This is the Mansfield Football Club's only 2nd appearance in a Goulburn Valley Football League Grand Final and thus far have a perfect strike rate of 100%. They have one from one. Season 2004 was their year when they defeated Tatura 20.15 (135) to 11.8.(74) after Tatura won the 2003 flag. The Big Monster David MENSCH was the playing Coach of the Eagles in 2004 and had Fraser STEVENSON, Ben MILLOTT and Matt STORER as part of his Premier team. The big fella Matt STEVENSON was listed as the first emergency back then but I don't think he will be an emergency this week-end as he will be needed to help out his team-mates and fellow big man Bernard JONES. This is a pretty good record taking into account Mansfield only joined our League at the start of the 1998 season after two years in Division II of the GVFL and a few years in the old Tungamah League. For the first few years in the GVFL the Eagles struggled a bit but then when they got the big bloke from Geelong in 2003 things have been quite good. Flag in 2004 then under Peter TOSSOLL the Eagles reached the Prelim. final in 2005 and 2006, the 1st Semi in 2007 and then last year under the "Fish" Christian THOMSON they just missed out on the finals by percentage. Kyabram have won 11 Senior flags, in 1919, 1921 and 1922, 1926, '27 and '28, 1948, 1950, 1958, 1975 and then a 21 year wait to their last in 1996 when they defeated Tatura 18.13 (121) to 10.10 (70). That flag was a brilliant victory considering the Bombers lost their full back courtesty of a red card in the first quarter and played the remainder of the game with only 17 men on the ground - the charge was not sustained and therefor I.Q. was cleared at the Tribunal the following Tuesday night - if you don't mind umpire! Anyway, enough of the history lesson, let's get stuck into it!
Ky and Mansfield only met the once during the home and away season, Round 7, 30th May at Kyabram. On that day Ky kicked 7 goals in the 1st quarter, 5 in the 2nd, 3 in the 3rd and then finished off with another 7 goals in the last quarter to win 22.10 (142) to 13.11 (89) - a win of 53 points. Paul NEWMAN kicked 8, brother David kicked 5, Josh PELL kicked 3 and six other Bombers each kicked a goal. Full back Josh VICK was named the best player for the Bombers, then Nathan BECK, Scott BEATTIE, Paul NEWMAN, Chris ATKINS and Josh PELL. Simon HART kicked 6 for the Eagles, Tim DEMETRIOU and Jimmy HERRIDGE both kicked 2. Ross HOPKINS, Simon HART, Nick GIESCHEN, Fraser STEVENSON, Tim DEMITRIOU and Adam BOSHEVSKI were named the Eagles best.
At the end of the Home & Away season, Rochester finished on top of the ladder with 16 wins and 2 losses. Both Mansfield and Ky finished the season off with 14 wins and 4 losses each. Mansfield had the superior % by kicking 249 points more than Ky - that is a whopping 41 goals. Ky. also had 6 more points kicked against them compared to Mansfield, 1391 to 1385. Mansfield have earned the right to play off for the flag by defeating Rochester in the Qualifying Final at Deakin Reserve, winning 15.12 (102) to Rochy's 14.4 (88). Simon HART kicked 7, David MENSCH kicked 2 and singles were kicked by Ben MILLOTT, Nathan HART, Tim DIMETRIOU, Adam BOSHEVSKI, Brett MAHONEY and Nick GIESCHEN. The Eagles best 6 were named as :- Bernard JONES, David MENSCH, Simon HART, Adam BOSHEVSI, Brett MAHONEY and Fraser STEVENSON. On this same week-end Kyabram disposed of Seymour over at Benalla by 52 points, winning 21.22 (148) to Seymour's 15.6 (96). Paul NEWMAN kicked 6, David NEWMAN kicked 5, Linc WITHERS kicked 2 as did Scott BEATTIE, Chris ATKINS and David O'SULLIVAN. Brad EDWARDS and Nathan BECK each kicked a goal. Ky's best 6 were named as :- Nathan BECK, Michael PRYDE, Josh LINTON, Lincoln WITHERS, Ryan EDWARDS and Chris ATKINS. That win by Ky. put them into the 2nd Semi Final where they met Mansfield at Mooroopna on Sunday 13th September. As we know, Kyabram were sensational; two points down at 