Harper Sercombe
The Suns have survived a massive scare late to take out the Western Region Football League division 3 grand final.
The Suns got off to a flying start, kicking with the wind, to the clubrooms end of Hansen Reserve against Albanvale on Saturday afternoon.
Kicking 5.4 with the breeze to the Cobras’ one straight, it was ominous signs early.
When the ball was bounced for the second term, the Suns picked up where they left off, and looked to take the game away from the Cobras just as they had done multiple times throughout the regular season and the first week of the finals.
However, the Cobras rallied, kicking five goals and missing two gettable ones to cut the lead to just 11 points at the main break.
In the third term, the Suns were back kicking with the wind, yet struggled to make the most of it early, and Albanvale maintained within striking distance.
However, the class of the Suns managed to boot a few goals late to stretch their lead back out to 27 points at three quarter time.
As the wind began to pick up and the crowd started to get more involved, the game went to new heights in the last term, when everything was on the line.
The Suns through coach Dean Cachia seemed to put the game away early in the last term as the lead went over thirty points.
Yet, the Cobras were not going to die wondering, coming home with a wet sail, the wind to their backs.
Reece Field for the Cobras was enormous in the last term kicking three of his five majors of the day trying to will his side over the line.
A goal from the Cobras’ Tito Nyawela in the last term edged the Cobras closer to victory.
Although contest after contest from the Suns’ coach, down the line, forced repeat stoppages and milked enough time off the clock to give the Suns the win they were so desperate to achieve.
The Suns defeating the Cobras 14.11 (95)-14.9 (93).
Goal kickers were spread thin for the Suns with 11 players getting their name on the score sheet.
Pat Hynes, Blake Jago and Cameron Joyce all booted two goals. While, Paul Tomelty, Brendan, Wilson, Jarrod Vella, Luke Cachia, Jack Burgess, Nathan Halapio and goal kicking superstars Daniel Hovey and Dean Cachia all kicked the one.
Joyce, Paul Tomelty and Halapio were named their best.
Albanvale’s Reece Duffield was awarded the Henry Turner for the player adjudged best on ground by the umpires.
After last years heartbreaking grand final loss to Braybrook, the Suns’ coach could not have been prouder of what his side had achieved and accomplished.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said.
“It’s the exact margin we had last year, but two points the other way.
“I just thought to myself how do you pick yourself up and they were coming like the wind in the last quarter, they’re a really good footy side.
“I was worried, but the boys batted deep.
“I can’t put it into words but last year, the way it felt, was the worst feeling in the world and now it’s just completely overwhelming.
“I love this club, I’ve put five years of effort in here, so I’m just really proud and happy that we’ve got the job done.
“It’s just relief off my shoulders.”
It was the Suns second premiership of the day with their reserves also taking out victory over the Cobras to add to the festivities.
Speaking before the match, Suns’ president Graeme Clark said after the uncertainty of last year’s grand final loss he was ecstatic with where the club had got themselves too.
“After last year’s grand final we had a couple of guys drive back to the club not knowing what was going to happen,” he said.
“[Some of the players said] we let the club down, we want to make amends, so this is all driven by this great group of guys that we’ve got out here playing.”
Make amends they have with the Suns claiming their first ever WRFL senior premiership.
