Sport continues to boom in the west and the Olympic year of 2012 was as big as it comes. Sports reporter LANCE JENKINSON digs through the archives to bring you his favourite storylines in our annual sports year in review.
YOU want a story of persistence? You need to sit down with Altona Vikings coach Anthony Eames to discuss how he took his club from a middle-of-the-road battler in the Western Region Football League division 1 to top dog.
The Vikings did not become premiers overnight. It took meticulous planning, sacrifices from a group of young men and a willingness to go that extra step in order to wrench the holy grail from the grasp of long-time powerhouse Spotswood.
The Vikings, minor premiers over the home-and-away rounds, had an ounce of luck in a one-point win over the Woodsmen in September’s grand final at Chirnside Park, but there was no doubt they were the best side over the course of the season and deserving of their first flag at the level.
It would be remiss not to mention the Yarraville-Seddon Eagles, who achieved the perfect season, going undefeated in the home and away rounds, earning a direct passage to the grand final and edging out Parkside in a classic decider.
Winners in the west
One of the most intriguing storylines came out of the Victorian Netball League.
The west’s two clubs, City West Falcons and VU-Western Lightning, were neck and neck in an absorbing battle for supremacy all season.
The Falcons were the ‘been there, done that’ side; the Lightning were the challengers.
It all came down to a thrilling grand final at the State Netball and Hockey Centre, won by Marg Lind and the Falcons by the skin of their teeth.
We like a winner in the west and our lacrosse clubs have certainly become accustomed to doing that.
Newport Ladies took out an all-west final with a nine-goal hammering of Footscray in the women’s state league, while Williamstown Fearons brought the men’s state league title back to Fearon Reserve with an eight-goal win over Malvern.
Altona Roosters have a rich history of success in the Victorian Rugby League, but they committed daylight robbery to win the competition last winter.
The Roosters had to scrap early holiday plans when they sneaked into the finals at the 11th hour and even had to come back from a heavy preliminary final deficit to make the season decider.
In the big one, the Roosters stared down a two-try half-time deficit against minor premier Sunbury United. Fighting back to win, they earned the ‘comeback kids’ tag.
Team achievements
Yarraville Club climbed the Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division mountain for a fourth season in a row.
The Clubbers were hailed the invincibles of local cricket after beating Beaumaris in the grand final.
It was a big year for baseball in these parts.
Australian Baseball League returned to the Melbourne Ballpark with Baseball Victoria initiating a swift relocation of the Melbourne Aces to the redeveloped Laverton venue.
The Aces won on opening night with a dramatic walk off a grand slam home run from Elliott Biddle.
Sunshine Eagles achieved the aim of a return to the Baseball Victoria top flight by winning the division 2 minor premiership.
Other notable team achievements include: Wyndham City Rhinos taking out the Victorian Rugby Union division 2 premiership, Westvale Olympic achieving state league status with a title in Football Federation Victoria provisional league 1, Hoppers Crossing cruising to the provisional league 2 north-west title by a mammoth 10 points, and Liston Seagulls triumphing in the Victorian conference of the Asia Pacific Tennis League.
Footballers step up
The AFL clubs liked our football talent with players being drafted out of TAC Cup club Western Jets (Spencer White and Lachie Hunter) and VFL clubs Williamstown Seagulls (Brett Goodes, Jack Frost and former player Dane Rampe) and Werribee Tigers (Kyle Hartigan).
Olympians do us proud
To all our Olympians linked to the west — including Rachel Jarry, Farzad Tarash, Ibrahim Balla, Ivo Dos Santos, Lauryn and Russell Mark, Renuga Veeran, Glenn Warfe, Sarah Tait, Adam Vella, Ross Smith, Mark Anthony and Tarren Otte — you did us proud.
