WILL Pinjarra claim back-to-back premierships or will Mundijong win its first premiership since 2007?
All will be answered when the sides face off in the grand final on Saturday.
Pinjarra will take confidence from their most recent clash against Mundijong which saw them book a place in the grand final following an 11-point win in the semi-final.
On that occasion Centrals started strongly kicking four goals to Pinjarra’s one goal in the opening term.
Pinjarra responded in the second quarter piling on five goals and three behinds while holding Centrals to just two behinds to lead by 17 points at half time.
The margin had grown to 24 points by three-quarter time following another strong quarter by Pinjarra but Mundijong didn’t lay down.
They kicked the first two goals of the final quarter to close to within 10 points but Pinjarra were able to respond with a goal of their own and hold on to win by 11 points, 10.11 (71) to 9.6 (60).
Matt Battye led the way for Pinjarra with three goals after missing his side’s previous two games.
Battye will be one of the key players for Pinjarra if they are to defend their title.
The forward has missed a lot of football this season having played 10 of a possible 20 games for 28 goals.
In 2013 Battye starred for Pinjarra in a season where he averaged almost six goals a game (he finished the season with 106 goals).
Other players to perform well in the semi-final were Darcy Kingsbury, Aron Greenham and Dean Beswick for Pinjarra and former WAFL players Theo Adams and Toby McGrath as well as Mark Miller and Jarred Smith for Mundijong.
Mundijong headed into the semi-final against Pinjarra as favourites following a 26-point win just two weeks prior to the game.
On the occasion Mundijong power forwards Ryan Murphy and Daniel Wilson both kicked four goals with their side in full control.
The final score didn’t tell a true story of the game with Mundijong leading by as much as 50 points in the final term before Pinjarra kicked the last four goals of the game.
Centrals forwards Wilson and Murphy have been in outstanding form this season and like Battye will be important players for the Centrals come Saturday.
Murphy has kicked 81 goals this season and has only been held goalless once this season, that coming against Halls Head in June.
On eight occasions this season Murphy has kicked over six goals, his most recent a seven-goal haul against Waroona in the preliminary final.
Wilson has kicked five more goals than Murphy for the season; his biggest haul came against Halls Head in round 12 where he kicked nine.
Wilson has been extremely consistent kicking a goal in every game he has played.
Mitch Brown led the goal kicking list for Pinjarra with three in the absence of Battye.
The sides also met in round nine in a game which was dominated by Mundijong.
Mundijong extended their lead at every change to run out 54-point winners, 20.6 (126) to 11.6 (72).
Murphy kicked six for the Centrals while Aaron Fury top the goal kickers list for Pinjarra with three.
The grand final between Pinjarra and Mundijong will start at 2.30pm at Bendigo Bank Stadium on Saturday.
