Pinjarra, Waroona take wins in finals week one

The Tigers overcame reigning premiers South Mandurah on Sunday on the back of a dynamite second half.

Leading by just a point at the half time interval, the Tigers ran rampant in the final two quarters limiting the Falcons to just one goal and piling on six of their own to finish the game 11.10 (76) to 6.7 (43) winners.

Vidovich said he could not have asked for more from his side, with each player contributing to the win.

“I was absolutely rapt with the way the boys played on Sunday. It’s never easy when you’re versing a proven team and reigning premiers like South Mandurah and I think our boys played extremely well,” he said.

“Every player on the field played their role and we were able to come away with a win in a do-or-die situation.

“I was pretty impressed with the defensive pressure the boys put on.”

The win comes off the back of a blistering performance the week before against Halls Head.

Vidovich said his team was taking the opportunity of finals football in its stride.

“The opportunity is there and it’s all about who wants it, so you can’t fault the boys for how they’ve approached the business end of the year,” he said.

Riese Wilkey continued his good year in the elimination final, tallying four goals while teammate Blake Lee was named best on ground.

South Mandurah put up an admirable fight but eventually fell to the red-hot Tigers, ending the Falcons’ quest for back-to-back flags.

Pinjarra will now gear up to take on Halls Head for the second time in just three weeks, after Waroona beat Halls Head in a thrilling qualifying final.

Waroona came alive after a slow start, quickly reasserting themselves in the contest and taking out a nine-point win.

The Demons found themselves trailing by 26 points after Halls Head opened the game with a bang.

But the visitors were able to reel the margin back to a respectable five points at half time, which they turned into a two-point lead at the final break.

The Demons managed to hold onto the lead and finish the match 13.11 (89) to 12.8 (80) winners.

Waroona will now advance to a semi-final against Baldivis where the loser will get a second chance and the winner will advance to a spot in the grand final.

Vidovich said Pinjarra would need to carry their momentum over to the clash against Halls Head.

“The playing group has plenty of confidence now, which is great, but we do need to make sure we carry it over,” he said.

“It’s a huge challenge, we know Halls Head are a good side, so we’ll need to bring another performance like the one on the weekend.”