Footy Wrap - Grand Final Edition | The Courier | September 17, 2023
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00:00 Welcome to a special edition of our Sunday Football Wrap. I'm David Breo and I'm joined
00:04 by Edward Holland. G'day David, how are ya? Alright, a big weekend naturally enough with
00:08 the Central Highlands Grand Finals on Saturday and there we saw Gordon go back to back in the
00:15 senior football and Learmonth complete an outstanding season going through undefeated,
00:21 so earning the title of Premier and Champion. Certainly a big day, perfect conditions,
00:28 big crowd, you were there for most of it and certainly one that in particular Gordon
00:34 people will not forget. Yeah well I was helping you out last year with Central Highlands and it
00:39 was tough for me not to keep reflecting on last year's Grand Final. Mirror image wasn't it? Yeah,
00:44 so many similarities between 2022 and 2023 with the Eagles getting over the line against Springbank.
00:49 We'll talk more about that in a moment but we have to remember that of course in the Ballot
00:53 Football Netball League we're just days away now from their Grand Final and we have a match-up
01:00 with, well you tell us. Yeah well it's going to be Dali and North Ballarat in both football and
01:06 netball Grand Finals which is a pretty nice little quirk there so you can say a line about a black
01:12 and white team is going to win if you want but North Ballarat getting over the line against
01:16 Eastport by 41 points on Saturday and in the netball Dali defeating Redan in the prelim final
01:24 there so that's at City Oval on Saturday the Grand Final and yeah black and white feel to it.
01:30 Okay we'll talk more about that in detail in just a moment but certainly we have to reflect
01:34 on Saturday's Grand Final in the Central Highlands. Well we went to Mars Stadium,
01:40 I was expecting a much closer contest than last year, we wanted that, you always want that in
01:45 the Grand Final, you don't like blowouts and we certainly didn't want to see that margin of last
01:50 year no matter which way it went. Springbank deservedly went in as favourite, they've been
01:55 the minor premier, they had 15 wins in a row behind them, everything pointed to this was the year
02:02 that the Tigers you know became a premiership side again and avenged last year's defeat but
02:10 I'll tell you what it wasn't far into the game was it, the signs were all there that Gordon had
02:16 their measure and the longer it went the worse it got for the Tigers and look I reckon it was halfway
02:22 through the third quarter that the game was gone. Yeah it was that well the first quarter was once
02:27 again similar to last year but Springbank came with the breeze and not making the most of their
02:31 opportunities. It was scrawly, even Adam Toohey speaking to him after the game said once you got
02:38 the ball on that Creswick Road side it was very hard to get it out of that quadrant of the
02:47 ground and you can see that particularly at the clubroom's end, they got into that pocket both
02:52 sides and the ball just got locked in so it did make it tricky but there still was an advantage
02:57 with the wind sort of blowing to that scoreboard and you know the first quarter Springbank were
03:02 held and Gordon just laid the foundation. Yeah I think it was in the second quarter where Toohey
03:07 kicked those back-to-back goals that really opened the game up for Gordon's favour and then from
03:12 there they just kept going, kept rolling. I think you mentioned in your article that Springbank had
03:17 a goal early in the second and then not again until much much later in the game. Yeah last quarter and
03:22 the final scores which we should mention 13-13-91 to Springbank, 5-4-34 and three of those goals
03:30 coming in the last quarter just consolation and but as I've written today it certainly didn't
03:36 take away any of the pain as the Tigers for the second year in a row sat down on the grass in
03:42 front of the grandstand and watched the Green and Gold Army celebrate and hold that couple off. So a
03:49 57 point loss for Springbank so in many ways it's back to the drawing board. Yeah they just didn't
03:55 fire, everything was in place and in the end they just looked short up forward and yeah they just
