Spotswood is heading to a Western Region Football League division 1 grand final for a remarkable eighth consecutive season.
The Woodsmen advanced to the season decider with a 49-point win over Werribee Districts in the preliminary final at Chirnside Park on Saturday.
Jason Cloke was superb for the Woodsmen with six goals and Simon Pocervina delivered a brilliant performance across half forward. Shaun Ross, Jye Orchard and first year player-coach Tom Langlands were the other key performers.
Homegrown product Will Langlands is set to become the only Woodsman to play in all of the eight grand final sides.
He has unfinished business after being a part of the Woodsmen’s past two one-point grand final losses – to Altona in 2012 and Deer Park last year.
The Woodsmen will go in as rank underdogs against a Deer Park side featuring former AFL players Brent Guerra, Bret Thornton, Ryan Hargrave and Marc Bullen, along with a who’s who of local footballers.
Spotswood will need to put some work into nullifying Kwame McHarg, who has already set the finals alight with five goals in a 77-point semi-final thrashing of the Woodsmen two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, Braybrook is the inaugural Western Region Football League’s division 3 champion after a thrilling two-point win over Albanvale in the grand final at Hogans Road Reserve on Saturday. It was the Brookers’ first premiership since 1999.
Lance Jenkinson
