Tara Murray
The belief is growing for Braybrook in the Western Region Football League division 3 and a grand final is the result.
The Brookers have saved their best football for the right time of year, beating Sunshine Heights and now Albanvale in consecutive finals.
They will now face the Suns in the grand final on Sunday after beating Albanvale, 17.13 (115)-9.14 (68) on Sunday in the preliminary final.
Brookers interim coach John Mangos said the group believed that they could get the job done.
“We turned up and believed that we could do it,” he said.
“The last two times had been close games, eight points and 16 points, so we’d been close.
“When there forward pocket was out it meant we could focus our defence more on [Nathan] Johnson.”
Albanvale entered Sunday’s preliminary final having been one of the top two teams all season.
But it was the Brooker who jumped out of the blocks with five goals to one in the opening term.
Mangos said they had made a big focus of getting off to a good start.
“We’ve been working on starts since round one,” he said. “Our starts have not been great you just have to look at the scoresheet.
“It was the focus of the group to get a jump as in preliminary finals you have lapses.”
The Brookers increased the lead to 40 points at the last break.
Mangos said while they had a lapse in the last quarter they had done enough.
As well as ensuring a grand final spot, there were some further celebrations with Shaun Buttigieg-Clarke kicking his 100th goal of the season.
Matthew Turcinovich also got his 50th goal of the season.
Mangos said it was special for Buttigieg-Clarke to reach the milestone.
“We’re relieved that it is out of the way,” he said. “We said it is going to happen, we just don’t know when it will happen.
“He’ll be more relaxed heading into the grand final.
Nick Gregson and Jayden Hoskin-Elliott were two of the standouts.
Mangos said they were now looking forward to the grand final against the Suns.
While they will again be underdogs, they are full of confidence.
Braybrook’s reserves though were knocked out, losing in the preliminary final to the Suns, 21.13 (139)-9.3 (57).
Mangos said they would have the reserves train with them this week.
The Brookers last won a grand final in 2014.
“It’s been a while since we won one final, so two is great. Hopefully we will make it three.”
