The football gods have finally shown mercy on Parkside and its persistent coach, Nathan Juegan.
The Magpies have put four grand final losses in five years behind them by claiming the Western Region Football League division 2 flag on Sunday.
The black-and-white streamers were being tied to the premiership cup long before the final siren as the Magpies romped to a 38-point win over neighbourhood rival West Footscray Roosters at Chirnside Park in Werribee.
The margin somewhat flattered the Roosters, who were second best for all bar 20 minutes of a one-sided contest.
In more than a decade at Parkside, Juegan has not won a premiership; nor did he salute at any stage earlier in his senior football career.
So there was great joy when he got to drink from the cup on Sunday night.
“I’d been playing footy for 26 years and never won one,” he said.
“This place has been pretty cruel to me – I’ve lost six grand finals and finally got one in the seventh. Words can’t explain how I feel.”
Parkside raced to a 47-point lead before West Footscray got its first major on the board.
But the Magpies had some cause for concern when they were down two rotations and the Roosters were making a serious push in the second term.
The Roosters finished the half with four consecutive goals and booted the first of the third term to trim the margin to three goals.
Most would have expected the Magpies to get the wobbles, but their leaders stood up.
Matthew Pearce took control of the game through his calmness under pressure and Mo Khartabil was a man on a mission, offering multiple leads, kicking two goals but also kicked six behinds, which robbed him any chance of saluting for the Rex Swann Medal.
It was an emotional day for the man Parkside fans affectionately know as “Big Mo”.
“He had a personal loss six weeks ago … he lost his father and that really hurt him, but the way he has responded has been huge and the boys rallied around him,” Juegan said.
“For a big fella, he provided a lot of pressure at ground level and his second and third efforts were enormous. He’s a grouse character.”
The Swann Medal went to Adrian Gervasi and no one could dispute the umpires’ assessment.
The Magpies won 14 premierships in division 1 from 1931 to 2003, but have not won one in 11 years. They will get that chance in 2015.
“I promised the footy club that we’d get the club back to A grade and would make sure we built a strong enough list to get there,” he said.
