Harper Sercombe
Albanvale did all it could to steal the Western Region Football League division 3 premiership off the Suns, but left all too much to do too late.
The Cobras found themselves with more than five goals to make up against the Suns well into the last quarter on Saturday afternoon, and almost pulled off the unthinkable.
When the Suns booted a goal in the last term to push the lead over 30 points a general consensus of ‘game over’ flurried amongst the strong crowd at Hansen Reserve, however the full-of-belief Cobras never stopped coming.
Thanks to Field’s massive effort of three last term goals the Cobras came within just two points of victory late into the last.
However, the seven goal last term was not enough to bring the Cobras to premiership success losing 14.11 (95)-14.9 (93).
Amongst the goal kickers for the Cobras was Field with five, Liam Montrose with four, Daniel Bartolo booted two, and Corey Hall, Tito Nyawela and Reece Duffield all had just the one each.
Duffield was awarded the Henry Turner Smith medal as the player adjudged best on ground by the umpires.
At three quarter time Cobras’ coach Nick Smith’s message was all about making themselves proud in the last quarter of the match.
As he said, regardless of the result he wanted his side to walk off the ground proud that they left it all out there, which they can say they well and truly did.
“I felt like we didn’t leave anything out there,” Smith said after the game.
“We really had them worried but we just knew we just had to get ahead, and we couldn’t quite get it.
“I thought our last [shot on goal] was in, so for a brief moment I thought we’d done it and then it got taken away.
“It was a crazy ride, we just couldn’t get ahead of them.”
Following the grand final loss Smith, who is in his first season as coach of the club, said it is hard to reflect on the season in terms of it being an overall positive or negative due to the dramatic finish of the match.
“It was all about winning,” he said.
“I’m proud of the fact that we’ve got here but you want to win it so desperately.
“It’s a pretty horrible feeling now, but I think when we reflect we were a bit off the pace with them for the whole year and didn’t quite get there.
“And two points, I don’t know if it’s great or just heartbreaking. I don’t know which way to take it.
“I never make any decisions about next year until you let this year settle, the hurt’s going to be there for a fair.”
Harper Sercombe
