TV Guide: Can Ashlin win Australian Ninja Warrior Grand Final on Nine?

Australian Ninja Warrior will finish its third season in its new home of Melbourne on Monday, July 29, at 7.30pm on Nine.
 
For the first time on Australian Ninja Warrior, there will be a winner with the competitor who goes furthest on the course in the fastest time taking home $100,000. Make it up Mt Midoriyama and the winner will pocket $200,000 and the title of Australia’s first Ninja Warrior. That's a big improvement on last year when series winner Rob Patterson only received a medal for his victory. At least he is back in the grand final again with a chance to win cash.

TV Ratings 
The series launched in Australia in 2017 to spectacular ratings with every episode except one over 1.5m. The series final was over 2m. 
For season two of Australian Ninja Warrior the numbers tumbled with only the final two episodes cracking just over 1m.
So far in 2019 the numbers have lifted slightly with two episodes – the launch and the penultimate – making it over 1m.

The Contestants

With the third semi-final last week there have already been some standouts on those nights:

Ashlin “Flashlin” Herbert
The fastest ninja of the night, Herbert is a Ninja Warrior regular who has made the grand final every year of the series after setting the fastest time in his semi-final he is well positioned to conquer Mt Midoriyama. He has qualified fastest for tonight's grand final.

Zak Stolz

Freinds with Ashlin “Flashlin” Herbert, Stolz was the first Ninja to reach the final obstacle and also complete the course.

Daniel Mason “The Barefoot Ninja”

After being knocked out in the semis the last two years of Australian Ninja Warrior, Mason beat his previous efforts and finished the course just four seconds behind Ashlin Herbert.

Matt Filippi

Matt Filippi went one round better than his identical twin Luke who failed at the Flying Shelf Grab, completing the whole course and qualifying for the Grand Final. Matt didn't make the grand final best 11.

Justin Flegler

Justin Flegler travelled from Far North Queensland and then went a little further making it a long way through the course before ironically falling on the Salmon Ladder as he had built his very own version at home to practise on. However, it was still enough to qualify for the grand final part one, but he didn't qualify for stage two.

Rob Patterson
"Robot Rob" goes into the Grand Final as the third fastest.

Mike Snow, Jordan Papandrea, and Alex Matthews were the only three Ninjas to complete the course in semi final 2, and  Patterson, who is the reigning Ninja champion, made short work of the course until he struggled hard up the Invisible Ladder, letting himself fall at the five-meter mark, but his time was fast enough to qualify for the  Grand Final. And all three have made it into the best 11 who will compete in the grand final.

The 11 qualifiers for the Grand Final (ranked from the fastest) are:

Ashlin Herbert
Charlie Robbins
Rob Patterson
Daniel Mason
Alex Matthews
Zak Stolz
Bryson Klein
Jordan Papandrea
Mike Snow
Josh O'Sullivan
Ryan Solomon