By David Nagel
The foundations of the Dalyston Recreation Reserve will shake, rattle and roll on Saturday when the seaside town hosts a blockbuster cut-throat preliminary final between arch rivals Cora Lynn and Nar Nar Goon.
This is clearly the biggest clash between the Cobras and Goon in the last 14 years; since the Goon rolled the Cobras by eight points in the 2010 Ellinbank and District Football League (EDFL) grand final.
They only played one more EDFL final, in 2013, when the Cobras ended the Goon’s season, and matched up three times in finals since joining the WGFNC in 2017.
Nar Nar Goon leads the equation two-one.
On all four occasions since that 2010 decider; the winner has ended the season of the loser; and that will once again be the case this time around.
Only this time, for the first time between the two, it’s a preliminary final at stake; with the repercussions being magnified 10-fold.
Imagine losing a preliminary final to an arch-rival; just one step short of making it through to the biggest stage in local football – on the pristine surface of Garfield; the pain would be almost too unbearable to imagine!
There are no second chances; with four quarters of unrelenting and unbelievably tough football the only recipe for success.
Ring the bell…it’s time to play football!
Only two players remain from that 2010 grand final; Brent Hughes from Nar Nar Goon and Tim Payne from Cora Lynn, and their experience – in the pre-game build up and opening 10 minutes of play – when the footy is at its hottest, will be vital to both causes.
Hughes is the beating heart of the Nar Nar Goon Football Club, who has overcome a plethora of long-term injuries to find himself once again in the thick of the September action.
Hughes has the advantage of only having to turn his mind back 12 months; to a one-point loss to Phillip Island, to remember how close a grand final can be.
For Payne; a three-time premiership captain from 2014 to ’16, it’s been a five-year wait to play in a preliminary final again, after the Cobras rolled Tooradin-Dalmore by 50 points to earn a grand final berth against Phillip Island in 2019.
Cora Lynn…the Cobras…having to wait five years for another shot at glory…surely not!
But the advent of Covid; and a strong top-end of the WGFNC have seen the Cobras struggle to compete at the pointiest end of the season.
They were simply off the pace of the Phillip Island’s, Tooradin-Dalmore’s and Inverloch-Kongwak’s of this world and; after a 38-point loss in last year’s elimination final; you could add the Nar Nar Goon’s to that list as well!
Thankfully for Hughes and Payne; they’re limited to being significant role players now that will rely on an abundance of top-end talent to carry their teams to glory.
For the Cobras; finishing fourth and fifth over the last two years just wasn’t up to scratch!
But the full-time signing of Jimmy Munro; the recruitment of Will Stephenson; the continued emergence of players such as Jett Edwards, Luke Ryan, Lachie Coverdale and Gus Da Costa; and a career-best season from Billy Thomas in the ruck, has transformed the Cobras into a genuine premiership contender.
They didn’t finish top of the ladder by luck, and will fancy their chances of winning their first final since the 2022 elimination final against a confident Goon on Saturday.
Full-forward Nathan Gardiner will be a player to watch on the weekend, no doubt feeling the effects of a goalless outing – for the first time this season – against Phillip Island last week.
To be fair, a combination of Buddy Franklin, Jason Dunstall and Tony Lockett would have struggled to kick goals; against a fierce defence in an uncontrollably strong wind.
Gardiner had fleeting touches of the Sherrin; but will be keen to bounce back against a Nar Nar Goon defence that won’t lie down without a fight.
In the air, James Cairns, Flynn Parker and Luke Bettio will make it difficult for Gardiner to dominate, while the run and carry, and booming left-feet, of JJ Peni and Ryan Bromley can see the ball escape quickly into the distance.
The Goon has its own star up forward as well, with Dermott Yawney looking in terrific touch against Inverloch-Kongwak last week.
Yawney was definitely afforded more space than Gardiner was allowed the day before, but was creative with his foot-skills; setting up Troy McDermott and Taylor Whitford for early goals.
We haven’t even touched on the midfield match-up between Munro and Trent Armour – the two toughest mids in the business – or Lachie Peluso likely going to Jarrod Smith to try and quell his influence in the Goon front half.
There are sensational match-ups all over the field; with two teams desperate not to become a big-time victim of an arch-rival on the biggest stage in football.
The foundations of the Dalyston Recreation Reserve will shake, rattle and roll on Saturday…with Nar Nar Goon to learn from the lessons of last year; and progress to its first grand final in 14 years after a nail-biting three-point victory.
