Coach Ron Watt has labelled St Joseph’s 17-point second semi-final win over Colac an “enormous effort” moments after the club booked its first GFNL grand final berth since winning its most recent flag in 2018.
The minor premier held off a strong challenge from the Tigers, who were missing the unwell Tom Rienets, the injured duo of Josh Garner and Jarrod Walters, and lost playing coach Seb Ross to a hamstring injury in the second quarter.
“The contest was as hard as I’ve seen in the Geelong Footy League for a long time,” Watt told K rock Football.
“Both teams really whacked in at the ball, and the running was fairly relentless, too.
“It was a quick game; I wouldn’t have thought it was the most brilliant spectacle if you’re looking for a skilful game,
“But if you’re looking for a contest – and there’s plenty of people here – I think they would have gone away pretty happy.”
St Joseph’s kicked the opening goal of the contest through Oscar Morrison before a quick response from Colac 50-gamer Chaise Murray.
Key forward Joel Edwards gave Joeys a six-point lead two minutes later, in what would be the final score of the first quarter, as both sides struggled for the next 20 minutes to penetrate the opposition defence.
The contest became a more free-flowing spectacle in the second quarter.
St Joseph’s kicked two goals inside the opening three minutes of the term, the latter just defender Luke Webb’s second of the season following a 50m penalty, to give the minor premier a 19-point lead.
However, Colac stayed in touch, kicking four goals to two, including two majors to veteran Kane Smartt that cut the margin to six points at half-time.
The Tigers took the lead for the first time early in the third quarter when qualifying final star Michah Robb kicked his first major of the day.
But it was a three-goal run during time-on by St Joseph’s that started following a holding-the-ball free-kick against Colac veteran Lachie Simpkin that had Tigers’ fans up in arms, which proved crucial.
Simpkin took a mark despite a strong challenge from Joeys’ Lewis Antonac.
Antonac went past the contest, but after Simpkin was called to play on after feigning to handball, the St Joseph’s star brought the Tiger to ground and won a free kick.
Antonac quickly played and kicked to Hunter Lewis, who then passed the ball to Joel Edwards.
Edwards then handballed into the goalsquare for Mitch Chafer to goal and extend the lead to eight points, which was 20 by three-quarter time following second majors to Lewis and Morrison.
Colac gun Darcy Lang kept his team in the contest with two goals that reduced the margin to nine points at the 12-minute mark, but that was as close as the Tigers would get.
Despite the loss, which will see Colac face the winner of today’s first semi-final between Newtown & Chilwell and St Mary’s in the preliminary final, co-coach Jason Armistead was remaining upbeat.
“We were still reasonably positive after the game,” he said on K rock Football.
“We probably actually didn’t hit any real heights during the whole game, and the fact that we were able to still be in the game in the last quarter and give ourselves a chance, we’re reasonably happy with that.
“But I think they were probably better around the ground ball pick-ups, but then also once they got the ball on the open side, they’re really efficient, which we knew was going to happen.
“But, we just weren’t able to stop that at the end of the day.
“We get to fight again next week, and, hopefully, we can get back and have another go at them.”
Armistead all but ruled Ross, who has battled hamstring issues throughout the year, out of the preliminary final.
However, he left the door open for the two-time St Kilda best-and-fairest to play if Colac can fight its way into the grand final.
Edwards and Smartt led their respective teams with three goals apiece.
Ruck Joey Chaplin, who battled Colac gun Zach Zdybel, first-year midfielder James Hose, and the hard-as-nails Josh Nurnaitis were named St Joseph’s best.
Simpkin and Murray did all they could to get the Tigers over the line.
X: @krockfootball
ST JOSEPH’S 2.0, 6.1, 11.3, 13.8 (86)
COLAC 1.0, 5.1, 7.7, 10.9 (69)
GOALS: St Joseph’s: J. Edwards 3, J. Mullen 2, H. Lewis 2, O. Morrison 2, M. Chafer, J. Chaplin, P. De Grandi, L. Webb
GOALS: Colac: K. Smartt 3, D. Lang 2, L. Hillman 2, B. McCarthy, M. Robb, C. Murray
BEST: St Joseph’s: J. Chaplin, J. Hose, J. Nurnaitis, J. Edwards, C. Mitchell, L. Kershaw
BEST: Colac: L. Simpkin, C. Murray, K. Smartt, A. Garner, D. Lang, R. Monaghan
