DAVE: Alright boys, local footy season is now officially over after an incredible weekend of grand finals. Jonty, you were at Moorabbin watching Cheltenham get over the top of Cranbourne, and Marcus, you were at Officer to see a high-scoring Wandin take the title away from Narre Warren. Jonty, start us off with your best action moment from the weekend.
JONTY: My best action was just how symbolic certain aspects of the game were. Cheltenham almost kicked themselves out of the game in the first quarter, and first 20 minutes of the second. No matter how hard they tried, they just couldn’t get one through the big sticks. Two moments, 10 minutes apart, were so symbolic of this. A Cheltenham player had a shot on goal from 50; it landed just inside the goal-line and took a rip-snorting leg-break into the goal-post. It was like ‘what do they need to do to get a goal here.’ And then Shaun Keenan from Cranbourne, about seven minutes later, dribbles one over the Cheltenham full back’s head. He’s standing on the line, ready to slingshot out, and it bounces over his head for a goal. At that point it felt like everything was going Cranbourne’s way.
MARCUS: Didn’t Cheltenham kick a goal a bit later from a severe leg-break?
JONTY: Swings and roundabouts I suppose, but Cranbourne definitely had the breaks early.
DAVE: So that’s your best action moment?
JONTY: Yes it is.
MARCUS: It’s a bit of a stretch for best action moment.
DAVE: It is a stretch, but we’ll let it go…it’s been a long footy season for the young fella.
MARCUS: That’s true, and he was in late this morning.
JONTY: I just can’t believe how it finished for Cranbourne to be honest.
DAVE: We’ll touch on that shortly mate. Marcus, what was your best action moment?
MARCUS: Mine is similar to yours last week Dave, given that you were in the perfect spot to see Will Hams kick the sealer for Inverloch. Mine was similar, I was on the wing, there was a stoppage around Wandin’s half-forward line and they had just chained three or four handballs together. It spits out to Joel Garner, running towards the boundary on his left foot, and he kicks a drop punt that sails through. Everyone around was SAYING ‘he can’t do this, can he?’, and then we all do the head-TILT as it goes through. It was early in the second half and it made it six goals in a row to Wandin. It was just class, and Narre had no hope of coming back if Garner was doing things like that.
DAVE: Question without notice boys…Jonty, tell us your thoughts on the game. Cranbourne was 17 points up at the 18-minute mark of the last quarter weren’t they?
JONTY: Correct, and I just feel shattered for Cranbourne. It’s a difficult one to assess, because both teams would have felt stiff to lose, but Cranbourne had the running by three or four goals all day. My thoughts are that Cranbourne panicked a bit late, and Cheltenham pounced on that vulnerability in the final stages.
DAVE: Marcus, your thoughts on Wandin and Narre?
MARCUS: It was tight, and then Wandin kicked the last five goals leading into half time for a five-goal lead. It looked like Wandin had been playing all the way through September, while Narre didn’t look sharp after a couple of two-week breaks. In my preview I wrote that only four points in total had separated them throughout the year, so whoever won was going to earn it. To do it in such emphatically fashion, winning by 10 goals, it certainly caught a lot of us off-guard. That’s because Narre has been a powerhouse, people are familiar with them…but Wandin was simply unstoppable.
THE STAR OF THE DISH
DAVE: Now boys, on Sunday night I shared a pic of me cooking a BBQ for dinner and then Marcus fired back with the most magnificent looking barbecued steak I’ve ever seen in my life…
MARCUS: It was a scotch fillet Dave, and absolutely delicious.
DAVE: That’s great to hear. But it also had the trimmings, and it got me thinking…at your grand finals on Saturday who was the hero of the dish. Who was the scotch fillet and who were the trimmings? Marcus, we start with you.
MARCUS: I feel bad for Cody Hirst, given he was awarded best on ground, but I think the scotch fillet for Wandin was Aaron Mullett. He kicked six goals, and the impact he had this season was immense. He kicked 43 goals in 10 games, and every time he played you could see he was a class above the competittion. So, he’s the scotch fillet, but I also like sautéed onions with my steak, they’re the perfect complement, and the perfect complement for Mullett on Saturday was Patty Hodgett. He kicked five, and was the lead up marking player, where Mullett was more buzzing around. The vegetables are the back six, the more experienced guys in the team, like John Ladner, Tom Hinds, Todd Garner, who have played a lot of footy together and just complement each other so well. The fries are Joel Garner, arguably the highlight of the plate, and they need to come in late when they’re hot. He came in off the back of some strong VFL form and really added flavour to the Wandin plate. And last, but not least, the garlic butter…for its ability to spread and influence the whole plate…was Cody Hirst and his fellow midfielders.
DAVE: (Applauding Marcus) Jonty, you have massive shoes to fill here after that magnificent description.
JONTY: I’ve gone a little bit different – I’ve gone different types of meat. I’ve gone Dyl Cavalot as the medium-rare rump steak, he’s really come into his own as…
MARCUS: You’ve given him rump steak?
JONTY: Yes, rump steak, and he’s so long been the side trimmings at Cranbourne, behind your Barkers and Roscoes, but I thought he really delivered on the big stage on Saturday. Brandon Osborne, the veteran captain, he’s the well-done rib-eye, and not the reason why they lost the game. The ball would have come into him and Josh Fox 15 to 20 times in the first half, and Brandon did well to limit his impact. And Ollie Moran and Dylan Weickhardt from Cheltenham are the well-oiled vegetables because they’re a big part of a very well-oiled machine.
