Tara Murray
Deer Park was the hunted all year and it stood up big time when it counted to claim the Essendon District Football League division 1 premiership.
Entering the EDFL this season, the Lions were seen as the team to beat early on.
While West Coburg proved to be the premier team throughout the regular season going through undefeated, but the Lions had another gear to go.
After successive big finals wins, Deer Park came up against West Coburg for the second time in three weeks in the decider on Saturday at Windy Hill.
The Lions came out the better of the two teams, leading 22-0 at quarter time. The Burgers came out aggressive and at times proved costly.
Thomas Mcrostie was taken out by his own teammate in a contest where they gave away the free kick in the first quarter.
West Coburg was another player down after a brain fade from one of their players, who allegedly threw a forearm at the head of a Deer Park player, resulting in a red card.
The margin would extend by one point in the second quarter.
The Lions continued on their way in the third quarter to extend the lead to 39 points at the last break.
It was party time in the final quarter for the Lions, who ran away with the premiership, winning 21.14 (140)-6.8 (44).
Lions coach Heath Scotland said there’s no better feeling than winning the premiership.
“All the hard work and all the issues and all the stuff you deal with on a yearly basis, week to week at a footy club, that’s what it is for,” he said.
“A group of guys getting together, being challenged and coming out successful, we’ll really saviour it.
“I’m extremely proud.”
Scotland said they always knew that it would take some time for them to settle this season with a new coach, new players and in a new competition.
He said they were always confident that they could get the job done.
“We didn’t really settle with our best side for most of the year,” he said. “We knew every team rose to play us during the year. For us getting the runs on the board and getting a system, the confidence come that pointy end of the season that our game style matches and stands up.
“I’m just pleased for the boys that they executed what we were rehearsing all year and extremely disappointed for some of those guys who have got us here and we couldn’t fit in the side.”
Scotland said they expected West Coburg to throw something different at them in the grand final, and on this occasion it was a bit of aggression.
He said while it rattled the group early, they were able to hold their nerve and hit the Burgers where it hurt most, on the scoreboard.
Scotland said he felt at half time that they had the game in the bag.
“We knew West Coburg has some dangerous players,” he said. “The difference between the year and come finals time, [we were able to] strangle and stop them scoring.
“We kept them to a goal or two goals in a half in the [semi] final, and today [Saturday] was pretty similar. We knew they would have trouble stopping our better players.”
The Lions had six players left from their last premiership in 2019, with Scotland saying that the experience they brought was invaluable to the rest of the group.
Nash Holmes was awarded the David McWilliam medal as the best player on the ground, with the Lions having winners across all the lines.
Luke Goater kicked six goals, while Todd Elton chipped in with four goals.
Bailey Morrish led the back line while Kier Bol kept Omar Saad goalless. Wade Lees had the job on Thomas Barvari and shut down the Burgers key man.
The list went on for the Lions.
Scotland said it was nice with the margin blowing out that some of the guys who don’t get many minutes were able to get their opportunity once the game blew out.
While the celebrations will continue on for a few days, the club will quickly turn its attention to next season when it will be in premier division.
“Certainly the administration were keen to get us straight across to premier,” Scotland said. “[We went into] division 1 and we were happy, bide our time.
“We’ll get over the celebrations and try and maintain our playing list. “Hopefully all those will go down a point or two and we can target and recruit. “We have to build from grassroots. We can’t keep adding players in and be on the points threshold every year.”