04:01 got caught out. The margin wasn't quite as large as last year but the margin doesn't matter. So
04:07 it's back to back, they become only the eighth side in Central Holland's Football League history
04:12 to go back to back and as some cheeky bod yelled out during Adam Toohey's post-game address to all
04:22 the spectators in the room, 'what about a three Pete?' he smiled and he just said let's just enjoy
04:27 this moment first. But you know I wouldn't have thought that maybe they would go back to back but
04:34 full credit the slogan being cried out by you know one of their best players on the day,
04:40 Connor Ascoff, was what was it did you see it? Too hard, too slow. Yeah and too good. So I don't
04:47 know if they're having a shot at me or others I don't think I've quite said that maybe I indicated
04:52 that but they certainly had some veterans in their side but I think in many ways this game was played
04:58 above the shoulders. I think they got into Springbank's heads and once they got the ascendancy
05:04 they took control and you know just so many experienced players that they coach themselves
05:08 out there. I spoke about that in the call yesterday we had Brad McGowan as our guest special comments
05:16 man and I spoke to him and yeah he agreed as a coach you know quite often these games it's in
05:22 the mind and once Springbank got behind and just couldn't get things going a lot of memories would
05:29 have come flooding back. I think that's the thing as well Gordon almost went into their game and
05:33 once a grand final there's always something to lose but with the premiership to their name last
05:37 year a little bit maybe a little bit stress-free and as the underdog as well do you think Adam
05:42 Tui was lapping that up going in a little quieter? They always say that but still I mean there's
05:47 still pressure on them and yes it was mentioned and it's always this situation you're playing
05:53 that you've won one the year before so last year the pressure was on that they had lost in between
06:00 1988 you know they had occasions where they could have won and they had lost to almost a decade ago
06:08 against Springbank in the grand final so you don't want that sort of that run to keep going so the
06:13 fear was last year there's a would have been that nervousness oh now if we lose this when are we
06:17 ever going to win a flag whereas you go in this year we know how it's done we have got that flag
06:23 they're not thinking this that if it goes disastrously wrong we've already got the flag
06:28 but we've already got one in the bag okay let's make it two but it's not the end of the world.
06:33 Springbank well you know they're there now they're just going to go back as I said to the
06:38 drawing board and because this will knock them around more than last year because last year
06:43 Andrew Chalice who's been reappointed or ready to go again next year he said last year was a bonus
06:49 we made the grand final we weren't expecting to look we lost we're disappointed but we learned
06:54 a lot we got there this was the year to capitalise on that hard work and it hasn't happened so yeah
07:00 it's going to be some scratching your heads they're still got you know they're probably one
07:05 or two players short but you know when you lose the grand final wow it just disappears.
07:10 Just in terms of yesterday's game as well any individuals you'd like to talk about you did
07:15 declare yourself as the number one ticket holder of the Billy Griffiths fan club?
07:19 No well sort of but anyway yeah look he was clearly best on the ground he got the award
07:24 we were talking about him right through the second half he's such a dynamic small forward
07:31 he's able to play higher up the ground than perhaps he has in a lot of his football where
07:37 he's played a deep forward pocket just kicking goals but he's kicked four goals yesterday
07:41 he's creative he fires up the players around him and yeah there's no doubt he was the best on the
07:51 ground and I was pleased to hear that he got the medal so to show we are good judges of the career.
07:57 Yeah well right from the get-go he was he was the difference maker for Gordon on Saturday I think
08:01 he just popped up where the net all of a sudden the ball would fall on his lap.
