Yarraville Seddon is heading back to the Western Region Football League division 2 grand final for a fourth consecutive season.
After losing on the biggest day on the calendar for the past three years, will it be fourth time lucky for the Eagles?
Eagles coach Vinnie Turcinovich insists his team bares no scars from their failures of the past three seasons, despite losing grand finals to Point Cook by eight points last year, North Footscray by 58 points in 2017 and Caroline Springs by 14 points in 2016.
Turcinovich’s off season recruiting and promotion from within was aimed towards going one step better in the finals.
“There’s probably only half of the team back from last year,” he said.
“We’ve had a lot of the under 19s come up, we added more height and we’ve brought in some good leg speed.
“It’s a good mix with some youth and some bigger bodies.”
Yarraville Seddon inflicted a rare defeat on minor premiers Wyndhamvale in the second semi-final at JR Parsons Reserve on Saturday.
The Eagles ran out 25-point winners over a Falcons side that entered the finals on the back of a 17-1 record. Significantly, the Eagles have beaten the Falcons two out of the three times they have met this season, so they will go into the grand final full of confidence should they meet again.
“They were the benchmark of the competition,” Turcinovich said. “They’ve only lost one game and we respect them a lot.
“We knew we had to play four quarters to win the game and we did that.”
Yarraville Seddon was the commanding team in the game. By the Eagles statisticians, they won all the key areas in the game, but it was not until the last quarter where they could get separation on the scoreboard.
Leading by just four at three-quarter time, the Eagles kicked away with a five-goal-to-two final term.
Ole Angerstein claimed best-afield honours for his role in the ruck for Yarraville Seddon.
PHOTO GALLERY: Wyndhamvale vs Yarraville Seddon
Angerstein provided first use for the Eagles and nullified the influence of dangerous Falcons big man Bol Kolang.
“Ole had to be at his best,” Turcinovich said.
“He got us going.”
The Eagles were resolute defensively, keeping the usually free-scoring Wyndhamvale to eight goals and its equal lowest score of the season.
Matthew Taylor, Jordon Robinson, Jacob Connors and Tommy Webster were praised for their defensive efforts.
Yarraville Seddon will face the winner of the preliminary final between Wyndhamvale and Parkside at Pennell Reserve on Saturday.
Parkside advanced to the penultimate weekend with a four-point semi-final win over Point Cook Centrals.
In division 3, Albanvale pipped Sunshine Heights in a thriller by 10 points to be the first team to advance to the grand final.
The Heights will meet Glen Orden, who thrashed Tarneit by 41 points, in the preliminary final at Pennell Reserve on Sunday.
