ALTONA has prevailed in a titantic struggle over defending champions Spotswood to move through to the Western Region Football League division 1 grand final for a historic first time.
The Vikings held sway for most of Saturday’s enthralling 11-point second semi-final win at Avalon Airport Oval, but could not kill off the plucky Woodsmen until the midway point of a pulsating last quarter.
That is when the mercurial talents of Travis Lunardi went to work, delivering a knock out combination with a booming goal from 50 metres at the 10-minute mark, followed by another goal on the run five minutes later.
While the Vikings had their noses in front for most of the game, the Woodsmen battled hard to make it a close contest, despite having the burden of being three rotations down for most of the second half, including a game-ending hamstring injury to player-coach Chris O’Keefe.
When the Woodsmen got to within three points after five-goal forward Christian Elliott booted two goals in the opening two minutes of the last quarter, a comeback was seemingly on the cards. But the Vikings knew what was at stake: a chance to bury the ghosts of last year’s gut-wreching one-point preliminary final loss to the Woodsmen and an opportunity to be the first team since the club’s arrival in the WRFL [formerly Footscray District Football League] to reach a top-flight grand final.
‘‘They certainly came hard at us at the end,’’ Vikings captain Josh Russo said. ‘‘The fact that we wanted to make a grand final drove us. We were never going to give up.’’
This match can be classified an instant classic. The pendulum swung all game with pressure — be it actual or perceived — at its highest.
The WRFL’s newest rivalry is delivering each time the clubs lock horns.
‘‘We’ve had a few of those battles with Spotty the last four times we’ve played them,’’ Vikings coach Anthony Eames said. ‘‘It was a see-saw all day.
‘‘Every time we threatened and got three goals up, they hit back again.’’
The Woodsmen are no strangers to great finals matches, having played in some of the more memorable ones en route to winning four of the past five premierships. Despite his side being on the wrong end of the scoreline, O’Keefe could still the game for what it was worth.
‘‘It was a terrific game of football from two really good teams,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s what you expect from a one-versus-two final.’’
The Vikings got the all-important jump out of the gates with the opening two goals but in a precursor to what would occur for the rest of the game, the Woodsmen hit back to lead by one point at quarter-time.
The second term was all about the Vikings stamping their authority over the game, booting four of the six goals of the quarter to lead by 13 at the main break. The margin blew out to 24 points when Lee Spiteri made a line-breaking run to find Mitch Turnbull with a long kick to the top of the square and who kicked truly.
With O’Keefe gone for the game, Jason Cloke hurting with a hip complaint and Luke Ryan in distress after rolling an ankle, the Woodsmen had two options: roll over or fight till the bitter end.
They chose the latter to make it a grandstand finish. Goals to Ben Pope and Chase Morgan cut the deficit to 15 at the last change, before Elliott made it four in a row for the Woodsmen with the first two goals of the last quarter.
Three points was as close as the Woodsmen would get before Lunardi produced his late show.
Division 1 – second semi-final
Altona 11.18 (84) d Spotswood 10.13 (73).
Altona — goals: T Lunardi 4, S Kennedy 3, Z Kadour, R Knight, M Turnbull, J Robbins. Best: J Halloran, T Lunardi, J Russo, J Magnbosco, R Knight, D Barnaby
Spotswood — goals: C Elliott 5, M Fogarty, T Baker, E Wood, C Morgan, B Pope. Best: T Langlands, C Elliott, S Wood, M Fogarty, C Morgan, T Baker.