DAVE: Outstanding Jonty…you boys have taken this to levels I didn’t expect.
MARCUS: Pressure’s on…
DAVE: Boys, this is easy, I’ve got a bloke called Will Hams who was best on ground for Inverloch and kicked three goals…he has to be the star of the plate – a beautifully cooked piece of pork, with the crackle on top.
MARCUS: Is the crackle on top the helmet that Will wears? (Boys all laugh at that one)
DAVE: Nice one Marcus. Will is a bit like Aaron Mullett, just looks a class above with his decision making and disposal at times. Ethan Park, a grunt midfielder who made the Team of the Year, he was your nicely-cooked spuds, carrots and pumpkin.
JONTY: Reliable…
DAVE: Exactly Jonty, reliable. He did everything right; he didn’t fumble, he didn’t make a mistake, it was the perfect game from an inside mid. Nick Baltas, we to complement the pork, so Nick Baltas is the secondary hero of the dish…the mint sauce. He puts the finishing touches on another already delicious meal.
MARCUS: Just quickly, when I played under-9’s footy with Nick Baltas – 17 years ago – I never thought we’d be comparing him to mint sauce.
DAVE: That’s how LTS rolls mate; and Andy Soumilas, five league best and fairests, and now five premierships under his belt, a man who doesn’t age…he’s the tin of extremely expensive black caviar. A luxurious condiment to the pork, vegetables and mint sauce. Boys, we enjoyed that way too much (boys nod and giggle).
CRICKET TRANSITION
DAVE: Just quickly boys, all three of us have started our cricket previews for this year. Jonty, which team has the highest excitement levels heading into the summer?
JONTY: The club that is most excited by what is to come is Silverton, in DDCA Turf 3. Speaking to people around the league as well, they carry a lot of intrigue because they’ve brought in a lot of players. They were quite disorganised last year, but they recruited early and have prepared well. Fountain Gate is in a similar boat, their fitness and fielding…the one percenters…are a lot better this year, and they made top-four last season. The one that is speaking a big game is Doveton North in Turf 3, coming up from Turf 4. They’ve recruited well, and everyone is expecting big things from them this season. They’re in for a baptism of fire in round one, playing Coomoora, who was in the grand final last year. We will know early how they’re going to stack up.
DAVE: Very well answered Jonty…Marcus?
MARCUS: You mentioned Doveton North, the team I’m about to mention, Hallam Kalora Park, their spinner Sachith Jayasingha has left for Doveton North. Matthew Cox at Hallam Kalora Park is very excited about what they can bring. A couple of key inclusions; Mahela Udawatte, from Buckley Ridges, he is going to slot in beautifully to their top order alongside Leigh Booth and Jordy Hammond. And they’ve picked up a spinner, Charith Keerthisinghe, to replace Jayasingha. He was the second leading wicket taker in the Leongatha and District competition last season, playing two-day cricket for Phillip Island. They got him specifically with his two-day experience in mind. I’m expecting Hallam Kalora Park to take the next step.
DAVE: In Casey Cardinia, I’m looking for improvement for a team outside the regular top four of Kooweerup, Pakenham, Cardinia and Tooradin…although Tooradin can talk a big game because they’ve got the Sweeney boys from Cranbourne. But Mat Campbell from Merinda Park is the one I was most excited to talk to. They’ve lost a few, but picked up a heap of recruits this year and they seem really invested in what they’re doing this season. Mat spoke about the recruits, but also about the excitement of playing at a new ground – they’re moving from Donnelly Reserve to Tony Way – and other things like how many sponsors they’ve attracted. They’re up and about the Cobras, reinvigorated, so it will be exciting to see what they can do when round one comes around.
AFL GRAND FINAL
DAVE: Jonty, our boys, the Pies, are in the big one this week…what happens, and give me your Norm Smith Medallist?
JONTY: I don’t trust Brisbane in Melbourne in September, their record is too brittle, and that’s given me confidence. The Dan McStay injury hurts, but I’m tipping Collingwood to win in a close game. And, this is recorded on Monday, but I’m tipping Nick Daicos to win the Brownlow tonight, the premiership on Saturday, and a Norm Smith Medal to boot.
DAVE: Marcus…does a 28-degree forecast help Brisbane.
MARCUS: Yes it does. I’m similar to Jonty here; I think there are doubts on Brisbane’s ability to get it done in Melbourne. I think Collingwood are battle-hardened and have done it in close situations every second week. I’m tipping Collingwood, and Jack Crisp for the Norm Smith Medal. I think he’s supremely underrated and I think every team would love him in their side.
JONTY: And his wife is expecting any day…
DAVE: Well Jonty, great segue, because 55 years ago this Saturday, another lady was expecting, my mum, because on grand final day I turn 55 and my eldest son Jamie turns 30…he was born on the same day. A premiership would be a perfect birthday present for us both. Look, being a Collingwood supporter, you lose more grand finals than you win, but I think this is our year. It’s the Pies by 17 points, and Isaac Quaynor will win some key one-on-ones with Charlie Cameron – keep him quiet – and win the Norm Smith Medal.
Enjoy boys, and we’ll catch you next week for our combined Footy Team of the Year for 2023.
