By DAVID NAGEL
RESILIENCE – Ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.
CRANBOURNE felt sick in the guts, down in the dumps and at times with little or no hope before floating on air after defeating Narre Warren by five points in an epic preliminary final at Holm Park Road on Saturday.
The resilient Eagles fell 41 points behind, 10 minutes into the third term, before a stunning 11 goal to three revival saw them book a place in this week’s Casey Cardinia league grand final against Beaconsfield.
The Magpies were at their scintillating best in the first quarter, racing to a five-goal lead after just 20 minutes of play.
They then controlled the middle stages of the match but just couldn’t hammer the final nail in the Eagles’ coffin.
Liam Myatt kicked two goals in the second term but his easy miss, and others to Aaron McIver and Jake Richardson, really did let the Eagles off the hook.
It was staggering that the margin had only stretched by three… from 25 at the first break to 28 points at half time.
Cranbourne skipper Marc Holt, who was limping heavily, kicked the first of the third term before the Magpies once again took a grip.
When Justin Marriott kicked two, and Kerem Baskaya another, the Magpies were out to a game high 41 points.
But then the Eagles’ resilience kicked in, booting four of the last five goals for the third quarter to cut the margin back to 25 points at the final break.
Holt was brilliant all day, his seventh, and 99th goal for the season was followed by two quick ones to Jarrod Murphy, then a third of the second half from Michael Theodoridis and, all of a sudden, just seven minutes in, we had a two-point game.
Holt’s seventh for the match then brought up his third consecutive century of goals, an astounding feat that went largely un-noticed as the champion joyously celebrated his sides’ first lead for the afternoon.
But the drama then reached fever pitch.
The 2500 strong crowd then watched on in amazement as Troy Tharle, the Eagles’ tireless centre half forward, marked 70-metres out from goal, only to for Marriott to creep over the mark and give away a nightmarish 50-metre penalty.
Tharle kicked truly with just 14 seconds left on the clock, a Marriott clearance then marked by Curtis Barker before the siren sounded to end a magnificent contest… and Narre Warren’s season.
GRAND FINAL PREVIEW
CRANBOURNE will draw on the gut wrenching and unimaginable pain of last year’s heartbreaking grand final loss to Narre Warren when it looks for the ultimate in redemption against Beaconsfield at Edwin Flack Reserve.
Dylan Quirk’s last kick of the season cruelly robbed Cranbourne of its greatest triumph, bruised bodies lay dormant for what seemed an eternity, pools of tears flooding Pakenham’s Toomuc Reserve as skipper Marc Holt and his side struggled to come to grips with the pain.
From that very moment there was only one cure… only one medicine… now the remedy, a premiership cup, a brother to sit alongside the drought-breaking silverware of 2011 stands just four quarters away.
“At our first meeting, that’s what the players asked for, the opportunity to get back to the grand final and reverse the result from last year,” Cranbourne coach Scott Sutherland said.
“I just couldn’t be prouder – I applaud every one of them and look forward to working with them again to bring home the big prize.”
There are some obvious and not so obvious match-ups that will determine the destination of the 2014 flag.
Holt, the imperious scoring machine against Daniel Battaglin in the goal square, young Beaconsfield defender Brandon White on the ‘Golden Greek’ Michael Theodoridis, Curtis Barker and Tyson Mitchem in the guts, while the ability of Cranbourne ruckman Michael Boland to play the game of his life against dual Norm Walker Medallist, Scott Meyer, will be critical.
Beaconsfield coach Clint Evans is confident his younger players, and game plan, will stand up under the enormous pressure that’s sure to be applied.
“We’ve got a few younger blokes in the side, but they’re level headed, mature beyond their years and they’re good footballers,” Evans said.
“Cranbourne know what it’s all about, they’ve been there over the last few years but I’m confident our pressure and intensity will stand us in good stead.”
Cranbourne is resilient, like one of those inflatable punching bags that are filled with sand at the bottom.
It can be punched, kicked or wrestled to the ground but, somehow, the bloody thing just keeps springing back to life… and smiling.
It’s that resilient quality that will see redemption completed… it’s Cranbourne by 13 points.
