Harper Sercombe
Parkside has finally got the premiership it was so desperate for after a thriller in the Western Region Football League division 2 grand final.
The Magpies faced Albion on Sunday afternoon at Yarraville Oval with the tension palpable about the ground, with the crowd piling in for the big game, and it lived up to the expectations.
After losing last year’s grand final to the undefeated Point Cook Centrals, the Magpies were determined to do what they felt they were deserving of, however, it didn’t come without a fight from the Cats.
The Cats jumped out to a great start, putting the Magpies on the back foot early, kicking five first term goals to two.
Although they were down by 22 points the Magpies got away with it lightly, with the Cats also kicking six behinds in the first term.
With the game seemingly on the line early in the second term, the Magpies showed they were up for the battle, throwing inspirational skipper Shaun Campbell into the guts to give them some much needed grunt around the ball.
From there the Magpies were able to hit the scoreboard, however inaccuracy hurt them too, kicking two goals and five behinds in the second term to cut the margin back to just one straight kick at the main break.
In the premiership quarter the game was as even as could be, taking 23 minutes for the first goal to hit the scoreboard.
The Magpies went bang, bang, and stole the lead back before the Cats replied with two of their own, taking a four point lead into three quarter time.
At three quarter time the plan was simple from Magpies coach Chris Muratore, in what was an all time great speech.
“It’s about execution, as soon as we open them up we look dangerous, if our forwards grab one or two early, game over,” he said.
“Let’s have a little breath here, let’s have five, 10 seconds to suck it in. The stage is set now, have a look at this.
“We know we are good enough. ’m that excited to watch this now.
“I’m that excited to sit in that room in 30 minutes time with medals around our necks.”
Cats’ coach Blake Richards was singing to a similar tune at the three quarter time huddle.
“I guarantee you, us as a group, the Albion Football Club, the way we’ve been over the last 10 years is a hundred times hungrier than them,” he said.
“We need this more than them, we are hungrier, we deserve it more than them, get that in your head.
“This is all about hunger. At the end of a grand final it’s about who wants to work harder, who wants to get to more contests, who wants to put their head over the ball.
“There’s no system, there’s no structure… it’s 100 per cent about who wants the ball more.”
In the last term it was ferocious, contest after contest, players smashing into each other like they had been all day.
The Magpies were able to get the first of the term and put their noses in front.
With the crowd really starting to get into it now, the Cats returned serve with only minutes left on the clock, as Ashton Muir put one through from a set shot with the Magpies fans giving him some advice from the side lines.
With about a minute left in the game and the Magpies down by four, there was only one thing skipper Campbell could do as he was kicking out from full back.
His torpedo punt somehow found the chest of a team mate, he rolled and went sending the ball down to half forward and Jy Lambley.
Lambley wound up from just inside the centre square, the ball trickled through and the Magpies were four points up with just seconds remaining on the clock.
The siren sounded and the crowd erupted as the Magpies were premiers, winning 8.13 (61)-8.11 (59).
Shaun Campbell was given best on ground honours as he dominated wherever Muratore put him, from full back, into the middle and even kicking a long range goal during the second term.
Intercepting defender Jonah Vraca was another of the Magpies best, alongside ruckman Bradley Graham.
It was emotional scenes after the match as the celebrations began.
Straight after the match, Muratore was lost for words.
“I don’t really know what to say or think,” he said. “I’m proud… it’s been a whole club effort.”
The Magpies are now on their way to division 1, while the Cats will have a shot at redemption in 2024.
