THERE were no second-half heroics from Balranald this weekend, with the Roos’ season ending at the hands of Nyah-Nyah West United after the Demons secured a 26-point win in Sunday’s first semi-final at Cohuna.
After holding a five-point lead at half-time, NNW United went on to kick seven of the first nine goals in the second half, blowing the game wide open thanks to a seven-goal haul from Brandyn Grenfell and the midfield class of Ethan Saville and Jordan Iudica.
After coming from 49 points behind seven days earlier against the Kangas, there would be no repeat for Balranald, who were found wanting when the match was on the line in the second half after an emotional week.
The first quarter was very much one-way traffic, with the Roos’ clean ball movement and ability to break the lines seeing them open up a 17-point lead 20 minutes into the game, with Balranald outworking the Demons throughout the early stages of the match.
It wasn’t until NNW United started using the ball more efficiently going inside their forward 50 that the momentum started to turn, with Grenfell kicking three goals for the opening term, including one right on the quarter-time siren.
The big question heading into the match was whether the open spaces of the Cohuna Recreation Reserve would suit the Demons’ speed and spread from stoppage, and it was in the second quarter that they started to look dangerous.
NNW United were successful in having the term played largely in their forward half of the ground, with the Demons’ midfielders lowering their eyes through the middle and hitting the short targets before linking up by hand and moving the ball forward.
The one area that was lacking in their game was their ability to finish off their work, kicking 2.5 for the quarter and wasting several other opportunities.
Joel Walsh was impassable across half-back and was having a significant impact on the game, while Iudica, Saville and Ethan Curran also found plenty of the ball.
Kobe Lloyd was at his best for the Roos in the first half, along with Mason Fitzgerald and Ian Fuller, with strong contributions from Jack Salau and Ryan Middlebrook in defence.
NNW United were simply cleaner with the ball the longer the game wore on, with the Demons locking the ball in their half with some well-organised defence behind the ball.
The Roos were constantly forced to kick the ball long down the line to contest, mitigating their speed and ability to transition the ball.
On the occasions when they were able to switch the play, they often found themselves running into a dead end as the Demons shifted their zone across to stifle any serious attack on their defence.
Balranald fought the game out, however, and despite trailing for much of the second half, there was always a sense that last year’s grand finalists would find a way back into the contest, with Harrison Soraggi and Matthew Neagle, two of the key players in their elimination final win a week earlier, both finding plenty of the ball.
The difference ultimately was their lack of a key target inside 50, with Corey Daniels doing a shutdown job on Jydon Neagle in defence and Colin Andrews uncharacteristically quiet.
At the other end of the ground, Grenfell would prove to be a thorn in the Roos’ side, with the power forward taking several telling marks in the final quarter, with his seventh for the match giving the Demons a 26-point lead one minute into time-on.
From there, it was all about maintaining their advantage, which NNW United did through goals to youngsters Max Thompson and Curran to ice the game.
The Demons will face the Mallee Eagles this Saturday in the preliminary final at their own home venue, with Dom Gallo the only injury concern, having ended the game on the bench with hamstring awareness.
