Doveton has gone down 14.9 93 to 7.6 48 to East Brighton in the Southern Division 2 second semi-final, outplayed after quarter time.
An ill-disciplined second quarter and inability to seize moments proved the difference between the teams, with the Doves set to take on Murrumbeena next week for another shot at East Brighton in the grand final.
The Doves went into the game as underdogs, experienced in finals footy and having won the most recent meeting between the sides, but the Vampires having the supreme list.
Both sides missed opportunities in the first quarter and Michael Cardamone’s men would come to lament a pair of shots which didn’t make the distance.
Unable to put the early scoreboard pressure on, East Brighton turned the screws in the second quarter.
Free kicks and 50-metre penalties to the Vampires helped momentum shift away from the Doves quickly.
From there, the Vampires had the running against a team which brought in several players.
Sam Muirhead provided crucial defensive reinforcement, with brother Jack having to play forward for the first time in 2023 due to Daniel Zajac being an exclusion on game day.
Size inside 50 has been a clear barrier for Doveton in 2023, Zajac filling the role late in the season, regularly taking marks and hitting the scoreboard.
But that issue reared its head once again on Saturday.
Other returnees included Will Smith, Aaron Johns and Mitchell Pierce, while Michael Henry was playing two consecutive games for the first time this season and Jake Basa only just returned last week.
Along with Harley Primrose and Shannon Henwood, all those players except winger Pierce have made Doveton’s tough midfield the source to its success.
Their run this week will increase the continuity for them for the rest of September.
When the teams faced off at Reid Oval in the home-and-away season, those players were able to set up the win by giving them ascendancy at the source.
While they were competitive, they could not gain a clear advantage, with East Brighton’s prime movers standing up.
It put the defenders under pressure, with Matthew Jameson, Matthew Stapleton and Sam Muirhead each playing well, but Nick Corp was still able to slot six goals.
“Their forward 50 entries were coming in too easily with their midfield dominance,” Cardamone said.
“Their spread from the stoppages hurt us.
“It was (45) points in the end but it felt closer, they just probably took their moments better than us, so they’re not unbeatable, but they’re a bloody good side and once they get their confidence up, they’re really hard to stop.
“Our pressure was there, it wasn’t like we weren’t hard at the contest, it was just execution.
“They set up from halfback and sling-shotted the footy and have good ball users on every line so when you cough it up, they can score.”
