Morwell and Wonthaggi Power vie for Gippsland League glory at Morwell Recreation Reserve on Saturday in an intriguing grand final match-up few predicted.
The stage was set for a replay of last year’s premiership decider between the Tigers and Sale, until the Power intervened with a record-breaking fourth-quarter comeback in last weekend’s preliminary final.
The eleventh-hour heroics earned the Power a maiden Gippsland League grand final berth and coach Rob Railton said the club was not content with last week’s extraordinary result.
‘‘We’ll discuss it at training, then move on,’’ Railton said.
‘‘Having a short week helps in some ways. We’ll only know the answer (to whether the Power played their grand final last week) after this weekend.
‘‘For the club and everyone that puts in the hard work to make this happen it’s very exciting and we’re all looking forward to the challenge.’’
Wonthaggi Power was formed in late 2004 when Wonthaggi Blues and Wonthaggi Rovers merged.
The new club spent its first five years in the Alberton Football League, reaching the grand final every season for three flags, before joining Gippsland League in 2010.
A member of the Blues’ 1993 Bass Valley Wonthaggi Football League premiership team, Railton played in the defunct club’s grand final defeats in 2001 and 2002, but relished having a young squad hungry for success.
‘‘We’ve got a couple (premiership players) left from the Alberton days, but for our list it’s another learning tool,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s not about my premiership experience or anyone else’s, it’s about these players this year.
‘‘Morwell’s ball movement is really good, they like to possess the ball and find free players, so we have to be good defensively and when we get the ball ourselves we have to make good decisions a keep the ball a bit, otherwise we’ll be in trouble.’’
After winning the premiership the hard way last year, Morwell took the direct route to this year’s grand final, shaking off a third-quarter slump to beat Sale in the second semi-final – their only game since the final-round win against the Magpies on August 23.
Morwell coach Harmit Singh said keeping preparation consistent was the key.
‘‘Every club is different. Last year we went through and won and the year before Sale had a week off and won,’’ Singh said.
‘‘We had a week off a couple of weeks ago and played well against Sale and everyone understands it’s grand final week, so there’s more hype, but as a coaching group we just try to keep it low key and go with a similar routine.’’
Wonthaggi is one of only two teams to beat the Tigers this season and Singh was not surprised to see the Power beat Sale.
‘‘I thought that game would go down to the wire, but I thought it would be closer at three-quarter-time,’’ he said.
‘‘I rate them as a footy club, they’re well-coached and to get back into a winning position was a great effort.
‘‘They’re very good with the football, put a lot of time into their defensive mechanisms and work each other.’’
The Tigers face a tough week at the selection table, with Jack Weston, Ben Ainsworth, Campbell MacInnes and Zac Anderson in the selection mix.
Weston, a former Geelong AFL rookie, trained strongly last week and looks a certain inclusion, while Anderson has been a regular this season, MacInnes is a premiership player and Gippsland Power-listed Ainsworth an immense talent.
Team-of-the-year captain and on-baller Aaron Ware and key forward Troy Harley remain in doubt for the Power, but should play.
The ruck duel between Tom Crosby and Earl Shaw and the battle between Morwell key forwards Ash Close, Daniel Hutchison and Dean McDonald and Power backs Shannon Bray, Chris Wylie and Byron Dryden loom as some of the intriguing matchups.
Containing the Power’s run off half-back is key for Morwell, while Wonthaggi must hold its own against the prolific Tigers midfield.
The match will be Singh’s last at the Tigers, who will hope to cap an extremely successfully period with the club’s 12th senior flag and first back-to-back premierships since 1952-53.
‘‘I just hope to finish up my time at the footy club well and give the supporters something to celebrate,’’ Singh said.
Reserves
The top two sides at the end of the home-and-away season will battle it out for the reserves flag.
Maffra and Traralgon have not met this finals series, after Wonthaggi Power upset the Maroons in the qualifying final, with the Eagles accounting for the Power by 25 points in the second semi-final.
Traralgon beat Sale, then got its revenge on Wonthaggi with a 68-point win in the preliminary final to book its place in the decider.
Just five points separated the grand final combatants in round 15 and the premiership showdown promises to be just as tight.
Thirds
Traralgon goes into the thirds final as red-hot favourite, having lost just one game for the season.
The Maroons romped to victory in the second semi-final, downing Maffra by 70 points.
The Eagles bounced back to down second-placed Sale by nine points in the preliminary final, having beaten the Magpies by one point in the qualifying final to set up what should be a good contest between two exciting young teams.
Fourths
Moe and Maffra will contest the first flag of the day in the fourths grand final.
The Lions claimed the minor premiership and sailed through the finals series with a 29-point second semi-final win against the Eagles, who reached the final from third place.
Maffra knocked off Bairnsdale in the qualifying final and, after falling short against Moe, earned a crack at the flag with a thrilling nine-point win against rival Sale in the preliminary final.
Last Modified on 19/09/2014 13:46