1/4 time but then in the second Q they went bang, bang, bang eight times - 8 unanswered goals to lead 12.7 to 3.7 at 1/2 time. But to Mansfield's credit they actually outscored Ky in the 2nd half by kicking 9 goals 8 to Kyabram's 9 goals 5. Ky won 21.12 (138) to Mansfield 12.15 (87). Kyabram's ace full forward Paul NEWMAN marked everything that went near him for him to kick 8 goals. Brad MANGAN back from the Bushrangers kicked 5, Chris ATKINS and Wade DEMASI kicked 3 each, Michael PRYDE and Josh PELL kicked one each. Matt DELEDIO was named the Bombers best player with Paul NEWMAN, Brad EDWARDS, Lincoln WITHERS, Chrissie ATKINS and Liam OGDEN listed as Ky's best. Mansfield's goals were kicked by David MENSCH (4), Bernard JONES (2), Dan ROY (2), Adam BOSHEVSKI (2), Tim DEMETRIOU and Simon HART who apparently hurt his right hand early in the game and actually missed the Prelim. Mansfield's best players in this loss to Ky. were recorded as :- Chris GALLAGHER, Bernard JONES, Tim Van Der KLOOSTER, Jamie SHEAHAN, Nick GIESCHEN and Mitchell WAREHAM. The win by Ky of course plonked them straight into the Grand Final.
Mansfield were then back to Deakin Reserve against last years Premiers, the very proud Rochester Tigers. It seems as though the Eagles really enjoy playing on Deakin and like in the Qualifying final a fortnight earlier, Mansfield again defeated Rochy; this time by a point short of 10 goals. 14.22 (106) to 7.5 (47). Mansfield's goal kickers were :- Tim DEMETRIOU (3), Brett MAHONEY (3), Jamie SHEAHAN (2), David MENSCH (2), Matt STORER (2), Ben MILLOTT and Adam BOSHEVSKI. Mansfield were very good all over the ground with all players doing their job and playing well. To defeat Rochy by this margin and without Simon HART was a very, very good effort. Most of the Ky. players and their Coach David WILLIAMS were at Deakin taking it all in. You could back London to a brick that "Dirty" and his crew of Lawrie CASEY and Mark OGDEN will have studied the Eagles to the nth degree and leave no stone unturned to try and win this flag.
This is really one hell of a hard game to select the winner - just like a Grand Final should be when you have the best two teams fighting for the flag. Kyabram have fantastic experience - are there any better than Linc WITHERS and Scott BEATTIE ? Paul NEWMAN ? Chris ATKINS ? Josh VICK and Dave O'SULLIVAN and David NEWMAN ? Hows that for experience? And what about Ky's kids, Liam OGDEN, Adam LOVISON, Michael PRYDE, Brad MANGAN, Wade DEMASI, Nathan BECK? Compare these players with the Eagles Jimmy HERRIDGE, Ross HOPKINS, Dan ROY, Ben MILLOTT with the recruits Van Der KLOOSTER, the HARTS, GIESCHEN and can Timmy DEMETRIOU play footy or what? And what about David MENSCH, Fraser STEVENSON and Mattie STORER and then you have the Eagles kids who all have had a taste in the VFL this year after 2008 with the Bushrangers and these boys can really play, they are Jamie SHEAHAN, Brett MAHONEY and Adam BOSHEVSKI. Experience, talent and youth - both sides have plenty of these vital attributes. Some say to select a winner you should look at the so called bottom six and compare them but both Mansfield and Ky are very strong right down to player No. 21 on the Team Sheet. Despite Linc WITHERS and Scott BEATTIE and Chris ATKINS and Paul NEWMAN and this bloke and that bloke and this brilliant kid and this top run-with tagger, for the sake of a tip, your Tipster is selecting the Eagles to win their 2nd G.V.F.L. flag because the game is at Deakin and the Tipster believes the Eagles have stronger bodies and are just that bit more experienced. So that's it, the tips in - good luck to both Clubs. I am sure this game could be just about one of the best Grand Finals that we could see. The Tipsters tip for the Best on Ground medal is Tim DEMETRIOU - most goals probably Paul NEWMAN or possibly Simon HART if he plays and his wrist is ok. Interesting is'nt it?
Last Modified on 10/06/2010 20:06