08:04 Well the thing is he provided up forward for Gordon what unfortunately Springbank didn't have
08:10 at the other end and so he would reap the benefits of the defensive work by Gordon because really
08:17 the game was won basically in by Gordon's defence now they shut down the Springbank attack you know
08:27 Staunton Finko just didn't see the ball it was wide open all the time and so the Gordon back
08:32 line was in total control and then of course that allowed them to springboard forward and it was
08:37 players like Griffiths who's got some real spark and he's elusive and all the rest of it and if he
08:42 didn't wasn't kicking goals he kicked four he certainly created a few so yeah shout out to
08:47 Billy Griffiths and his family because his father said after the game as I was waiting to go down
08:51 the room so hope you gave Billy a good rap and said yes we did because I've been watching him
08:55 since his younger days at Bacchus Marsh so it's been a good two years for him because when Bacchus
09:00 Marsh won their first premiership back in 2016 it was 2016 he was an emergency so he just missed
09:13 out there so it's been some real satisfaction there just quickly Springbank it wasn't all bad
09:18 news for Springbank in the football they won the reserves they went back to back there they won
09:22 the under 18s so a couple of flags for the Tigers and then the under 15s a historic first premiership
09:29 for in the Central Highlands at any level for Roque with Corindap so good day all around for
09:38 those sides so Springbank winning two Gordon the big one of course and Roque with Corindap
09:44 the under 15s and we've already mentioned that Learmonth took out the major honour
09:48 in the netball and just before we finish up I know it's we've rattled on a bit here but it
09:55 is grand final day you know you talk about little there's always stories as you know
10:00 several sets of brothers playing it with Gordon as we know the the Clampetts, Gunnels, the Griffiths
10:08 but also you don't see it very often a father a mother and son playing in premierships in the
10:17 same day and that was the case at Gordon with the Gordon D grade netballers winning
10:26 and yeah so all good there to celebrate yeah yeah can I talk about my league as well before we wrap
10:33 up oh I nearly forgot about that no that's all right that's right but anyway you'll have your
10:37 big moment next week because you'll be running solo as far as the football goes yeah Bello
10:42 Football Netball League unfortunately you know a one-sided game wasn't it it looked like East
10:47 had just run their race had they yeah I think a few people were saying not East Point players but
10:52 East Point people were saying they felt like they played their grand final last week with that
10:55 one point win against Melton the conditions at Mars Stadium we experienced those they were even
11:01 more I guess blustery at City Oval on Saturday with East Point zero goal seven at three-quarter
11:09 time they had five things five behinds in the second quarter with the breeze at their back
11:14 that was five opportunities to kick goals and they didn't so it was hard to read and hard to
11:18 play under Brendan McCartney after the game said it was a very very difficult game to convert in
11:24 front of the big six but yeah so Brendan McCartney's side is through to his first grand final as
11:29 Rooster's coach to play Dali but just going through so in the second turn at the 22nd
11:35 minute mark Jackson Merritt outgoing playing coach of East Point dealt a red card for a
11:41 what was the score at that time it was East Point still had to keep the goal North had five goals
11:48 did it look like they were gone well at that probably by then 22nd minute mark they would
11:53 have had their chances so was in the Alistair Lynch moment I think you remember his last game
11:58 or no of it no of it yeah you probably don't remember it probably too young but you remember
12:04 sometimes players can go out with a big moment let's just say that he might he was probably still
12:11 he didn't want to call it there they were still hoping to play in the grand final the following
12:15 week but uh yes delta red card so they were a man short for 20 minutes and then they could finally
12:21 replace him but that's yeah that's how he's signing off on his at least his coach is coaching
12:26 we don't know what he's doing as a player yet doing his coaching career at East Point he's
12:30 unsigned he did say he wanted to hold off on contract talks with East Point or any club
12:35 until they finished their season so all right so it started started today yeah so fingers crossed
12:40 for East Point they can lock him in and just going through so Jamie Quick four goals his uh
12:45 return to form he was pretty quiet against well they were all pretty quiet against Dali last
12:49 week and Sam Glover three goals as well so a big win for the Roosters and they'll be hoping to get
