The time is upon us where many of our VJBL Falcons teams step out for finals action. After a long season some teams have id a farewell to 2016, however let's have a look at some of the teams who have more challenges still ahead of them:
VJBL Finals Week 1 - Friday August 19
Boys Under 12.1 – VJL 2
Qualifying Final vs Nunawading 3
6:40pm State Basketball Centre Court 2
The boys managed to sneak into third spot by a half-game and as such have earnt the double chance. A win here against traditional rivals Nunawading will put the boys one win away from the Grand Final. Nunawading have got both the wins between the two teams this season but the Falcons closed the gap considerably the second time around, can they continue with that and turn it into a win this time?
Boys Under 12.3 – Regional 4 East
Elimination Final vs Mornington 4
6:40pm Frankston Court 2
We have a pretty good indication that this elimination final will be close. How do we know? These teams played a whole week ago and it was a one point win to the Falcons. Looking further back to the last time they played…a two point win to the Falcons. Draws aren’t allowed in finals so we can rule that logical progression out. Good luck finding a closer match up in week one of finals than this.
Boys Under 14.1 – VJL 3
BYE (Finished first)
After getting through the regular season with 16 wins, one loss and one draw, the boys have stitched up top spot and will get a free pass to week two of the finals, where they’ll play the winner of Nunawading 2 and Corio Bay for a spot in the Grand Final. Enjoy your night off.
Boys Under 14.2 – Regional 3 Central
BYE (Finished first)
The boys finished in top spot by just half a game so they’ll be able to rest up and be fresh for a game next week. Their potential second round opponent? Keep reading…
Boys Under 14.3 – VJL 4
Elimination Final vs Dandenong 3
7:40pm State Basketball Centre Court 1
What a season from these young men. The only Falcons 3rd team to qualify for a VJL division have snuck into finals in 5th place and play a Dandenong team whom they went 1-1 against during the season. It’s going to be tough, but at the risk of descending into a cliché, they’ve probably got nothing to lose at this point.
Boys Under 14.4 – Regional 3 Central
Qualifying Final vs Diamond Valley 3
8:30pm Balwyn High School Court 2
A win here for the Falcons will set up a rare intra-club derby in week two (and guarantee the Falcons at least one Grand Finalist) as Waverley 2 awaits the winner of this one. It is far from a certainty however, these teams played in the final round of the season and it was the Eagles who got the win, just as they did when they played earlier in the season. Nonetheless, the boys have finished top two for a reason so they’ll definitely rate a chance.
Boys Under 14.6 – Regional 6 East
Elimination final vs Eltham 9
6:40pm Templestowe Leisure Centre Court 2
A fifth placed finish gives the Falcons a crack at an elimination final, but they’ll have to re-write the script from the regular season where the Wildcats prevailed on both occasions. The Falcons form is good however, they’ve won their last three games and there’s nothing like a bit of pep in the step when you walk out on court for a big finals game.
Boys Under 16.2 – Regional 1 East
Elimination final vs Dandenong 4
7:40pm GESAC Court 1
The Falcons needed to win last week to sure up a finals spot and they did in convincing fashion. Now they get a shot at an elimination final against the Rangers. After a 20 point loss in round 1, the Falcons made huge inroads the second time around, reducing the margin to just three. That will have to give the boys every reason to be confident heading into this one.
Boys Under 16.3 – Regional 1 East
Qualifying final vs Frankston 3
8:40pm Bentleigh Secondary Court 2
The other final in East 1 features Waverley 3 playing a qualifying final, with the winner taking on Nunawading 3 next week. Depending on results, another Waverley derby is possible in the next round, however these boys will be hoping to avoid that possibility by defeating this Blues team that they split the season series against.
Boys Under 18.3 – Regional 2 East/South
Elimination final vs Ringwood 4
9:40pm Waverley Court 6
What on Earth happened here? Four teams all finished on the same ladder points and there were only two finals spots available, so all the has separated 4th-7th in the end was the results from between all those teams. Someone with an engineering degree or something similar has doen the algorithm and the Falcons found themselves in fifth place, with an elimination final against Ringwood, and it’s not a bad thing given the Falcons defeated the Hawks both times during the season.
Girls Under 12.2 – VJL 2
Qualifying final vs Knox 3
6:40pm Dandenong Court 6
The girls had a one point win last week and have ended up third by some sort of three team head-to-head situation, it’s a good get as they now enjoy a double chance. The season series between the teams went one each way, and the Falcons have had a habit of very close games through most of the season, which is good experience to have in finals games.
Girls Under 12.3 – Regional 1 East
Elimination final vs Dandenong 4
7:40pm GESAC Court 2
Sneaking into finals by a half-game, the girls will need to reverse a double-figure loss against Dandenong a few weeks ago. Back in their first game of the season the Falcons were able to defeat the Rangers, so they’ll be hoping to repeat that dose in this game and fight on for another week.
Girls Under 14.2 – VJL 4
Elimination final vs Sandringham 2
7:40pm State Basketball Centre Court 4
Facing elimination, the Falcons take on the Sabres whom they recorded a win and a loss against during the season. The Falcons are bringing a couple of losses into finals but it’s a whole new ball game when your season is on the line, and they’ll no doubt be looking to step up and put a big effort in. Any extra experience they can get at this intensity will be great for this all bottom-age team.
Girls Under 14.3 – VJL 4
Elimination final vs Dandenong 4
8:40pm GESAC Court 2
There’s a real Waverley vs Dandenong theme at GESAC on Friday and this is another elimination bout. The Falcons have done a nice job this season however the Rangers were a thorn last time they played, inflicting a 12 point loss on the Falcons. The Falcons have rarely lost in low scoring games, so getting the job done at the defensive end will be a must.
Girls Under 16.3 – Regional 2
Week off
This is a strange section with only six teams, however the Falcons’ fourth placed finish is enough to get them through. The action won’t start until next week however as it is a shorter finals series.
Girls Under 18.2 – VJL 3
Elimination final vs Craigieburn
9:40pm Montmorency Secondary Court 1
The girls take on C-burn in an elimination game and they’ll need to find a little something extra after the Eagles got them twice during the season. The good news is that neither of those games were real blow-outs, in fact the Falcons were right in the game both times with a chance to win. Taking your chances when they are there, that is what finals is all about.
VC last round
Our VC teams play their final round this week and with one team a guaranteed finalist and the faint chance of adding more teams to that list, it will be an exciting week. We’ll learn more about VC finals in next week’s previews.
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