WATCH: Illawarra Mercury sports reporters Agron Latifi and Jordan Warren preview another massive weekend of Illawarra sport, including the AFL and Group Seven grand finals, and football semi-finals. Video by Anna Warr
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00:00G'day Illawarra sports fans, there's plenty to be excited about this weekend with two
00:04grand finals coming up.
00:05Back on the TV, my colleague at the Illawarra Mercury, I'm Jordan Warren, we'll be across
00:09it all over the weekend.
00:10Let's start with the AFL mate, there's a couple of massive games on Saturday in the AFL's
00:15last game of the season.
00:16Yeah, some huge games, in the women's, let's start with the women's first.
00:20The Victory Saints played the Wollongong Lions for the third year running.
00:25The Lions have got their measure two times in a row, so the Saints will be desperate
00:30to get one over them.
00:33And then the men's follows that game.
00:35Speaking of Victory, the men's, it's the first time in a long time that the Kangaroos haven't
00:41made a grand final.
00:42That's right, yep.
00:43So there's definitely something new there.
00:44I think the Tigers, they've won 12 games straight, and they play the Lions in the decider, so
00:51sorry?
00:52Bulldogs.
00:53Bulldogs in the decider, Wollongong Bulldogs in the decider.
00:57It should be a cracker, but the Tigers haven't lost all year, so they'll probably be favourites
01:02in that, I'd imagine.
01:03Yeah, 100%.
01:04And for the women's game, definitely Victory, looking for that third time's the charm going
01:07down in two grand finals in succession, so they'll be hungry in that one.
01:12Let's move to the rugby league mate, Group 7 decider on Sunday, a massive game there.
01:15Of course it's the powerhouse in Group 7, the Djeringong Lions up against Shell Harbour
01:19Sharks, and that's the exact same grand final that we got in 2023, and it's also the exact
01:24same grand final that we're getting in reserve grade, so it's going to be a massive day for
01:27both clubs grunting.
01:28It's a huge day for both clubs, especially for Shell Harbour, they're desperate obviously
01:33to get the win.
01:36The Lions, they've been a powerhouse in the competition, there's no denying it, and they've
01:40had the better of the Sharks, you can't hide that fact, they beat them in last year's decider,
01:47they beat them in the penultimate round of this season to win the minor premiership,
01:50they were the first team through to the grand final, and it's going to take a mighty effort
01:55to beat them, but that's a flip of the coin, that's going to be another tough game, and
02:00obviously they meet in the reserve grade decider as well, so it's going to be a huge day.
02:05Yeah, huge day, it's in Tenery Field at Albion Park, and of course, keeping on the rugby
02:08league theme, the Illawarra Steelers can win the minor premiership if they beat the Dragons
02:12on Saturday at Rex Jackson Oval and hope that a result goes their way, but if they don't
02:16win it, it's no matter, they still lock up a top two spot and they're fighting for a
02:20grand final, but it's exciting times there for the Steelers, and of course we've got
02:23football semifinals, can't forget about the round ball game, a massive couple of grand
02:27final qualifiers on Sunday, first in the Illawarra Premier League we've got Wollongong Olympic,
02:31the league champions up against Coniston, of course who won the grand final last year,
02:35so that's a massive game for both teams there, and then in the district league we've got
02:38league champions Oak Flats up against Fern Hill, so a couple of massive games there,
02:42and of course there's elimination finals as well, so that'll continue next week and the
02:45grand finals the week after, but for all the stories head to the Illawarra Mercury
02:49website or download the app and look at our socials, we'll be across all the major stories
02:53across the weekend.