Qualifying Final
Edgeworth Eagles FC v Weston Bears FC
Jack McLaughlan Oval, Saturday 4pm
Edgeworth Eagles coach Peter McGuinness said the heartbreak of last year’s penalty shootout grand final loss is driving his side in 2025 as they prepare to host Weston Bears in the qualifying final on Saturday afternoon.
Edgeworth went down against Broadmeadow Magic in the 2024 decider and were second best again in this season’s premiership race as Magic finished on top of the table.
But the Eagles are determined to once again prove that they are the best team in the competition as they search for their first championship since they did the double back in 2020.
The Eagles had lost three of their four matches before last Friday night’s 1-0 win over Charlestown Azzurri, which McGuinness said was a performance and result that was a step in the right direction to rediscovering their old selves.
But Edgeworth are well aware that they will have to go to another level and be at their best on Saturday as they meet one of the most in form teams of the competition in Weston.
“Our season has been pretty good. You always want to finish on top, and we fell short in the end, but the season itself was pretty good,” McGuinness said.
“I’m pleased for the boys that they got themselves that opportunity to host the semi-final and then possibly go on and play in a grand final again. That’s our focus now.
“We went so close last year and we’ve got to make amends for that and win one this year.
“Conceding only 15 goals has been really good. In a lot of our games, the back four and Benny in goals have been fantastic, but it’s also the group in front of them. We work hard all over the pitch and it’s a group thing.
“We’ve played Weston three times this year. We’ve had a draw and lost on penalties in the Australia Cup and they’ve beaten us 2-1 and 2-0 (in the league). They are always tight games between us and them.
“They are a good football team, their style is good, and they’ve scored the most goals in the league. They’re dangerous and well-organised, and I think it will be a cracker of a game.
“I think we just need to take advantage of the moments when we go forward. There were a number of times when we’ve played them where we haven’t executed. We need to execute much better than we have in the past against them.”
Weston are proud of their 2025 campaign so far, which has included reaching 50 points in the league and progressing to the Australia Cup round of 32.
The Bears missed out on the finals last season after finishing sixth, but they have improved immensely this year and are ready to put their best foot forward as they look to return to grand final day for the first time since 2014.
“We 100 per cent would have jumped at 50 points at the start of the year. If you told any team before round one that they’d accumulate 50 points, you’d have thought it’d be enough to wrap up the title, but to think we got there and there were two teams ahead of us, it’s been an outstanding effort from a few sides,” Weston’s assistant coach Nathan Morris said.
“There’s five really good sides left, and anyone who’s ever been involved in finals knows it’s a different level of desire and it’s like a whole different competition, which is why everyone wants to be there. Every week, you’re playing against a good side, no matter who it is.
“We’ve got a bit of form coming into the finals, which is good.
“Edgeworth are such a good team but knowing that we’ve beaten them multiple times throughout the year, you take confidence from that.
“They’ll be desperate to turn that around though. If we don’t perform the way we should, they’ll punish us.”
Edgeworth will be boosted by the returns of Jaylen Rodwell, Aaron Oppedisano and Chris Fayers on Saturday after they all missed last weekend’s final-round victory against Valentine, while Weston are expected to be at full strength for the qualifying final.
A win in this Saturday’s qualifying final will see either Edgeworth or Weston secure a major semi-final showdown against the premiers at Magic Park the following weekend in a contest in which a spot in the decider will be on the line.
The loser of the qualifying final will meet the winner of Sunday’s elimination final in the minor semi-final.
Elimination Final
Lambton Jaffas FC v Maitland FC
Arthur Edden Oval, Sunday 4pm
Lambton Jaffas coach David Tanchevski is backing his side’s momentum and belief as they prepare to host Maitland FC in the elimination final at Arthur Edden Oval on Sunday evening.
These two teams spent a lot of the season outside the top five, but strong second halves of the season have seen them both charge home to earn their finals spots.
Maitland clinched the fifth finals position on Wednesday night when they drew 2-2 with Belmont Swansea United in their rescheduled round 21 clash at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.
That match resumed in the 22nd minute after being called off due to lightning earlier this month.
The Magpies’ skipper Braedyn Crowley kicked even further clear at the top of the golden boot tally as he converted penalties in the 60th and 83rd minutes to put his side ahead after Kane Woolston had sent BelSwans into half-time leading 1-0 with a 40th-minute strike.
Cameron Lodge headed home an equaliser for BelSwans in the 87th minute, and both sides then struck the woodwork at the death as Maitland went inches from climbing into fourth but also missing the finals altogether.
In the end, the 2-2 draw saw them earn a crucial point to end the night in fifth place, with Newcastle Olympic winning their round 21 match 6-1 against New Lambton. A Maitland loss would have seen Olympic climb into fifth.
Lambton are taking red-hot form into the finals this year. They are undefeated in their past six matches and have won five of those, including a 4-2 victory against Maitland in round 22 last weekend.
Tanchevski said he was proud of his men for clinching a home finals match in what has been a successful rebuilding year that has led to a strong finish to the campaign.
“Considering the change in personnel we’ve had, losing key players like Kale (Bradbery), Benny Hay and Reece Papas from last year, it’s been a really good effort from the boys to finish fourth,” Tanchevski said.
“From where we were at the end of the first half of the season, the boys have had a really strong second half, and fourth place is really respectable.
“The first time we played Maitland (round 11 in May), we had about five first grade players out and the young guys put in really good performances. I thought we were unlucky to lose 1-0 off a corner in the last minute.
“We’ve had two tough games against them this year, and prior results don’t mean anything when you come into the semi-finals.
“They have some quality players, especially (Daniel) McFarlane and (Braedyn) Crowley up front, but our boys are confident.”
Lambton have everyone on deck for Sunday’s match except for Bailey Newton, who has returned to the United States after linking up with the Jaffas again in May.
