Top sides must perform on final's eve

 The Tigers reached the grand final in 2014 but have struggled to put two good games together and need to find some confidence with only three more rounds before the finals.

Shellharbour had their finals hopes ended by a seven goal loss to Kiama, who have the bye in round 16.

  Kiama edged ahead of Norths into third spot, leaving the Tigers in need of a response against a Shellharbour side who beat them by 28 points in their last meeting.

  Meanwhile the Lions had their unbeaten 10 game winning run ended by premiers Wollongong  Bulldogs in a top quality clash at Keira Oval.

"We knew we had to take it up to them physically and did that,’’ Bulldogs coach Lee Murray said.

‘‘Our pressure on the ball, getting men to the contest and playing for each other was right where we wanted it to be."

   While the Lions will still be minor premiers, the loss releases the pressure of a previously unbeaten season and gives the club a fresh focus for their tilt at the premiership.

 The Lions booted 65 goals in three 100-point plus wins before managing just six goals against a desperate Bulldogs who showed what pressure for all four quarters could achieve.

   The Lions host a desperate Bomaderry, who pushed the Bulldogs hard a fortnight ago, before beating a spirited Nowra by three goals last Saturday. 

     The fifth-placed Bomaderry need to produce their best performance of the season to have any chance against the Lions, who despite the loss to the Dogs remain the team to beat.

   In this afternoon’s  other game, the Bulldogs host Nowra at Keira Oval knowing a top two spot in within their grasp with only three more rounds before the finals.

   In Sydney AFL, South Coast Thunder on Saturday  are away to Manly in Division One under 19s. Both teams have won five games with the Thunder to improve to sixth with a win.

   South Coast ladder: Wollongong Lions (10-1); Wollongong Bulldogs (7-4), Kiama (7-6); Nth Districts (6-6);  Bomaderry (5-7), Shellharbour (3-8); Nowra (3-9).