The football Gods have finally shown mercy on Parkside and its persistent coach Nathan Juegan.
The Magpies have put four grand final losses in five years behind them to claim that much-anticipated Western Region Football League division 2 flag on Sunday.
PICTURE GALLERY: Parkside v West Footscray WRFL grand final
The black-and-white streamers were being tied to the premiership cup long before the final siren as the Magpies romped to a 38-point win over neighbourhood rivals West Footscray Roosters at Chirnside Park in Werribee.
The margin somewhat flattered the Roosters, who were second best for all bar 20 minutes of a desperately one-sided contest.
Juegan had spent more than a decade at Parkside and not won a premiership before Sunday, nor did he saluted at any stage earlier in his senior football career, but it was certainly well worth the wait when he got to drink from the cup on Sunday night.
“I’d been playing footy for 26 years and never won one,” he told Star Weekly.
“This place has been pretty cruel to me, I’ve lost six grand finals and finally got one in the seventh.
“Words can’t explain how I feel.
“It hasn’t sunk really in, but when it does, I’ll certainly enjoy it.”
Parkside raced to a 47-point lead before West Footscray got its first major on the board.
But the Magpies had some cause for concern, down two rotations and the Roosters making a serious push in the second term.
They finished the half with four consecutive goals and came out to boot the first goal of the third term in the blink of an eye to trim to margin back to just three goals.
Most would have expected the Magpies to get the wobbles, but their leaders stood up.
Matthew Pearce took control of the game with his calmness under pressure.
Mo Khartabil was a man on a mission, offering up multiple leads and finding plenty of the ball at both half forward and closer to home.
The power forward finished with two goals, but also kicked six behinds, which robbed him any chance of saluting for the Rex Swann Medal.
It was an emotional day for the man Parkside fans affectionately known as ‘Big Mo’.
“He had a personal loss six weeks ago where he lost his father and that really hurt him, but the way he has responded has been huge and the boys rallied around him,” Juegan said.
“For a big fella, he provided a lot of pressure at ground level and his second and third efforts were enormous.
“He’s a grouse character. I love the bloke, he’s been so loyal to our footy club.”
The Swann Medal went to Adrian Gervasi and no one could dispute the umpires’ assessment.
It would be a fairytale finish to a great career for Gervasi.
Dyson Stevens was the Magpies main link across half forward, while at the other end, Aaron McHutchinson barely put a foot wrong.
For the Magpies to stave off a charging Roosters with a depleted bench, it was going to take more than just the aforementioned individuals to get the job done.
“It was just the team’s willingness to keep going,” Juegan said.
“There was a lot of character, a lot of will to win.
“I’m just proud of the group.
“I’ve never worked with a closer bunch of mates at a football club in my life.”
It was Parkside’s first premiership in division 2, which is a reflection of their many years spent as a top-flight club in the WRFL.
The Magpies won 14 premierships in division 1, spanning from 1931 to 2003, but have not won one in 11 years.
They will get that chance in 2015 after Juegan kept his promise to Magpie Army.
“I promised the footy club that we’d get the club back to A-grade and would make sure we built a strong enough list to get there,” he said.
WRFL division 2
Grand final
Parkside 14.20 (104) d West Footscray 10.6 (66).
Parkside
Goals: Kelly, Khartabil, Gervasi 2, Langwell 2, Koulouriotis, Muratore, Buttigieg, Pearce, Barbuto, Stevens.
Best: Pearce, Licciardo, Gervasi, Khartabil, Stevens, Barbuto.
West Footscray
Goals: Lindsey, Lane, A Yze 2, El Houli, Newport, Bray, D. Yze.
Best: Trowsdale, Bray, A Yze, Liossis, Young, Speakman.
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