Brunswick bounces back to secure Grand Final spot

Brunswick has once again proved they are a force to be reckoned with in the competition, storming into the Division 2 Men’s Grand Final with a 47-point victory over South Melbourne Districts in their Preliminary Final clash at Waverley Oval.

Brunswick will again face Elsternwick in the Grand Final, in a top of the table clash, making for an exciting match up.

Brunswick were first to get their hands on the Sherrin and hit the scoreboard, with Angus Coverdale slotting the first major of the day. The tides turned pretty quickly as South Melbourne took ascendency to close out the quarter with an 11-point lead.

They had opportunities aplenty in the opening thirty minutes of play, converting for just 4.6 to the Nobs’ 3.1. With both sides hungry for that Grand Final spot, neither one looked like they were backing down anytime soon, with three important quarters to play.

The second term belonged to the Nobs who went full throttle, piling on 6 goals to claw their way in front and hold a 13-point advantage heading into the main break. Brunswick seemed to have shaken off the demons that taunted from their Semi Final loss and found their season-best form they became well-known for.

The Bloods had lost momentum by this point and after a scoreless third term seemed already defeated. Brunswick was dominant after half time, extending their lead out to a hefty 40 points, while most significantly producing a comprehensive defensive display to keep the Districts quiet.

South Melbourne hit the scoreboard once again in the final term, adding 13 points to their total, with Max Capp booting 2 or his 3 majors in the last quarter to inject some life back into the Blood’s performance. Their energy had most definitely lifted, and they played a more aggressive style of football to finish off the game but their lackluster middle quarters ultimately cost them the match.

Brunswick’s key forward, Hayden Parker, came through for his side with a clutch 4-goal performance in a Preliminary Final. in the clutch, nailing 4 critical goals when his team needed them the most. With solid support from his teammates, namely 9 individual goal scorers for the day, the Nobs came together in a genuine team effort to secure a spot in the Grand Final. Joshua Hedley, Benjamin Young, and Gabriel Banova were a few notable standouts.

Declan Barlow, Michael Carter, and Zaron Smith stood out for the Districts in the loss. South Melbourne have had a rollercoaster season, with plenty of highs and lows, however, their four-straight win on the trot heading into the Preliminary Final held them in good stead to compete with the best. Unfortunately, their rivals in Brunswick proved too strong a contender on the day and came away with the chocolates and a chance at the Premiership cup. The final scoreline read 16.8 (104) to 8.9 (57).

Brunswick coach Tom Hunter reflected on the team’s performance and mindset going into the finals, sharing his confidence after their preliminary final win. “We had a really good feeling going into the Prelim. We trained well through the week and had a plan we thought would beat South Melbourne.”

Tom also touched on their earlier loss to Elsternwick, expressing disappointment in their performance. “Yeah, they got us two weeks ago. We were disappointed with our performance; it didn’t look like ours. We didn’t defend well and didn’t play our brand. We reviewed pretty strongly, which gave us clear direction on how to perform in the preliminary stage. We’ll carry that through to the Grand Final.”

Tom said about the Grand Final, “The mindset is just to be Brunswick. We’ve been on top for most of the year and know our best stacks up. We know Elsternwick will challenge us in certain areas, but we think we have a plan to stop them.”

Brunswick will head into the Grand Final knowing they toppled Elsternwick twice during the home and away season and are now coming off the back of a solid Preliminary Final victory. However, the Wickers carry that edge of already having defeated the Nobs in a final; could this be the advantage they need, or will the one week break see them lose momentum?

The Grand Final showdown between Elsternwick and Brunswick will take place on Saturday 14 September on the stunning deck of La Trobe University at 2.30pm.