Football
7 August, 2026
Eagles' finals hope alive, but just
The Demons did their best to spoil the Eagles’ dream of finals with a 35-point win on Saturday.
Despite the loss, there is still a bit of hope for Warrack, but it will all come down to their game against the Thunder this week – and it's a must-win.
The plan from Eagles coach Kyle George heading into the back end of the season was simple: win the games against opposition they defeated in the first half of the season, and pick up a win elsewhere along the way.
But that plan had a bit of a diversion on Saturday, with the Horsham side defeating Warrack 8.12 (60) to 3.7 (25).
Oakley Farr from the Demons was the only multiple goal scorer on the day, with a couple of majors, while no best players were named officially for either side on PlayHQ.
George described the performance of his side on Saturday as "ordinary".
"Horsham were just too fast," he said.
"We missed opportunities; they got quicker and pressured us well."
If Southern Mallee had won against Ararat on Saturday, it would have ended any hope of Warrack playing finals this year, but with Ararat's success came a glimpse of optimism for the Eagles.
But with three matches remaining and with the Eagles (5 wins, 8 losses) playing the Thunder (8-6) on Saturday – from who they will need to steal fifth spot if they're to contest finals – it all comes down to round 16.
Asked what would be the focus at training in the lead-up to the game to make sure they got the win, George said the question was tough.
"We train like we want to play and it's disappointing we get to the weekend and it hasn't worked," the coach said.