IT has been more than 18 months, but Inverleigh’s dramatic exit from the 2019 finals is never too far from the mind of coach Adam Donohue.
Leading by five points late in the first semi-final clash with Werribee Centrals, the Hawks had a foot in another preliminary final until Centurion Josh Sutton crashed the party with a goal after-the-siren.
Donohue, who was in his first year in charge in 2019, says it’s motivating him as Inverleigh looks to end a premiership drought stretching back to 1992.
“We did a hell of a lot of work, and we worked so hard in that game,” he told K rock Football’s Coaches Catch-up.
“I think Werribee were the better team on paper and all that type of thing.
“We thought we played the game on our terms, and just at the end there, we made a bit of a blue with our set-up, and they were just too good and got the mark and kicked the goals.
“It’s probably one of the worst losses of my career.”
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Donohue says the loss “still hurts”, with the former Grovedale and Geelong Amateur spending time dwelling on whether Inverleigh could have got past eventual premier Bannockburn in the preliminary final.
“I certainly did for a few months,” he said.
“We beat Bannockburn in Round 3 on Anzac Day when we were pretty undermanned.
“Then the roles were reversed late (in the) year when they had a few out and smashed us at Bannockburn.
“It was one-all going into that. We were confident we would have got a couple of running players back that following week.
“We were reasonably confident going in, and there would have been nothing to lose; we wouldn’t have been favourites.
“But, once you lose, that’s it, unfortunately.”
Inverleigh has one practice match scheduled – against GFL club Lara on March 27 – before opening its 2021 campaign with a trip to Bell Post Hill.
Twitter: @tom_king79
