By Jonty Ralphsmith
The last of Cranbourne’s flags in an era of dominance was commemorated at Livingston Reserve on Saturday, with the 30-year 1993 premiership reunion.
That victory came by two points with the defining narrative of the game being the big Cranbourne comeback when captain-coach Paul Garrett moved himself from centre-half-back to centre-half-forward.
Down by 34 points midway through the third quarter, Cranbourne famously turned it around led by a big effort from ruck Mark Gottliebson and captain-coach Garrett.
Those in the team remember that Garrett gave a rousing three-quarter-time address, but he concedes now he was masking the degree of optimism portrayed as they still had four goals to make up.
Patty Garrett kicked two goals, that only he could kick, and Paul Freestone kicked two of his six goals in the last quarter, including one which levelled the scores.
Paul Garrett kicked the winning behind 28 minutes in which gave Cranbourne the lead for the first time all day.
Two minutes later, the siren sounded.
Cranbourne had pulled off the great heist.
Gottliebson was given the best afield medal after an intriguing ruck duel with Narre legend Peter Lindsay.
Lindsay started stronger and was one of Narre’s best throughout the day, but Gottliebson was huge late and took some big marks in defence.
HOW THEY GOT THERE
There was just about nothing separating Cranbourne, Narre Warren, Keysborough and Dingley all year.
Cranbourne, Narre Warren and Keysborough all entered the final round equal on points, with Narre Warren and Keysborough having superior percentages to Cranbourne.
That was in a year Cranbourne was expected to drop off as the era of dominance seemed over.
Following premierships in 1989, 1990 and 1991, the Eagles were knocked out of the 1992 season in the semis, leading to the departure of several players.
That belief was perpetuated when star recruit Gottliebson broke his arm in round one and wouldn’t return until round 16.
Narre Warren and Keysborough, though, expected to play off in the second semi-final to qualify for the grand final after walking off as winners in the final round.
But as landlines rung, and scores were read out around the league, it was realised that the Eagles piled on 46 goals against Doveton to jump up the ladder.
Speculation was wild about how that could happen, and Narre was livid – it meant they would have to qualify for the grand final the hard way, which added more spice to the contest.
Cranbourne defeated Keysborough in the second semi-final 14.11 95 to 3.6 24, giving them a week off.
Narre won the preliminary final by 12 points.
PAT GARRETT PLAYS THROUGH PAIN
One of local footy’s toughest and most respected figures was in a fierce race against the clock to play the decider.
In the second semi-final victory over Keysborough, Garrett copped a knee to the head fracturing his cheekbone, jaw, skull and eye socket.
The star midfielder spent the next week-and-a-half in hospital.
It was a cruel blow for a man who missed a premiership with his Sandringham VFA teammates the previous year due to a punctured lung.
That heartbreak led to his one-eyed mentality that he would play some part for his team in the big dance, to the alarm of his family.
There were discussions about how they could protect Pat from himself, the risk of further injury too much for the reward.
But the league star was adamant he would take the field.
He wore a specially designed face mask, having seen a VFL player wearing something similar on TV.
Garrett went into Princes Park in Carlton a few days before the decider to have the mask customised by the Blues’ physiotherapist.
“If I wasn’t a Garrett, there’s no way I would’ve played,” said Pat, who pleaded with his brother, the captain-coach, and proved his fitness.
Pat didn’t come onto the field until halfway through the third quarter, the club not wanting to overload an injured player, but he finished with two goals critical to swinging the momentum.
He was, however, protected from the battle of the midfield which brought Narre back into it on the day.
“I still maintain that if Patty was fully fit, we would have won that grand final by 10 goals, he was that crucial to us,” says Paul Garrett.
In a sign of respect, both from Narre Warren and towards how well regarded he was as a player, Narre’s Peter Lindsay said at the time to his players: “If Paddy plays, we’re not going to go after him.”
Garrett wished to thank the Kavanagh family and trainers Alan Tinkham and Paul Daley for getting him up to play.
POETRY FROM PAT
Pat Garrett has found solace in poetry in recent times, and penned the below piece ahead of Cranbourne’s 1993 premiership reunion on Saturday, to the tune of Moby’s ‘We Are All Made From Stars’.
And so we go back from the future…because the present has passed so a reunion is needed
And to collect some data that has lapsed
So we gather here together and to see what’s not apart
And because nothing should stop us now
With our love we exchange our hearts
Because back then we were fighting men
And back then we were all and one
And the commitments we would be
So together we come together
And together we are stars
And like Mobius told us we could go so far
So concentrate on my brothers and think big of the past
Of how great that year was and how long it has last
And so we still can’t quite believe it
And even right now after the season’s beginning
And our two point finish…WOW
And how the hell we won that day
I guess the stars way up above
Were just as desperate as our hearts
And wagered some
And so much larger
And beating as one
More than any squawking magpie
Could survive
And because and for everyone grown up in Cranbourne back in the day
No names need to be mentioned here at all
When in their souls all Eagles are made from the same not spoilt salt
As across that rich road
And don’t need to be told how special they are
Because we
Don’t need pepper at all
CRANBOURNE’S 1993 PREMIERSHIP PLAYERS
Matthew Joseph, Scott Wilson, Robin Sharpe, John Barton, Greg Galpin, Darren Sherritt, Mark Gottliebson, Nigel Ostrom, Darren Martello, Steven Wolfe, Paul Garrett, Graham Chamberlain, Justin Hamilton, Colin Plant, Michael Kavanagh, Neal Vardy, Jason Steadman, Ross Woodall, Paul Freestone, Jason Stephens, Steve Culton, Rohan Francis, Darren Jacobson, Pat Garrett, Doug Louden, Andrew Craven and Jeff Trembath.
President: Steve Legg. Coach: Paul Garrett. Manager: Graham Wolfe.
