Competition heats up in HDFNL | Semi finals preview

As the season rolls one step closer to the final dance, teams face greater and greater challenges.

In the senior football's qualifying final, minor premiers Rupanyup take on second-placed Kalkee at Balmoral Reserve.

In the two sides' only clash of 2022, Kalkee came out on top in an arm wrestle at Kalkee Recreation Reserve.

The result seems even more impressive in hindsight, as it means Kalkee were the only side to defeat a dominant Rupanyup outfit all year.

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The home side jumped the Panthers at the start, kicking 4.5 in the opening term, before Rupanyup clawed their way back into the game, cutting the margin to just one at the final change.

Rupanyup have been dominant all year, winning 49 of 64 quarters played in 2022 outright, while the Kees aren't far behind, having won 48 quarters.

Audiences can expect a similarly tight tussle as the two top sides of 2022 go head to head.

In Sunday's semi-final at Cameron Oval, Harrow-Balmoral will look to back up its blistering form from last week's win over Swifts when the Southern Roos take on the Storm.

Like Rupanyup and Kalkee, Harrow-Balmoral and Jeparit-Rainbow have only met once before in 2022 in round 10, when the Southern Roos took advantage of an inaccurate Storm to run away 65-point winners.

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However, the Storm have lost just one game since that clash, clocking six wins by an average of just over 63 points, and will not roll over easily.

Both sides have firepower up forward, Storm forwards Peter Weir and Jay Kirwood and Harrow-Balmoral's Jim Staude and Simon Close capable of turning games on their head.

However, the Roos will be without star Michael Close who went down in the opening minutes of the elimination final with a PCL injury.

In the A Grade netball, top two seeds Kalkee and Laharum will meet on Saturday at Balmoral for the first time since round six.

In that game, Kalkee came from behind to upset the previously invincible 2021 minor premiers by 6 points to claimed top spot - a position the Kees occupied for the rest of the year.

Laharum have finals experience and the ladder-leaders enter the qualifying final with a lack of game time, having played just one game in four weeks, a loss to Noradjuha-Quantong.

Attendees can expect a tight, physical match as the two best teams of the season.

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Another form side is Edenhope-Apsley, who haven't lost a game since round 4 and have proved dominant in the back half of the season, defeating Laharum twice.

However, the Bombers comfortably defeated the Saints in round three and the two sides haven't met since.

With both sides having defeated top sides, it's anybody's call as to who will come out on top; it may come down to star power, with the Bombers' Shannon Couch and Saint Sacha McDonald set for a duel at either end.

In reserves football, Rupanyup and Noradjuha-Quantong will line up against each other on Saturday in the qualifying final.

Rupanyup had the wood over the Bombers to the tune of 51-points in the two sides' round 8 clash.

In the semi final on Sunday, Harrow-Balmoral and Kalkee's reserve sides will face off in a do-or-die test at Cameron Oval.

The Southern Roos defeated the Kees at Kalkee in round 2 and round 13, but finals throw the book out the window and anything could happen.

In the B Grade netball, Noradjuha-Quantong and Kalkee will do battle at Balmoral on Saturday, to earn a spot in the grand final.

The game looms as an even match, with both sides having a win over the other in 2022, by five and six points respectively.

In the semi-final, Edenhope-Apsley and Natimuk United will head onto the court at Cameron Oval, knowing only one of them was going on to a preliminary final.

The Saints defeated the Rams by four goals in round 5 and just three in round 16, as the Rams slowly reel in their opponents.

But will it be enough on the finals stage?

It's going to be a belter of a finals weekend in the Horsham League.

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