IT was a successful weekend of football for the Nambucca Valley Lions AFL Club, with the Reserves Men, Under 17 Girls and Under 16 Boys now through to grand finals.

On Saturday, the Reserves carved out a tough 7.8:50 to 5.7:37 victory against a determined Port Macquarie, with Aaron ‘Jocksy’ Clarke at his consistent best, booting three goals.

On Sunday the Nambucca Valley Under 14 Girls lost by 28 points to Coffs Breakers, whilst the
Under 14 mixed team went down by 22 to Port Macquarie.

Jubilation for the Under 17 Girls however, who won with a kick on the siren against a combined Northern Beaches-Sawtell Toormina side, and the Under 16 Boys who held out against a fast finishing combined Northern Beaches-Coffs.

Lions President Trent Baade has acknowledged that these results indicate a bright future for AFL in the valley.

“To see these teams make grand finals is testament to our focus on junior development which is seen in our recent growth in participation numbers.

“This is particularly true for female footy, which has enjoyed significant investment from AFL North Coast in the last few years.”

The Under 17 Girls will play the Bellingen Bulldogs and the Under 16 Boys the Port Macquarie Magpies on Sunday 27 August at C. ex Coffs International Stadium at 2:30pm and 4:10pm respectively.