Thriller sees Magpies into Grand Final

The Busselton Magpies are in the 2023 South West Football League Grand Final. Three of them.

In a semi final double feature at home on Saturday, both the League and Reserves Magpies teams held off late charges from South Bunbury to secure their places at the big dance.

With the dominant women’s side set to play their Grand Final against Bunbury this Saturday, the club is solidly in the running to bring home three of a possible four flags this year.

Though footy might have looked easy at times throughout the season, it was anything but on Saturday.

Austin Styles kicked his first of two goals to open the account, but the Tigers went bang bang, and within the first six minutes of the game, were seven points up. Freshly crowned Rising Star Kade Szyszka kicked another to make it an early two goal lead for South Bunbury.

Then the Magpies remembered who they are, and Damian Lee, Liam Creighton, and Jake Dugan combined to put the hosts a goal in front at quarter time.

Both sides tightened up defensively in the second, and Busselton maintained their goal advantage into half time. But a free kick to Jaxon East at the start of the third doubled that margin.

Leigh Kohlmann and Craig Hutchison kicked true to bring it back to within two points, but Styles booted his second to set up the Magpies with a nine point lead into the final quarter.

With a Grand Final place at stake, Hutchison again struck for the Tigers. It set off a string of three straight for South Bunbury, who found themselves ten points in front with half the quarter to go. Jaxon East struck back to bring it within a kick, but just five minutes remained on the clock.

Enter, Mitch Howlett.

Lining up for his first goal of the day, he laced it 47 metres to put the Magpies back in front. Only by two points though.

The next four minutes felt like an eternity as the ball went end to end, with both sides failing to grab a chance to sew it up. A roar went up in the stands as the siren sounded, and the Magpies had secured their third final appearance in four years.

The reserves had an equally tough time of it in their game against an undefeated South Bunbury side.

Having caused one upset by defeating second place Bunbury in the qualifying final, the Pies were out to cause another one.

Dylan Patterson kicked the opening goal for the hosts, that was the closest scores would get. For the first time this season, the Tigers reserves were kept goalless in the first quarter, managing only a behind as the Magpies took a 20 point lead into the first break.

They fought back, bringing the lead down to nine at the half, but Busselton weren’t going to give it up cheap. When Jayce Pardi snapped one through early in the fourth, the margin was 20 points. Try as they might, the Magpies were too good, and South Bunbury will have to earn their Grand Final spot the hard way this weekend.

The Magpies will take a week off as the Tigers take on Bunbury in the ressies, and Carey Park in the League to decide who will face Busselton in the Grand Final.