By Jonty Ralphsmith
Ellinbank has punched its ticket into the Ellinbank District Football League grand final following a 9.8 62 to 8.6 54 victory over Longwarry in the preliminary final.
Reliant on big finishes to overcome a deficit on multiple occasions throughout 2024, Saturday’s 15-point three-quarter-time deficit at Lang Lang Sporting Complex proved a barrier too big to conquer.
Late goals to Jedd Serong and Jason Wells provided the Crows with hope late, but there was too much to do, with the ball movement and forward connection throughout the day a big factor for the Eagles.
Best on ground performance to star midfielder Makaio Haywood repaid the high hopes the Eagles had in him when recruiting him from Hampton Park ahead of 2024.
Haywood was a ball magnet and amassed plenty of clearances, standing up and winning some crucial contests when it mattered.
Logan Joyce also played a critical role, running with emerging Crows midfielder Cooper Brown to limit his influence on the game.
For Longwarry, Braydon McHugh, Serong and Darren Granger led the fight.
Wells kicked one goal, bringing his season tally to 91, his best ever haul in a senior season.
The result will create for a tantalising grand final between Ellinbank and Buln Buln at Dowton Park on Saturday.
Buln Buln is the reigning premier and is undefeated throughout 2024, though Ellinbank’s strong contested game has given the Lyrebirds the most trouble throughout the season.
The Lyrebirds won the two home and away contests by 25 and four points, before winning the second semi final by 31 points.
Led by playing-coach Bob McCallum and spearhead Patrick Ireland, Buln Buln has a dynamic and multipronged forward line, while Tom Axford and Shaun Beecroft are two of the strongest defenders in the league.
The club has also played off in the past two grand finals, so its midfield is accustomed to the intensity and pressure that comes with finals footy.
The Eagles will feel they are a chance if it becomes a stoppage-heavy game reliant on big-bodies, with Haywood, Joyce and Ryan Atherton among the names who will have a big responsibility in the engine room.
Ellinbank has lost the preliminary final in each of the past two seasons, following up an impressive run from fifth position in 2022 with a 48-point loss to eventual runners-up Neerim South in 2023.
