West Footscray is putting on its best poker face over the status of star forward Munir El Houli for Sunday’s WRFL division 2 grand final bout with Wyndhamvale at Avalon Airport Oval.
El Houli, the competition’s leading goalkicker with 72 goals, has missed the opening two games of the finals with a mystery ailment described by Roosters coach David Orchard as “a bit more to general soreness than first thought”.
So will he or won’t he take to the field for the season decider?
Orchard was not about to let the cat out of the bag.
“We’re sort of hoping things go to plan and he’s ready,” he told
Star Weekly. “We’re just working through it.”
West Footscray found a way to win without El Houli on Saturday, running out 25-point winners over North Footscray in the preliminary final at Hogans Road Reserve.
The Roosters had no trouble hitting the scoreboard, registering 29 scoring shots to 19, although El Houli’s accuracy might have come in handy.
VIEW PICTURE GALLERY/SALES FROM WEST FOOTSCRAY V NORTH FOOTSCRAY
Trailing by nine points at half-time, the Roosters booted 6.10 in a scintillating third quarter to blow the game wide open.
Big third quarters have been a trend for the Roosters this season.
“If you have a look at the first half of games throughout the year, we did the same things,” Orchard said.
“Round 1 versus Caroline Springs, we were down by five points at half-time and kicked 23.17 in the second half.
“We did the same thing we did to Manor Lakes. Up to half-time we were thereabouts and came out and kicked 22 after half-time. We’re a side who can score heavily very quickly.”
The Roosters’ experienced players came to the fore after half-time, Jamie Zerafa, Steve McAnulty, Michael Kennedy and Ziad Kadour lifting the side when it counted.
“There’s some experience right there,” Orchard said. “They’re proven performers in big games, they’ve all got level heads and they stand up when we need them to.”
Jadyn Trowdale continued his stellar year in the midfield and has been the standout finals player for the Roosters so far.
“The young fella gets belted from pillar to post every week and just bounces back up and keeps trudging through,” Orchard said.
“Pound for pound he’d have to be the strongest bloke in the comp. If you had 22 of those blokes, you wouldn’t lose a game.”
Mustafa Mesto booted three goals for the Roosters, while Damien Yze, Rhys Bucktin and Tobi Bray kicked two each.
For North Footscray, Max Rampling and Andrew Cunningham kept their side in the game with three goals apiece.
WRFL FINALS WEEK 3
Division 1
Preliminary final: (Avalon Airport Oval, 2.15pm, Saturday) Werribee Districts v Hoppers Crossing
Division 2
Grand final: (Avalon Airport Oval, 2.20pm, Sunday) Wyndhamvale v West Footscray
Division 3
Grand final: (Wootten Road Reserve, 2.20pm, Saturday) Parkside v Albanvale
