By Ben Pollard
DIVISION 2 SENIORS GRAND FINAL
EAST MALVERN 14.10 (94) def OAKLEIGH DISTRICT 12.11 (83)
Jim Meneilly Medallist: Trent Hotton (East Malvern)
East Malvern will return to Division 1 in 2013 after holding off a gallant Oakleigh District outfit at Jack Barker Oval on Saturday. Oakleigh rode a four-game rollercoaster through the finals series just to make it to the big one, but still had the legs to stick with the Panthers. Indeed, there was barely more than two goals between the teams all day.
It was crucial for East Malvern to match Oakleigh’s potent attack on the scoreboard and the Panthers did so with aplomb. Simon Hart made it 12 goals in two finals with a bag of five, while Trent Hotton showed his class by adding another two and in doing so secured himself the Jim Meneilly Medal. Sean Fleming was also huge for the victors. Oakleigh’s dangerous forwards produced goals – Khaled Kandakji had three, Steve Arvanitis two and Elvis Alimovski completed a brilliant finals series with another three majors – but Fleming was part of an East Malvern defence that stood strong.
Panthers coach Matt Carroll also played an important role in the clinches and helped secure his team another Division 1 berth, a superb effort to rebound in the year after being relegated.
DIVISION 2 RESERVES GRAND FINAL
BENTLEIGH 14.22 (106) def HAMPTON 6.4 (40)
Bob Yeomans Medallist: Chris Sharp (Bentleigh)
Bentleigh finished six games clear of Hampton at the end of the home-and-away season and must never have thought they’d wind up playing them in Saturday’s grand final at Jack Barker Oval... Hampton was superb in defeating Murrumbeena, Skye and Oakleigh District en route to the big dance, but those efforts may have told in the end.
Bentleigh jumped out of the blocks, leading by 15 points at quarter-time, but Hampton wouldn’t go away in the second quarter. The ladder leaders had almost double the scoring shots, but only a measly 10-point halftime lead to show for it. However, Hampton’s resistance broke in the second half. Bentleigh’s toughness and fresh legs proved the difference, as Bob Yeomans Medallist Chris Sharp, Lochlan Tangas and James Coles ran amok.
Nine goals to two in the second half capped off a superb season for Benteigh, a deserved premier with 19 wins from 20 games in 2012.
DIVISION 3 SENIORS GRAND FINAL
MOORABBIN 9.8 (62) def SANDOWN 4.7 (31)
Jim Meneilly Medallist: Harry Harcourt (Moorabbin)
The Moorabbin Kangaroos are going to Division 2! Saturday’s 31-point margin could almost be considered a blowout, given the biggest margin separating the Kangaroos and the Cobras in three games this season was just 11 points. A major factor in Moorabbin’s premiership win at Ben Kavanagh Reserve must have been Sandown’s gruelling finals schedule. The Cobras played all four games, including a preliminary final against Doveton that went to extra time.
The Kangaroos meanwhile, earned preliminary final week off and it showed in the first quarter of this one, kicking 4.5 (29) to just one behind. The vaunted Sandown defence was struggling to contain the early flow and that quarter proved decisive. The Cobras rallied in the third term to get within 14 points at the final break, but Moorabbin’s fresh legs were key in the last quarter, as the Roos pulled away for a celebrated victory.
Harry Harcourt was brilliant for the victors, booting three goals and taking home the Jim Meneilly Medal. Hayden Schipper was a machine in the middle, while the Moorabbin defenders more than matched Sandown’s solid back half – Casey Mazzoletti, Connor McKibbin and Nathan Coe all capped off outstanding finals campaigns in the game that mattered most.
DIVISION 3 RESERVES GRAND FINAL
MOUNT WAVERLEY 12.9 (81) def MOORABBIN 3.5 (23)
Stan Le Lievre Medallist: Shane Costantino (Mount Waverley)
Mount Waverley claimed the Division 3 Reserves flag on Saturday, concluding a somewhat bizarre finals series. Both Mount Waverley and Moorabbin upset top-placed Sandown by big margins in consecutive weeks to make it to the decider, Moorabbin doing so after finishing seven games behind Sandown on the ladder.
There was no such upset in this one though, as Mount Waverley capitalised on dominant first and third quarters to belt Moorabbin around Ben Kavanagh Reserve. Shane Costantino made it two straight finals best-on-ground efforts, winning himself the Stan Le Lievre Medal. Marshall Newman and Matthew Wingfield were again very good for Mount Waverley, while Cameron Kirkup made the biggest scoreboard impact with five snags.
THIRDS GRAND FINAL
CHELSEA HEIGHTS 8.12 (60) def SANDOWN 7.5 (47)
Lloyd Griffiths Medallist: Tommy Ho (Sandown)
Both Chelsea Heights and Sandown showed the impressive depth of talent they possess by making the Thirds grand final at Jack Barker Oval on Saturday morning. The Heighters were ultra impressive in the finals series, rebounding from a first-week qualifying final loss to Dingley. Sandown qualified for the decider by defeating Dingley the next week and one could have expected the Cobras to be full of running after playing just one finals match, but it was Chelsea coming out all guns blazing.
Eight scoring shots to one in the first term should’ve resulted in a bigger early lead to the Heighters, but they kept Sandown in it by peppering the goals. At three-quarter time, Chelsea had 18 scoring shots to four on the board, but a lead of just 29 points. The margin still proved too great for the Cobras though, as the Heighters held on for premiership glory.
Kudos for ripper finals series go to Chelsea’s Brad Alderson, Adam Nilsen, Steve Young and Ben Campbell, and also to Sandown’s Tommy Ho, the Lloyd Griffiths Medallist in a losing team.
Last Modified on 01/11/2012 11:29