VIC Country may have lost the battle, but it won the war.
That’s coach Rob Hyde’s take on the defeat by South Australia in the last match, but Vic Country still emerging triumphant to claim the AFL Under 18 National Championship title.
South Australia slugged out a four point win – 8.7 (55) to 7.9 (51) – at Skilled Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, however, the victory was not enough to elevate them past Vic Country as the Championship’s best team.
Vic Country, winners of its first four matches, was crowned champions on percentage from South Australia and Vic Metro who also won four matches.
It is the first time since 2003 that Vic Country have triumphed and its sixth title, including two Division 2, since 1989 when Victoria began fielding two teams in the Championships.
Hyde said it would have been “nice” to go through the Championships undefeated, but the narrow defeat against South Australia took little away from the team’s overall performance.
“I say to people ‘we lost that battle, but we won the war’,” Hyde said.
“Overall, the kids were terrific. They kept their head over the ball for most of the time and they really worked hard for us other.
“All the team orientated stuff that might not sound too exciting, but what a good team is all about.”
While the conditions made the match against South Australia a real war of attrition, Vic Country countered whenever the visitors appeared set to surge clear.
Hyde noted that Vic Country were unable to reproduce some of its early strong showings, but stuck to its task.
“It was just a super hard contest. We wanted to win it, but we also knew the scenario that faced us. We could not let them win by about four goals,” Hyde said.
“It came down to who was prepared to throw their body in. South Australia did a great job, too. We didn’t play particularly well, but as they did throughout the championships they kept working.”
Defender Dyson Heppell was named Vic Country’s player of the Championships while Mitch Hallahan was awarded the coaching staff’s best player.
Hyde said Shaun Atley deserved recognition for his performance throughout.
“Dyson played off the half back line and did a terrific job of mopping up and setting up play. He put his body on the line, a couple of times he got crashed into as he stood underneath a mark and he was really brave,” he said.
“Mitch is just a real hard nut. He just loves a contest, he’s in and under and his efficiency of using the ball was really good.”
Vic Country could have as many as five All Australians when the team is selected, predicted Hyde, who said he hoped Luke Parker and bottom age player Adam Treloar would come in for serious consideration.
Last Modified on 18/08/2010 11:51