By JARROD POTTER
VWFL GRAND FINAL
BELIEF.
It’s hard to hold on to it when the chips are down, but Cranbourne fought back from 18 points down at three-quarter time to snare one of the all-time great south eastern premierships.
Call it a fairytale, a miracle, the comeback of the century – however you dub Cranbourne’s incredible VWFL Division 1 triumph it all leads to one conclusion: they lived up to their ambitions.
The minor premiers didn’t have it their way at all – getting belted around by Knox in an uncharacteristic first quarter for the Eagles.
Fighting against the fourth-ranked Falcons and a three to four goal wind buffeting the grandstand end of Coburg City Oval, the Eagles could only watch as the underdogs relished their chances and kicked straight.
The best efforts of defensive tandem Danielle Hardiman and Corrine Cullis lessened the damage but even they couldn’t repel Knox all quarter.
Chasing down a four-goal gap, Cranbourne almost kicked itself out of the game approaching the half, booting two goals eight to let Knox retain the lead heading back into the rooms.
But there were signs of Knox’s fatigue.
Knox’s champion ruck Alison Downie battled hard all day – despite coming off a 12-hour break from her last grand final – the 2015 SEABL basketball championship with her Dandenong Rangers.
Perseverance would win the day if Cranbourne could kick straight and nail its chances as only Hayley Wildes could boot the majors to keep the Eagles on track.
The Falcons made their last significant forward charge through the third term – booting three goals in quick succession.
But ruck Cara Moody’s dogged effort against the wind – second, third and fourth attempts on a shot as she ran into the square – resulted in a crucial Cranbourne goal and set the final term deficit at 18.
Cranbourne coach Kris Smith urged his side to trust itself as run-and-carry and attack on the ball would see them through.
The Eagles’ stars of 2015 turned it on one last time – Bianca Jakobsson was smashed in one-on-three marking contest after contest, Wildes, Moody, captain Ash Fennell and Tess McEvoy kept cracking in at the bounce and won a ton of clearances.
Hardiman, Bonita Wilder and Elli Keatch locked down the Falcons across the Eagles’ forward-50 and kept bombing it back inside.
Jakobsson slotted the first of the quarter – taking her free kick from the goal square after a careless Knox 15-metre penalty.
Knox had the chance to seal the game – with Julia Crockett-Grills making an incredible smother before running it out of the centre and through a vacant forward-50. Chased by Hardiman, the Falcons midfielder pulled up short and sprayed her kick.
It gave Cranbourne one last crack at the premiership.
Knox threw everyone into Cranbourne’s forward arc, but the Eagles still found a way through the fortifications.
Alicia Johnson’s snap cannoned into the post … but it would turn out to be a very handy point in the minutes to come.
Enter the league’s rising star and arguably it’s soon to be best-and-fairest: Wildes.
The young midfield dynamo showed poise, skill and grit of a well-seasoned veteran as she worked her way out of traffic, swinging around and nailing the second of the term – cutting the margin to five points with five minutes remaining.
But she wasn’t done. The fairytale comeback was sealed off Wildes’ boot. She capped off her debut VWFL season to slot the match-winner as Cranbourne took the lead for the first time in the match with 90 seconds remaining.
Captain Fennell thought the ball landed in the right hands with Wildes as the midfield unit shone across the afternoon.
“Nah, we just like to make everyone feel nervous,” Fennel said. “It was tough in there, but we just wanted to get it out and we knew as soon as we got the ball and ran, they weren’t going to catch us, especially if the ball was in Hayley’s hands.
Coach Kris Smith had his eyes glued to the clock as he knew the Eagles could get the job done, but whether or not it would be before the siren was another thing altogether.
“I knew we weren’t going to give it up – knew we were going to keep coming, but I was just worried that we’d run out of time,” Smith said. “I knew that we’d have it in us to go and go and go and as soon as we kicked that point – I think it was Alicia – it hit the post and I thought it was a handy point and it turned out that way.
“After this year – deserved is the best word to describe it – I think we did deserve it.”
Hardiman’s gutsy defending – underpinning Cranbourne’s backline efforts throughout the clash when it mattered most – was duly rewarded with the best on ground medal, well and truly to her shock.It was Cranbourne’s first VWFL premiership.
VWFL GRAND FINAL
CRANBOURNE 0.0 2.8 3.8 6.9 (45)
KNOX 4.0 4.0 7.2 7.2 (44)
CRANBOURNE Goals: H. Wildes 4, B. Jakobsson, C. Moody. Best: D. Hardiman, C. Cullis, A. Fennell, B. Jakobsson, C. Moody, H. Wildes. KNOX Goals: C. Papadopoulos 2, E. Mcilvena 2, J. Baker, A. Downie, C. Slater. Best: J. Crockett-Grills, M. Kuys, C. Slater, K. Dempsey, C. Papadopoulos, J. Harrison.
