BRILLIANT BLUES
By BEN CARTER
Murrabit is the best team in the Golden Rivers Football League for 2007.
The Blues made sure of that in Saturdays Grand Final at Kerang's Riverside Park - by an eventually whopping margin of 13 goals over Wandella.
At quarter time, Josh Bray's side faced a scenario eerily similar to their semi final defeat of a fortnight ago to the Bombers.
Down early after a slow start, Murrabit met the challenge thrown at them in the second term, however, and fought back to reclaim the ascendancy - and then kept it.
The Blues' team banner read "Mateship-Hardness-Commitment", and all of those may have been in evidence from the word go, but the opening 10 minutes belonged to the Bombers.
It was semi final number two all over again - consistent centre square movement into the forward line from Wandella, particularly from their smaller players including Jamie Pay and Brant Laidlaw.
They were ably assisted by Travis Smith, while Murrabit was forced to kick in reverse until it found better attacking options.
Things were not looking flash for the Blues - with 20 minutes gone they were still without a point to their name on the board.
Their midfielders diligently followed the ball around the park, but sometimes neglected to follow up their first efforts with assistance from team mates.
Cameron Coulter provided Murrabit with its first major, before Dan Nethercote and Kain Vehlen helped to strengthen the route to goal - a move that Nathan Henry was obviously thankful for.
By the end of the first quarter, the score line still didn't suggest what was to come later, with Wandella seemingly holding a comfortable two goal lead, and the Blues struggling to find that extra man in attack to ensure each 50 metre entry proved profitable.
Things improved for Murrabit in the second term, despite the loss of Coulter with a knee injury, as Jon Hirst kicked the first of his six goals for the match.
Bray himself also chipped in with a set shot from a penalty, while Justin Rooney was the Blues impact man on the eastern defence wing.
The steady improvement of Murrabit was completed by Hirst, as the league leaders went in to the lead after 42 minutes for the first time in the match.
Greater attacking variety was now paying off for the Blues, as they launched several waves of assaults on the goal from half forward.
Further majors to Sam Randall and another to Hirst gave Murrabit a three goal advantage.
At the other end, it was a mixed bag of accuracy for the Bombers, although Greg Kennedy could claim that his radar was working, and the margin was reduced to two goals.
Hirsts contribution was perhaps the most enigmatic on the field - a mystery man given all the attention Wandella put on to Henry. They hadn't figured that the Blues would be just as potent when turning to their secondary attackers as well.
Murrabit were now growing in confidence and moving the ball well - while the Bombers' approach of pivoting before disposal negated their ability to prepare to meet Blues attacks with defenders in correct positions.
Heading into the third quarter down by four goals, the Bombers reverted to their effective first term tactic of direct play through the centre. Peter Morris took some terrific grabs, and Mick Bott switched on the speed to nail a great 25-metre snap, returning a one-point advantage to Wandella.
Matt Jackman was now looking like the man who may just be the weak link in Murrabit's defensive chain, as he was turned inside-out on more than one occasion by the Bomber forwards. Henry out-wrestled Wandella skipper Paul Meeham on 22 minutes for an excellent mark and goal - and the Blues again looked well in control.
Time was one thing still on the Bombers' side, but Murrabit made its opponents eat it up by running in circles close to the Wandella attacking 50-metre line.
Only Morris appeared to know the way through the Blues' defence, as two more majors to him left the Blues 12 points ahead with 20 minutes left on the clock.
Hirst then combined with Vehlen, Nick Hein and David Millard to fire through five goals in nine minutes to extend the Murrabit lead out to seven goals.
Even Simon Morton found time to get in on the act with a major of his own. Arguably the defining image of the final term came after Hirst again out-sprinted Bill Mellington to pass easily to Hein for another goal.
Bomber boss Matt Chamberlain stood quietly with his hands on his hips as the ball was returned by the umpires for the next centre bounce.
His side was now nine goals down with five minutes to play.
Henry returned to make sure there'd be no repeat of the semi-final result with two majors - and the crazy windmill arm performance after the latter broadcast loud and clear that this was to be the Blues' day.
MURRABIT......................27.7.169
WANDELLA......................14.9.93
Best: Murrabit - Jon Hirst, Justin Rooney, Nathan Henry, Kain Vehlen, Josh Bray & Brad Kingwall.
Wandella - Peter Morris, Mick Bott, Travis Smith, Matt Chamberlain, Jamie Pay & Brant Laidlaw.
