Premiership euphoria for Old Brighton in a Grand Final epic

An exhilarating season of ups and downs was almost fittingly capped off with a grand final contest for the ages in the Holmesglen Under 19 Premier Men’s competition.

St Kevin’s and Old Brighton were the two teams who would take to Elsternwick Park, the home of VAFA football, in a bid to etch their club names into premiership silverware.

The excitement and tension of the occasion would see the game commence like the crack of a whip.

Skill and level-headedness amongst the blustery conditions shone through noticeably, as rain tumbled from the sky.

It was Old Brighton big man Tom Jackett-Simpson who would cut through the early tension, unloading a bomb from 45 meters out with arrow-like precision.

First Blood; Tonners.

The pattering rain soon evolved into sheets of water, consuming the surface and creating a mud pit in the centre of the ground. An in-and-under midfielder’s dream.

It was Zachary Bowen who imminently steamed through the contest, his opponents around him slipping like atop an ice rink.

Second Blood; Tonners.

Momentum well and truly residing in the Old Brighton camp, it was another flash of brilliance from Mason Szonyi, that resulted in a third straight Brighton goal to start the Grand Final.

Third blood; Tonners.

Stunned, St Kevin’s needed a Grand Final hero. It came in the form of George Dilimitrou, the young star wrenching back a goal in the dying moments of the term.

Maintaining your feet, and basic skill execution came at a premium, as Old Brighton claimed a 21-point point lead heading into the first break.

Whilst they had been dominated around the ground, the Old Boys had salvaged something from the opening half hour.

They began to defy their opposition, swaying the momentum in the second quarter.

Toiling hard, SKOB began to create their own luck. A controversial 50m penalty would give the Old Boys their third consecutive goal of the second quarter, bringing them to within almost level on the scoreboard.

The following flash of brilliance from Ben Palmer would inject life into the game, his scintillating ruck-craft allowing for, perhaps, goal of the year.

Rain thumping down, it was a ruck contest just meters from goal. Those in commentary noted the numbers around the contest, and the almost impossibility of a clean shot on goal. Enter Palmer.

Palmer manoeuvred his opponent with precision, allowing a skerrick of a goal kicking opportunity. The ball, somehow, fell onto his boot laces… and the accuracy was true.

Old Brighton jaws agape, the St Kevin’s supporters erupted. Ladies and gentlemen, we had a ball game!

Such brilliance would prompt the steadily building crowd to emerge from the shelters of their cars, immersing themselves in the tension-laid serenity of Grand Final day.

Chants began to chorus across the ground, reverberating through the stands of Elsternwick park, pockets of fans forming behind the goals.

The scoreboard read 29-30, Old Brighton’s way, as the boys headed for the sheds.

Retreating to the warmth of the rooms, each team had it all to play for in the second half.

The Old Boys, having fallen agonisingly short in last year’s Grand Final, were out for redemption. For Old Brighton, it had been a long wait, 22-years in fact, since they last tasted premiership success.

Having reconvened, it was time to go again. The torrential rain and blustery conditions weren’t letting up, but neither was the intent of the players.

The third quarter, the ‘premiership quarter’, was comprehensively claimed by Old Brighton. They concluded the term having kicked two goals to none and sat in the box seat.

The pressure was now up to St Kevin’s to storm home, to buck the trend and record a famous victory…

It started rockily though. Old Brighton almost immediately claimed the first major, stretching the lead to 19-points. In the relentless wind and rain, it was a long, long way back for St Kevin’s.

The possibility of a premiership flag seemed almost impossible then. The game was all but out of reach. It was time to roll the dice and throw everything you had in the final game of the year.

The first task was to take away Old Brighton’s momentum, deny them the football and limit the damage around the contest.

Dilimitrou began to reassert himself, as he had done for the most part of the game.

The result? The game was back on SKOB’s terms.

The second task was to attack, and attack in spades. St Kevin’s looked most dangerous throughout the game when they ran in numbers, moving the ball quickly to their dangerous forward unit.

The free-flowing football came despite the weather and ground conditions, goals beginning to tick over on the scoreboard for SKOB.

The game, suddenly, was up for grabs again. After a 15-minute blitz, the Tonners were stunned.

Ben Palmer continued his ruck dominance, whilst Xavier Duke and Conor Lynch began to get busy.

As the game ticked into time-on, nervousness began to seep into play. Behind by less than a goal, SKOB continued their assault, desperate to push themselves over the finish line. After a marathon season of ups and downs, a premiership cup loomed.

It was in the 24-minute mark, where George Dilimitrou, found the football in his hands, an opportunity to level the scores.

It was incredible in its own right, that SKOB were so close. They had no right to be in the game, and it largely came off the back of George Dilimitrou. Having kicked 3 goals already, Dilimitrou had revived his side from the dead.

Dilimitrou… would miss.

However, this story had one more twist.

Just mere seconds remaining, the Tonners had possession of the football, albeit at the teeth of their opposition’s goal.

In the conditions, Old Brighton was left to concede, bombing the football up the line in an effort to clear their lines.

The football was coming back though, St Kevin’s once again entering forward 50, this time 5-points behind.

Sensationally, a free kick would be awarded to St Kevin’s. Seconds ticking down, it would be a shot on goal… for the premiership.

A hush around the arena of Elsternwick park… it would be another miss for St Kevin’s. Hearts would break as the siren sounded, sheer jubilation for Old Brighton.

The agony and ecstasy.

After a red-hot start to the game, the Grand Final of Holmesglen Under 19’s Premier could only be described as a see-sawing affair, a contest that, really, anyone could have won.

But it was Old Brighton who were the team who would hoist the cup above their heads at the end of the day.

The Tonners faithful would rush the ground, ready to rejoice in the euphoria of their first premiership in more than two-decades.

Old Brighton captain Tom Howden would later congratulate his opposition, respect well and truly earned.

A contest for the ages, it was Old Brighton who would outlast all, to claim a famous premiership flag.

Cooper Dowe, Luke Travers, Marlo Hofmann, Mason Szonyi, Jules Lohan and skipper Tom Howden were named best afield for the Tonners, worthy contributors to the nail-biting contest that took place on Saturday.

But it was St Kevins’ own George Dilimitrou who would deservingly be awarded the best player on the day.

St Kevin’s: 1.1   4.5   4.8   7.12   (54)

Old Brighton: 4.4   4.6   6.9   8.10   (58)