A thrilling home-and-away season of Peel Football League action came to a close over the weekend, with five teams now primed for a 2016 finals campaign.
Baldivis, Halls Head, Pinjarra, Waroona and South Mandurah will all battle it out over the course of the next four weeks searching for premiership glory.
Peel Football League president Geoff Hiller said the finals shaped as one of the more exciting fixtures in years.
“Up until just a couple weeks ago there were seven teams fighting for five spots in the finals, so it’s been a super close year,” he said.
“This will be a thrilling finals series with five really good football teams, and there should be an upset or two along the way.”
Baldivis, who head into the finals on the back of a powerful win over the Falcons, claimed the minor premiership finishing two games clear of the pack with a 15-3 record.
The first-place finish earns them a week off to start the finals.
Halls Head wrapped up the season in second, but go into the finals on the back of a belting from Pinjarra.
The victory for the Tigers means they finish fourth on the ladder, with Halls Head ending the regular season in second.
The runner-up finish for the minor premiership means Halls Head will host Waroona, who finished third, in a qualifying final.
“That should be a great match – the sides head into the finals on different sides of form but each is capable of really good football,” Hiller said.
“Waroona’s put together a strong team with some good pieces in place and Halls Head are a powerful side, so it could go either way.”
The elimination final will be hosted by Pinjarra at Sir Ross McLarty Oval, with the Tigers set to take on South Mandurah in a do-or-die match.
Pinjarra enters the finals after their impressive win over Halls Head, while South Mandurah will be looking to turn things around after they bottomed out in the second half of their match against Baldivis.
“This is another game that could see an upset,” Hiller said.
“I think it shows how close the league was this season with all five teams in the finals having the potential to beat one another.”
Reflecting on the regular season, Hiller said the PFL had enjoyed a great year due the competitiveness of the league.
“It (the season) has been outstanding for us as a league. When the games are close and spectators are enjoying it then it all works out,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to the finals and the high-quality brand of footy people can enjoy.”
The improvement of the PFL’s on-field standard shone when they took down the South West Football League at the Landmark Country Football Championships.
Peel conquered the five-time reigning premiers to claim their first A-grade win at the carnival.