Bloods crowned Premiers in Grand Final romp

“It was awesome, mate.” Daniel Ward puts it simply.

Old Haileybury’s masterful 2024 season concluded with its third-largest winning margin of the year, and the largest winning margin in a Premier B Grand Final since the Blood’s 1990 triumph over Old Melburnians.

An emphatic 19.15 (129) to 5.5 (35) belting of De La Salle at Trevor Barker Beach Oval has secured the club its second senior flag in three years and fired a shot across the bow of many a William Buck Premier side for season 2025.

Facing De La for the fourth time of the season and second time of the Finals Series, the Bloods saved their best for last, erring only in their execution in front of goal in the first term in one of the most complete performances ever seen in the competition – and in the wider Association this year.

Rare talent Andreas Stefankais, who has wowed the VAFA in his ten games at the Bloods while impressing in his time at Box Hill, was awarded the Ian Cordner medal as the player adjudged best on field with five goals from his 14 disposals.

Still yet to celebrate his 20th birthday, Stefanakis will be one to keep a keen eye on next season, when the Bloods will return to William Buck Premier with an almighty spring in their step after a 2023 season where they were desperately unlucky to be relegated.

“The way that they’re playing at the moment – the two finals games they played against us, they’ve been really, really strong,” said De La Salle coach Nick Hyland.

“I walked away from (Sunday) thinking ‘that’s the best game of footy I’ve seen a Premier B team play all year’.”

There were signs early in the piece that it would be the Bloods’ day – uncharacteristic De La fumbles and turnovers giving rise to the intense pressure applied by the Bloods’ midfielders and forwards – the likes of Charlie Sinclair and Charlie Harrop feasting across half forward.

Seven of the eight scoring shots registered by the Old Haileyburians in the first term would come directly from De La turnovers – but luckily for Hyland’s men the Bloods converted just two of those shots into goals, leading 2.6 (18) to 0.2 (2) at the first break.

“The game was looking the way we wanted it to look, the only missing piece was putting the score on the board,” Ward said, emphasising the need for a high level of energy and pressure around the ground at the first break.

“We didn’t really take our chances in the first quarter; we dominated territory a little bit.”

The message stuck. The Bloods scored 6.3 (39) in the second term – each score coming from turnover. Despite holding their own around stoppage – indeed, De La would take a +7-clearance differential into half time and a slim advantage in the contested possessions count – Hyland’s men had committed 50 turnovers already, with only one goal to their name through Ryan O’Meara.

An eight-goal lead in place at half time, the Bloods only needed to shore up their position in the third term to all but secure victory – and did so, kicking four goals to one to put paid to the Grand Final with one quarter remaining.

Coach Ward has noted frequently this season a focus at Haileybury on timing their run, peaking at the right time – an approach that began from the pre-season.

Two losses to start their 2024 Premier B campaign wasn’t exactly the ideal start, but since then the Bloods’ form has been imperious: 14 wins, one loss and one draw from Round 3 until the Grand Final last Sunday.

And with a full complement of stars raring to go – dynamic goalsneak Stefanakis, swingman Durras Seccull, midfield beast and 2022 Ian Cordner medallist Brede Seccull, and ball magnet Josh Gasparini just a few names that leap from the team sheet – the Bloods were always going to be difficult to tip against.

“I’ve spoken about it a lot, I was quite nervous, quite anxious, when everything’s gone so smoothly – your team’s fit and firing, not too many injury issues,” Ward said.

Harry Jones (four goals), Harrop (21 disposals, three goals), James Magner (21 disposals, three goals), Gasparini (38 disposals, eight clearances) and Durras Seccull (13 kicks from 12 intercepts) were all superb, but special mention must go to Charlie Sinclair.

The half forward feasted on De La’s unassuredness across half back, racking up 30 disposals, 11 inside 50s, 13 score involvements and a remarkable five goal assists in what was surely his finest performance of the year.

“I’ve stated to several people, I thought Charlie Sinclair was our best player,” said Ward

“He’s probably the best pressure small forward in the comp…he worked his backside off.”

Ward will head back to William Buck Premier with lessons learned from a six-win 2023 season safe in the knowledge his group is well prepared for the challenge,

“I’ve learnt a few things around game style – everyone says it, there’s no easy game in A Grade,” he said.

“They’re the small things – we’ve learnt a lot, that was our first experience in A grade for 12 years. I’m looking forward to it, the group’s really looking forward to it, they’re hungry, they’re eager.”

Speaking on the phone on Monday afternoon, Ward’s participation in the premiership afterglow had concluded somewhat – but the same couldn’t necessarily be said about the playing group.

“The personal relationships I have with some of those boys…I was just rapt. We had a great night last night; the boys are still going at the moment.”

The questions will come for Nick Hyland and De La Salle on whether there was simply not enough left in the tank after a remarkable and emotional preliminary final win over Old Trinity – but the coach of the William Buck Premier-bound Dees refuses to use the game as an excuse.

“Did it take a lot of effort and physical exertion to win last weekend? Absolutely. Did it take its toll during the week? Yes. Is it an excuse? Absolutely not.”

The disappointment in losing the Grand Final will be tempered by the club’s return to top flight after a five-year hiatus following relegation in 2019 – Hyland has already viewed the game back and found plenty of lessons to come from the defeat.

“I encouraged them, and however long this will be, once they process the whole year in totality, I think they’ll come to realise this was a successful year.”

“It’s not an easy feat to get promoted and get back to A Grade.”

With the trophy engraved for 2024, the focus for both Old Haileybury and De La Salle will turn to remaining in William Buck Premier beyond 2025. The last time both promoted sides stayed in William Buck Premier for two seasons, or more was in 2021, where both Caulfield Grammarians and Old Scotch held onto their top flight places for 2022, albeit after a shortened 2021 season followed the abandonment of the 2020 season entirely.

“History would say it’s going to be a challenge (to stay up). But we’re in this position, we’ve given ourselves an opportunity to attack it full-on,” Hyland said.

“This is our ambition, to be a successful, sustainable A-grade club”.

Old Haileybury: 2.6   8.9   12.12   19.15   (129)
De La Salle: 0.2   1.3   2.4   5.5   (35)