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The Nelson Bay Marlins Junior AFL Club had four teams in finals on Sunday, with its two girls sides moving into the next round.
The Marlins hosted a round of the finals in Nelson Bay on Sunday.
Eight finals games were played on Dick Burwell Oval and Don Waring Oval.
The Marlins under-12 girls, in their inaugural year, had a huge win over Newcastle City, 70-0.
They progress straight through to the grand-final, which will be played on September 3.
The Marlins youth girls, 13-16 years, lost.
However, having finished their season in the top two they have another chance to make the grand-final next weekend. They play Newcastle on Bill Elliott Oval from 11am on Sunday, August 27.
The under-15 boys lost an arm wrestle of a game with Newcastle City by four points.
The under-17 boys team also lost in a tight game.
“The wet weather made the last two games very scrappy and therefore very difficult for our under-15’s and under-17’s team to stick to the running game that they enjoy,” the club’s Penny Blythe said.
Meanwhile, in Medowie, Port Stephens Power Junior AFL Club’s under-11 boys team won their clash with Cardiff 10.9 (69) to 5.2 (32).
The team will play Maitland at No.1 Sportsground from 10.10am on Sunday.
EARLIER:
Two Port Stephens AFL clubs are gearing up for big weekend.
Nelson Bay Marlins seniors will host a round of the Black Diamond AFL finals in Nelson Bay on Saturday, August 19 while the junior Marlins will host a round of the Hunter Junior AFL finals at home on Sunday, August 20.
In Medowie on Sunday, Port Stephens Power Junior AFL Club will host finals games at Ferodale Oval.
On Saturday, the Marlins premier men’s team will face Newcastle City in the first of the Black Diamond Cup elimination semi-finals.
First bounce is 2pm. The men’s game will be streamed live.
The Bay women, the reigning premiers, will host Gosford in a preliminary final at Dick Burwell Oval.
First bounce is 4.30pm. The winner of the game will progress through to the grand-final.
On Sunday, four Nelson Bay junior teams will play preliminary finals at home.
The club will host seven other clubs from around the Hunter.
Eight finals games will be played on Dick Burwell Oval and Don Waring Oval throughout Sunday. Each are located within Tomaree Sports Complex.
The club’s inaugural under-12 girls team will enter the finals undefeated this season, and as the minor premiers.
A fantastic achievement from the team, which is made up of many juniors who have not played AFL before.
The Bay’s girls youth team, made up of players aged 13 to 17, will also be playing on Sunday.
“It’s exciting to have the girls in the finals,” Penny Blythe from the Nelson Bay Marlins Junior AFL Club said.
“All of the club’s girls team are in the finals this year, including the seniors.
“It’s really exciting.”
Both the junior girls finished their seasons on top of the ladder. If they were to lose their finals game on Sunday, they will have a “second bite at the cherry” the following weekend, Blythe said.
If either of the junior boys teams do not win their games on Sunday, they will be out of the finals.
Blythe said it was a real feather in the cap for the club and Port Stephens to be selected to host not only the junior finals in Nelson Bay, but the senior finals as well.
Members of the community are being encouraged to head down to the fields on the weekend to cheer on the Marlins.
The canteen will be open both days and a game day tradition – the barbecue – will be up and firing.
Entry into Dick Burwell Oval for the senior games on Saturday will cost $5 per person. Children 16 and under are free.
The grounds are an alcohol free zone. Parking is free.
Junior AFL finals will also be played at Ferodale Oval in Medowie on Sunday.
Port Stephens Power Junior AFL Club’s under-11 boys team will face Cardiff at 9.30am.
Saturday Fixtures – Nelson Bay
9.30am Newcastle City v Maitland (Women’s Preliminary Final)
11.30am Terrigal v Cardiff (Black Diamond Cup Semi-Final)
2pm Nelson Bay Marlins v Newcastle City (Black Diamond Cup Semi-Final)
4.30pm Nelson Bay Marlins v Gosford (Women’s Preliminary Final)
Sunday Fixtures – Nelson Bay
9.30am Nelson Bay v Newcastle City White (Junior Girls Under-12) on Don Waring Oval
9.30am Warners Bay Red v Lake Macquarie (Under-13 Giants) on Dick Burwell Oval
10.40am Cardiff v Warners Bay (Junior Girls Under-12) on Don Waring Oval
11am Cardiff v Nelson Bay (Youth Girls Under-16) on Dick Burwell Oval
11.50am Singleton v Wallsend (Under-11 Giants) on Don Waring Oval
12.30pm Nelson Bay v Newcastle City Blue (Under-15 boys) on Dick Burwell Oval
1.20pm Warners Bay Red v Lake Macquarie (Under-11 Giants) on Don Waring Oval
2.20pm Nelson Bay v Muswellbrook (Under-17 boys) on Dick Burwell Oval
Sunday Fixtures – Medowie
9.30am Port Stephens A v Cardiff (Under-11 Swans)
11am Newcastle City v Lake Macquarie-Wallsend (Youth Girls Under-16)
12.30pm Newcastle City White v Newcastle City U13 Blue (Under-13 Swans)
2pm Killarney Vale v Newcastle City (Under-17)