FINALS football at the Jack Arrow Sporting Complex.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That's a sentence that St Pat's have been waiting years to promote and now the Bathurst club will get that opportunity this Saturday when the Saints host elimination semi-finals at their new home.
The blue and white streamers are set to fly and the Pat's fans will be rolling up in full voice as they get set to watch the Peter McDonald Premiership sudden death clash between the Saints and Parkes Spacemen, which will round out a big day's action.
Saints were due to end a five year wait for a Group 10 finals appearance last year but COVID-19 robbed them of the chance to play right before the semi-finals were set to start.
Now that semi-final arrives on an even bigger stage in the new Peter McDonald Premiership.
With the club's under 18s also in action at the ground Saints first grade player-coach Zac Merritt said the atmosphere should be sensational.
"There's a great vibe around the club at the moment. We've got a home semi-final and that's something that's been a long time coming," he said.
"To have three grades [including the ladies league tag] in semis is a really special thing for Pat's."
One major factor in the Saints' run towards the finals has been their ability to remain mostly unscathed injury-wise over the back half of the season.
That's been a constant thorn in the side for Merritt over his latest four-year stint with the club, but some luck has finally come his way in 2022.
The team comes into the finals on the back of three successive victories which, in Merritt's view, have been earned through defensive tenacity.
"All year we've been in every game until the last minute but it's been over the last three to four weeks where we've really turned our defensive attitude around," he said.
"There's only been 26 points scored against us over those four games, and coming into semi-finals you never want to be leaking points. That's been a big focus for us.
"Now it's like a new season for us as we go into semi-finals so hopefully that defensive pattern is something that we can keep up."
The Saints and Spacemen met in Parkes all the way back in round one, where the Bathurst men returned home 30-20 victors.
Reading too much into a game from more than four months old is a futile exercise but Merritt said there are many elements from Parkes' style that remain a consistent danger.
"Both teams will look pretty different from that round one game but one thing that will be the same is that we expect a physical battle," he said.
"I've been monitoring a couple of their games to get a gauge on them. They're a physical side with a few big boys there but we've got some serious speed in our team.
"We'll have to weather the storm early on and rip in for the full 80, and that's something we've been doing well over the past month.
"To win a premiership you've got to win in the middle. Hopefully we can do that to help set up the likes of our stars players who have plenty of points in them like Lee McClintock, Matty Ranse and Jackson Brien."
When Merritt made the move from the Forbes Magpies to St Pat's at the end of 2017 he didn't imagine that he'd have the chance to face off against an old Group 11 rival in a finals series on Bathurst turf.
He said the variety in matchups that the new combined Group 10 and 11 competition can offer up means exciting contests are always around the corner.
"It's really exciting. The Peter McDonald Premiership has added a whole new dimension to the Central West," he said.
"Coming up against Parkes again while being part of a Group 10 side adds a bit more entertainment to bush footy. We know we'll be in for a tough game - which any semi-final is - and fingers crossed we get the job done."
Saints are at virtually full strength for the elimination semi-final, with the exception of the suspended Jack O'Neill.
Caleb Wardman makes his return to the Saints bench while the remainder of the squad remains unchanged.
The Peter McDonald Premiership rounds out the day's play with kick-off at 2pm.
ST PAT'S: 1 Lee McClintock, 2 Derryn Clayton, 3 Jackson Vallis, 4 Jackson Brien, 5 Matt Beattie, 6 Matt Ranse, 7 Blake Fitzpatrick, 8 Luke Single, 9 Hayden Bolam, 10 Zac Merritt, 11 Josh Belfanti, 12 Cooper Akroyd, 13 Aaron Mawhinney; Bench: 14 Caleb Wardman, 15 Tye Siakisoni, 16 Nic Booth, 17 Jack Mackey
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.westernadvocate.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News