by Nicholas Duck
It's preliminary final week in the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition, and with just one match on this week, all eyes turn to the Dalyston Recreation Reserve.
It's a real underdog story here, as David meets Goliath to try and secure a spot in the grand final against Tooradin-Dalmore and keep the fairytale going. Here's how this week's action is shaping up.
Phillip Island vs Warragul Industrials
Well, aren't we in for an interesting battle here.
In the one corner, you have the kings of the league in Phillip Island. Premiers in 2018 and 2019, not to mention top of the table finish in 2021's shortened competition.
Since the WGFNC's inception in 2017, the Bulldogs have been utterly dominant, and would very likely have more premierships to their name if not the effects of COVID-19 over the past two years.
Boasting a list laden with talent, including reigning league best-and-fairest Cam Pedersen and a star coach in Beau Vernon, Phillip Island have created a winning culture that other sides can only dream of.
Their seemingly-impenetrable armour has appeared a little more shaky this year with the rise of Tooradin-Dalmore, leading them to finish the home-and-away season in second, but they remain a team that can create fear in even the most hardened of units.
In the other corner, you have the underdog story in the Warragul Industrials. It's been a patient build for the Dusties, who finished bottom of the ladder with just two wins to their name in the league's last complete season back in 2019, their first year in the competition.
Featuring a healthy mix of experienced talent as well as youthful exuberance all playing their roles, the year has already proven a fruitful one for the team, who finished in sixth position to seal their maiden finals appearance since moving to the league.
Remarkably, the Dusties now find themselves one win away from the grand final, thanks to upset wins in the finals against Inverloch-Kongwak and Cora Lynn, both of whom they had failed to defeat during the regular season.
The Dusties have shown at various times this year that their best is good enough to challenge those top sides. But, over the last two weeks, it all appears to have come together, particularly on the defensive end.
It all means this weekend will present an interesting challenge for both sides. Phillip Island have remained one of the league's best sides and, though they were handled quite effectively by Tooradin-Dalmore last week, they'll be very keen for a rematch in a week's time. They still managed to conquer every other team in the league at least once, and it must be remembered Tooradin-Dalmore were one of just two teams to defeat them throughout the year. That other team, though? The Warragul Industrials.
Yes, last time these two met back in round 12, it was the upstart Dusties at home who played some of their fiercest and most complete team footy for the year, beating the Bulldogs by an impressive 38 points.
That day, Phillip Island were punished for some early inaccuracy by the home side, who stuck to the task and, against all odds, finished the game in a whirlwind fashion to win. Even more incredibly, they kept the Bulldogs to just 1.2 for the entire second half, including a totally scoreless fourth quarter.
Accuracy has been somewhat of a consistent issue for Phillip Island it must be said. Of the 19 matches they've played this year, they've kicked more goals than behinds in just six of them. And, given most of those games were one-way thrashings that saw them walk in multiple goals, they'll be hoping for a stronger goalkicking performance this time around.
They'll especially be wary of the fact that both of Warragul's previous two finals opponents struggled with accuracy early, before the Dusties pounced on them late to win.
Still, Phillip Island will be entering this one as favourites, given their incredible record not only this season but over the last five years.
The Warragul Industrials, meanwhile, will be out to write their own story. It's the first year the league has had a top six system, and for sixth place to be on the verge of a grand final appearance shows that the league's talent runs deep.
They'll be channelling the spirit of past underdogs, and now the question remains: can they do it?