Caroline Springs will take its place among the WRFL’s elite next season after earning promotion to the top-flight with a 14-point win over Yarraville-Seddon in a hard-fought grand final at Avalon Airport Oval on Sunday.
The Lakers had never experienced grand final football in their six-year history, but they showed no signs of nerves as they made all the right moves to open up an early 29-point lead late in the first quarter.
SCOREBOARD
WRFL division 2 grand final
Caroline Springs 12.8 (80) d Yarraville-Seddon 9.12 (66)
Caroline Springs
Goals: Sutton 5, Lake 3, Xerri, Degabriele, Manolis, Ryan.
Best: Tudor (Rex Swann Medal), J. Caterino, Sutton, Xerri, Chapman, Chadwick.
Yarraville-Seddon
Goals: Topalidis 2, Upton 2, Krakouer 2, Goring 2, Patterson.
Best: Newton, Vincent, Topalidis, Johnson, Krakouer, Goring.
Five Lakers goals were on the board – three to boom forward Mathew Sutton – before Yarraville-Seddon got a foothold in the game through a time-on goal to Scott Krakouer.
The Eagles turned the game into more of a scrap, which suited their contested-ball style.
But their early dominance in the second term appeared to have come unstuck when Caroline Springs went against the run of play to find key forward Brian Lake 20 metres out for a set shot he would slot 99 times out of 100.
But Lake’s shot skewed to the right and Yarraville-Seddon took full advantage, punishing the miss with the next four goals of the game to take the lead.
Chris Topalidis was the spark for Yarraville-Seddon. He was dangerous any time he went near the ball inside-50 and setting the tone with his defensive pressure.
Lachie Longmire and Macauley Goring, two Eagles down on their usual output in the first quarter, sprung to life in the second.
After being put under pressure for most of the second term, Jason Degabrielle goaled against the run of play for Caroline Springs. After getting the first goal of the third term through Krakouer, Yarraville-Seddon huffed and puffed inside their forward 50 for little return on the scoreboard.
Sutton takes a mark on the lead. Picture Luke Hemer
The Lakers made them pay, kicking the next two goals of the arm-wrestle.
Young ruckman Tristan Xerri and Rex Swann Medal winner Lewis Tudor began dominating the air.
Jerome Caterino was also becoming a significant factor for Caroline Springs, with his sprint away from the contest a feature.
Sutton’s fourth goal gave Caroline Springs a handy, but not insurmountable, 14-point three-quarter time lead.
If Yarraville-Seddon was to mount a comeback, it had to happen early in the fourth.
Instead, Lake stretched the lead out to 20 for the Lakers, then James Ryan made it 28 on the run.
Goring rallied the Eagles through a tough goal from 45 metres out, then Kevin Upton’s persistence and willingness to continue to present paid dividends with two goals in five minutes.
The Lakers’ lead was down to nine points.
But that was as close as Yarraville-Seddon would get.
Sutton kicked his fifth for the day, sparking wild celebrations among the Caroline Springs supporters.
ALSO SEE:
- Caroline Springs: A flag won the hard way
- Caroline Springs veteran David Cavanagh wears the crown
- For more pictures of the game, CLICK HERE
