By RHYS WOOSNAM - Division 3 Reserves
DESPITE finishing a game behind their opponents, it was Parkside who turned up to play this weekend and it resulted in the ultimate victory.
They are the 2016 WRFL Premiers after besting Tarneit in a surprise win by just eight points.
The quality of the game met the lofty expectations set by a tremendous regular season, with both teams giving it their all and never giving up.
It was a back and forth encounter that saw Parkside prevail after leading for the entire match. Their ice cold determination was the difference, as they held off a fast-finishing Tarneit in the final stanza.
Tarneit will rue their inaccuracy in front of goal, having one more scoring shots, but converting just eight of their 19 attempts, with Parkside kicking 10 goals and seven behinds.
For Parkside, David Orchard booted four majors and was supported by Ryan Keenan who kicked two.
Mark Schwabl, Robert Ferguson and Cameron Sturrock all starred for the eventual premiers.
On the losing side, leading goal-kicker Troy Whiting battled tremendously but couldn’t receive the silver service that saw him kick 57 majors in 2016.
Parkside’s premiership victory is a massive turnaround from their 2015 season where they finished in fifth place with just eight wins.
For Tarneit, it’s another case of close but no cigar. They made it into the finals last year, finishing in third position and were the minor premiers in 2016. However, on the most important day of the season, they couldn’t translate regular season form into a glorious victory.
The 2016 WRFL season was a hive of unpredictability and uncertainty which made it all the more exciting.
The departure of last year’s minor premiers(Albanvale) and the introduction of Newport and Sunshine Heights made the premiership incredibly competitive and we saw a highly entertaining chase for the title.
Parkside will now revel in their ultimate glory, but they will have a number of challengers at their heels in 2017.
Last Modified on 06/09/2016 09:51