Rovers join Monders in Div 1 decider

Sig Arness

Having suffered the ignominy of the double drop in two years, Hampton Rovers have clawed one back and will be competing in Premier C in 2019, booking their place in the decider with an ultimately assertive 33-point win over a brave Oakleigh at Trevor Barker Oval. Played under intermittent precipitation and with a slippery ball, the game reached no great heights as a spectacle, yet was in the balance with only a three-point separation at the last huddle. Going with the aid of the breeze, the Hampton camp sensed that they held the upper hand, and so it proved when they moved away with four unanswered goals to ice the day. Josh Pavlou had been pivotal to the Rovers’ cause, restricting the dangerous Aaron Cloke to only three in the wake of the champion Krusher’s recent mammoth hauls. For the winners, Christian Carnovale, Cam Hetherington and Danny Corp kicked three each, while Ant Folino snared two to go with best afield honours. Harry Boontjes was mighty for the Krushers, for whom Tim Scott also booted three, but their powerful charge – and the improbable dream – came to an end.

PREVIEW

It’s always fitting when the grand final comes down to the two teams that stood out in the regular season, vindicating the fact that their efforts had them equal top, ten premiership points clear of third place. For Hampton, this has meant the much craved return to a higher division, for Ormond, atonement for crashing out in straight sets last year. But first, there is a monumental battle to be fought and won – for all-important silverware.

Indicative of the depth these sides possess, the same two will also square off in the reserves, giving selectors a potential headache and no doubt leading to some individual disappointments. Strong lists they are, with a plethora of potential matchwinners. We can salivate at the thought of the Monders’ Jeremy Simon, Blair Atkins, Matt Hine and Thomas Buckley going head to head with, and trying to negate the influence of, the Rovers’ Ant Folino, Christian Carnovale, Danny Corp and Ben Kneebush for the fourth time this season. Ormond hold the bragging rights with two wins and a draw from three prior encounters, but there has never been enough substantive evidence to suggest that the Rovers are incapable of engineering a turnaround. Sandringham is the place to be at 2.30pm this Saturday….and my tip…Rovers by 5!