Nail biters predicted for Semis

The women's 2nd Semi Final between Gunnedah and Inverell promises to be another nail biting affair.

ALL four Semi Finals being played at Tamworth No.1 Oval on Saturday have the potential to go down to the wire.

From the local derby that starts the day in the Womens 1st Semi Final to the Mens clash being played under lights, there isn’t much that separates the combatants in each contest.

The start times of the matches have even been designed to allow enough of a break in between games to allow for extra time if it’s needed.

Any match between the two Tamworth teams is a hotly contested affair. When the stakes are that the loser is eliminated from the finals race, the intensity goes up another notch.

That’s the scenario that faces the women’s teams from the Swans and Kangaroos on Saturday.

As if the cross town rivals facing off against each other wasn’t a big enough slice of football heaven, the 2nd Semi Final between Gunnedah and Inverell is well worth the effort to get the ground alone.

The Poochettes have not been defeated this year but Inverell have been right on their tail.

The last two times these sides have met has resulted in a draw and a slender 3-point win to Gunnedah.

The venue for the AFL North West Grand Final will be decided when the Tamworth Swans host Inverell in the Men’s 2nd Semi Final.

The winner of this match will not only progress straight through to the season’s biggest match but will also earn hosting rights for their club.

In their three clashes this year the victor has always been the home side but the margin has never been a blowout.

In the opening round of 2022 the Swans prevailed by 19 points. Inverell turned the tables at Varley Oval by 23 points when the pair played off for the Kevin Pay Memorial Shield. Five weeks ago it was the Swans who were victors by just 11 points.

Saturday’s Festival of Football concludes with the Tamworth Kangaroos and New England Nomads playing in a knockout Men’s Semi Final under lights.

Both teams have expressed an excitement about the prospect of deciding who continues to next week’s Preliminary Final and who will be finished for the year with a night game.

The Kangaroos won the first two matches against the Nomads this year but the New England team showed it’s a force to be reckoned with in their most recent encounter when they caused what was considered then to be a 22-point upset at the No.1 Oval.

AFL NORTH WEST SEMI FINALS – SATURDAY, AUGUST 28

10.30am – Women’s 1st Semi Final: Tamworth Swans vs. Tamworth Kangaroos
12.30pm – Women’s 2nd Semi Final: Gunnedah vs. Inverell
2.40pm – Men’s 2nd Semi Final: Tamworth Swans vs. Inverell
5.00pm – Men’s 1st Semi Final: Tamworth Kangaroos vs. New England Nomads