekend we certainly were relieved to get the win.

"The pressure of going through the finals as we last season being knocked out in straight sets or even meeting Cowwarr again in finals was always in the back of my mind," said King.

While the Magpies coach can breathe a small amount of relief ahead of Saturdays clash at Woodside, King is under no illusion as to the task that awaits his side.

"We know that we can't afford to perform anything short of our absolute best against them, they have been the bench mark side and we need to bring our A game with us."

Meeting the Dogs a month ago, King is hopeful that his side can implement the blue print to topple City's winning run.

"We have a tremendous amount of confidence.

"We can take plenty from our performance on that day, we have a clear mindset as to the way we will go about it, I was very happy with the preparation leading into that match.

"The boys are up and about, we can't wait, were ready to have a crack at them and the double chance allows whatever to happen," said King.

The Reigning premiers have taken all before them in 2011 coasting through the season undefeated, with their last loss back in round 17 of 2010.
For many the Dogs result against Glengarry a month ago defined Sale City as the team to beat in 2011, the Dogs confirming themselves as outright premiership favourites with the side rallying to regain the lead in the final term to run home 10 point victors.
While they may not want the tag, the reigning premiers are in red hot form and are perhaps better poised then last season to claim the silverware.

Maintaining their winning streak throughout the middle of the season, despite a number of their stars on the sideline including forward Justin McLay, key position player Joel Brayshaw and ruckman Matt Lutze, the Dogs are in scintillating form and have reaped the benefits of the development of their juniors who have more than adequately filled the void.

Boasting one of the slickest midfields in the competition the Dogs premiership defence has hinged on the sides dominance in the midfield. The Dogs winning the centre clearance count time and time again, consistently bursting from the centre of the ground, coach Nick Hider and Josh Tollner the catalysts in providing the side's engine room with first touch of the ball.

Meeting another slick midfield the match may be won out of the centre of the ground. The Magpies midfield and backline will be tried, with the back six under no illusion as to the task that awaits them with the league's leading goal kicker Jake Schuback booting six in their last encounter.

The question many are asking is does Glengarry have the list to topple Sale City and secure a grand final berth for the first time in 11 seasons?

FIRST SEMI FINAL - COWWARR V CHURCHILL

A total of seven points separated the winners and losers in the first week of finals, with COWWARR conceding a half time lead to fall short by four points in their first finals appearance under coach Cory Banister.

While the Saints fell agonisingly short, CHURCHILL's inaccuracy appeared set to cost them with last year's grand finalists Rosedale in blistering form early, before the Cougars mounted one of the greatest challenges of the year.

While it can be classed as the great escape, the Cougars will have to be at their best in Sundays do or die final at Stephenson Park, Sale.

Cowwarr have won eight of their past 10 matches with followers of the league on notice of the threat the Saints pose. One of the inform sides in the competition powering through the second half of the fixture accounting for fellow finalists Glengarry, Churchill and Rosedale, Saints coach Bannister said past results account for little ahead of Sundays match.

"Finals are certainly a different game, we can't take much from previous results during the season Churchill have a lot of finals experience with Darby a premiership coach who has plenty of finals experience to draw from.

"There has been thoughts about trying something a bit different after the result on the weekend, but as I said to the guys after the match if one of those misses had of gone through for a goal we would have been high fiving one another after the game.

"We did kick a lot of points, but we are putting our trust in our game plan, it has been three years in the making and we are not going to make any drastic changes.

‘We know that we did something's well and others not so well against Glengarry, but we also know that if we play our game that it will put us in good stead."

Not phased about the prospect of now having to advance through each week of finals to secure a grand final berth, Bannister knows that the weeks break isn't always beneficial.

"It would have been nice to have won on the weekend and had a free hit at City, but were now in the position of having to go through each week which may suit the side.

"When your backs are up to the wall, and each week could be your last it makes you work hard and makes you hungry for the win," he said.

By Lauren Carey