Moulamein 10.15.75 def Quambatook 10.8.68
MOULAMEIN is through to the Golden Rivers Football Netball League Grand Final after triumphing over Quambatook by seven points in an all-time classic match.
It was a brutal affair at Wandella as both sides looked to continue their fairytale runs.
At 5.14pm on Saturday, Quambatook was a handful of points down in a preliminary final.
At 5.15pm, the Saints walked off the field for the final time after a 111-year history.
Moulamein is playing in their first finals series since 2008 and has not won the ultimate prize since 1988.
The smiles on the long-suffering Swans supporters in the changerooms following the nail-biting win would have warmed even the coldest heart.
Swans head coach Heath Moloney, “buggered” by his own admission, told The Guardian after the game he was ecstatic for his side and the club.
“I’m amazingly proud – it was a bloody great effort.
“Couldn’t be better and couldn’t ask for anything more – it’s just awesome to see.”
The last quarter will live long in the memory of anyone at the ground.
With the Saints six points down at three-quarter time, head coach Tim Free gave his men an emotionally charged address that even Churchill would be proud of, rousing his side for one last effort for the jumper.
At first, it didn’t seem to work. Unfortunately for the Saints, the wind that had all day favoured the end they were kicking to seemed to dissipate when they needed it most.
Moulamein’s Josh Flight kicked the opening goal of the final term, beginning a quarter in which he seemingly willed his side over the line, taking contested marks for fun.
“I gave him a bit of a rev-up at half-time,” Moloney said. “He came out and responded though, which was incredible.”
When Michael Morson floated home the Swans’ second on the trot, many would have been forgiven for thinking the Swans would run away with the game.
Not against this Saints side. Bradley Organ hit straight back, soccering through a major to bring the margin back to two straight kicks.
The Saints threw everything at the Swans over the next 10 minutes, hitting the post twice before Gregor Knight nailed a captain’s goal from the pocket to put all Swans supporters’ hearts in their mouths.
Swans young star Jack Jones saved a certain goal halfway through the term with a massive tackle deep in his defensive 50.
Jones was joined by other Swans youngsters who stood up when it mattered most on Saturday, and Moloney couldn’t be prouder of them.
“It was amazing – it’s obviously stressful for those kids – it’s a big moment when they can go one way or the other, and they took it upon themselves to give everything,” he said.
Moloney himself was remarkable, marshalling the troops across half-back as the Swans held on for dear life.
Lachie Martin gave them some breathing room, running into an open goal, before Saint Nick Mason hit straight back to make the margin six points.
From the following centre bounce, controversy ensued as Saint Bradley Organ was laid out cold while play continued.
Flight kicked a point from the resulting play, putting the Swans up by seven points, and that’s where the margin stayed.
The Saints did have their chances following the stoppage that allowed Organ to be carried off.
When Ash Murray kicked a set shot out on the full, it felt like the moment was now past for the Saints.
The Swans professionally rounded out the final minutes, which felt like an eternity.
Moloney was pleased with the way his side handled the closing moments.
“It’s been hard all year because a lot of us can’t train together, so it’s just the simple things we’ve been focused on – don’t blaze away, keep control of the ball, and that wins games,” he said.
Luke Shannon, who opened the scoring, was excellent in the first half, along with fellow midfielders William Gibson and Daniel Aarsman.
Jordan Lampi kicked three for the day, including a snap early in the first quarter that put the Saints up by seven points.
The Swans kicked the next three for the quarter as Anthony Daw and Michael Bradbury battled hard in the ruck.
The Saints, kicking to the scoring end in the second quarter, rattled on five unanswered goals, including a rare one by much-loved defender Nick ‘Sauce’ Birthisel, to give them a 16-point advantage heading into the rooms at half-time.
Aarsman and Morson missed multiple chances early in the third quarter as the Saints threw a couple of players behind the ball.
It worked for a period and they were able to repel Swans’ forays with ease, thanks to some great intercept marking, but the dam wall eventually burst when Cody Storm, Aarsman and Rodney Reeves nailed three goals in quick succession to give them a six-point lead heading into that famous final quarter.
Gibson, Storm, Flight and Shannon were among the Swans’ best in a consistent performance from the side that finished third on the ladder.
Tobie Cameron was best on the ground, and Organ and Lampi were among the Saints’ best.
The Swans head to Nullawil this week to face the Maroons in what looks like an impossible task.
But anything can happen in a grand final, and Moloney is assured his men will put in a performance fitting of the occasion.
“You’ve got to have confidence going in – we know we can match teams anywhere – our midfield is quality, our forwards are great and our backs our strong,” he said.