12:55 some revenge on on Dali who had a big win against them last week so big win there but they still go
13:01 in as the underdogs not much question about that Dali a red hot favorite just like Springbank was
13:06 or yeah they are favorite I mean they're probably a clear-cut favorite wouldn't you say yeah it's
13:12 it is strange it's um that that one-sided result a week ago it'd be I think he's probably better
13:18 against a bet against that happening again you'd think that would that was north to take a lot out
13:23 of that and maybe be a bit more fired up so on grand final night anything can happen but yeah
13:27 you're right Dali they've uh it's been them and Melton head and shoulders above the league all
13:32 season and now they're uh probably yeah deserve favorites in the grand final should they get
13:38 Cranberry back they should do just north I mean yeah I mean that's they've been able to rest him
13:45 yeah I probably wasn't rest per se but certainly he's got he's got um you know he's had a week off
13:52 hopefully that sorts out his hip that he's able to play you'd think you'd stand him in the gold
13:57 square if you had to yeah so uh Brent McCarty will just have to keep an eye on it this week he was
14:02 expecting him to be all clear for the grand final I'm sure he will definitely be putting his hand up
14:06 although we've seen in the past you can't afford to take as good as they are sometimes it's still
14:13 a big risk if there's any doubts isn't there you don't want to take a guy that's less than 100%
14:18 fit because you can be brought undone pretty quickly even last year's Ballarat grand final
14:23 with Tony Lockyer right and uh being hidden in the forward pocket for Sebastian Bolsari
14:28 but fingers crossed he's back yeah because that's an important player if they're going to have any
14:31 chance yeah we'll find out Thursday and also uh Monday night Henderson yeah just quickly talking
14:36 about the Henderson medal uh yeah the big gala a night uh Henderson medal and McLean medal of
14:41 course for the A grade netballers it's at Melton you'll be attending so um we'll be uh providing
14:48 a live blog on uh on that night providing all the the votes as the night goes on so you can
14:53 um jump on our website uh as a subscriber and follow that because uh we'll have you know and
15:00 if you miss something you can go back and have a look so um votes for every round in every grade
15:06 of netball and every grade of football that Edward you've been putting into the system I know you can
15:12 probably tell us every vote right now but uh in the preparation that's what we do so yeah we'll
15:17 have every vote every person that votes we'll have those on our blog and uh yeah it's going to be a
15:22 big night so looking forward to that yeah bring it on should be a good week and you'll provide
15:27 plenty of coverage in the lead up naturally enough uh some player profiles from each of the clubs and
15:33 just a bit of insight and obviously some updates on uh on injury so while the central highlands
15:39 football league ticks off and I can say right I'm ready for a break although there's some coaching
15:45 news already so we'll have that during the week and um no doubt what I can't wait for now is all
15:50 the recruiting all the silly things some of these rumors actually either being thrown out or coming
15:55 to fruition but I think there's a lot to play out but always like this time of year anything to sign
16:00 off you might have some good not good uh some interesting coaching news during the week too
16:05 yes um well hopefully hopefully get the get the all clear to write about it but um no I'm just
16:11 looking forward to the profile pieces of grand final week always always fun so looking forward
16:16 to getting stuck into those all right if you haven't caught up with a lot of our information
16:20 we've given you a bit of a a taste it's been a long taste but we've given you a taste of what's
16:25 been happening certainly go to our website we've got plenty of stories or also um if you want to
16:30 catch up with some some good videos from both competitions go to our career footy facebook
16:36 and over the last week we've had interviews with players we've also got some one thing I love doing
16:42 uh at the grand final yesterday after it was getting into the rooms after it and just doing a
16:47 bit of a walk through and some of the boys that were just relaxing and kicking back even dancing
16:52 in the in the room so um but uh yeah just a little bit of an insight into uh their immediate reactions
16:58 after the grand final of course we also spoke with Billy Griffiths our number one man at the moment
17:04 and also Adam Toohey so thanks Edward for joining us for another week a big week coming up in country
17:11 football focus on the Ballarat League so from myself David Brio and Edward Holland it's a very
17:16 good evening to everyone.