Spotswood’s incredible run of Western Region Football League
division 1 grand finals will extend to a seventh consecutive outing.
The Woodsmen have not missed a season decider since 2006 and have a
chance to make it five premierships in seven years on September 14.
PICTURE GALLERY: Spotswood v Deer Park
Chris O’Keefe’s side was first through to the season decider after
a rousing 15-point come-from-behind win over Deer Park in the second
semi-final at Chirnside Park in Werribee on Saturday.
O’Keefe lauded club structures, smart recruiting and hard work for the Woodsmen’s ability to stay at the top.
“It’s a really good effort to make it to another grand final,” he said.
“It’s the result of a lot of hard work. It’s great for the club, another opportunity to win a premiership.
“You’ve got to think that over the years there’s been a hell of a
lot of turnover in players. We’re proactive with our recruiting. This
year we targeted a number of our ex-juniors to come back to the club, so
we don’t fill our team up from players outside of Spotswood – there’s
almost always a connection there.”
Home-grown Will Langlands is the only player to have played in all previous six grand finals.
The Woodsmen will arrive at the second Saturday in September as
the form team in the competition, having won their past eight games of
the regular season, plus two finals.
They will face either Deer Park, a side they have beaten in their
past two meetings, or Sunshine Kangaroos, who they have already beaten
comprehensively on three occasions this season.
The Woodsmen have experiencef the highs and lows of grand final day.
They have taken different routes to the decider in the past six
years, so O’Keefe knows the potential pluses and pitfalls of having a
week’s break before the big one.
“I’m just happy that we’ve made the grand final, whether that be
the way we’ve done it this year or playing through the prelim final,” he
said.
“It gives us a couple of weeks to make sure we’re 100 per cent ready for the day. We’ll train pretty hard over that time.”
For periods of Saturday’s semi-final, it seemed as though the Woodsmen might have needed to use their double chance.
The Lions burst to a 13-point quarter-time lead before the
Woodsmen reeled them in during the second quarter to restore virtual
parity at half-time.
Again the Lions put the foot on the accelerator in a dominant
third term, but their inaccuracy in front of goal – 3.8 from 11 shots in
the quarter – left the door ajar.
Giving the Woodsmen that sort of opportunity in spring can be costly.
They needed no second invitation, lifting their work rate and
running away with the game on the back of a scintillating
six-goal-to-one last quarter.
“We just reminded ourselves we have to stay in the contest and that our turn would come at some stage,” O’Keefe said.
“We pride ourselves on playing four quarters of footy every week.”
Onballers Justin Dorwood and Tom Langlands were tough in the clinches for the Woodsmen.
Big men Murray Boyd and Lachie McGhie controlled the air.
Teenager Will Krithararis and three-goal forward Mahmoud El-Hawli
played important roles when Christian Elliott went off with a broken jaw
that leaves him in doubt for the grand final.
O’Keefe also had a day to remember, kicking the sealing goal, his fourth of the game, after watching the horse in which he has a significant stake, Bec Said No Credit, run first in the third race at Caulfield.
“She paid $10, too, so there were some pretty happy family and friends,” he said.
