St Mary’s co-coach Luke Rayner isn’t ruling out a charge at the GFNL premiership from the elimination final after being demoted to cutthroat footy during September, despite Saturday’s 39-point win over Newtown & Chilwell at Elderslie Reserve confirming an eighth consecutive finals appearance.
A withering burst of seven consecutive goals by the Saints during the second quarter, four of those from best-on-ground Sam Bourke, proved the ultimate difference as the visitors made it four straight wins over the Towners, 16.13 (109) to 10.10 (70).
However, despite entering the final round in third spot, St Mary’s was leapfrogged by Colac into a qualifying final berth after the Tigers took care of Grovedale by 63 points at Burdoo Reserve.
The percentage gap between Colac and the Saints just a mere 1.26 per cent, leaving St Mary’s to replicate 2019, when they snuck into the five on the final day of the home-and-away season before storming through the finals.
Talking to K rock Football post-game, Rayner spoke of his pride at how his players handled the build-up to a clash where a loss would have ended the season.
“We win and we’re a chance for three, four, or five, and we lose and we’re a chance to finish sixth,” he said.
“I’m just really proud (of) how the group were able to stay focused throughout the week.
“We certainly had a real set plan with the way we wanted the game to look, and I thought we were able to come out and really, for the majority of the game – obviously they had a really good third quarter and that can happen against good teams.
“You’re not going to dominate every minute of every quarter. Good teams are certainly gonna get runs, and they did.
“But, I thought our ability to stay pretty calm and work our way through it, and a fairly even contribution across the board, it’s just pride and just proud.
“And I’m glad we’re in because I genuinely think any one of the five teams could go all the way. So why not do it from the elimination final?
After a tight first quarter, in which both teams kicked two goals, St Mary’s held a two-point lead.
The arm-wrestle continued through the first half of the second term, where a goal from Saint Elijah Wales following an instinctive tap of the Sherrin from talisman Paddy Dowling, was cancelled out by a major from Newtown & Chilwell’s Connor Fopiani.
From the 14-minute mark, it became Bourke’s world, and the other 43 players in the contest were living in it.
He kicked four of the seven goals that St Mary’s banged on in arguably its most crucial 20-minute period of the season.
It gave the Saints a 44-point buffer at half-time, and while Newtown & Chilwell did get as close as 12 points late in the third quarter, it always felt like the visitors had the home team at arm’s length.
“It felt alright; a couple came off pretty good with the set shot, so that gets you up and about,” Bourke said.
“It was really good from all the boys.
“In that second quarter, there was a little bit of a breeze going down that way, so we wanted to make sure we could put a few on the scoreboard to make sure we gave them the pressure to keep us in it.
“It was really good to get on the end of a couple.”
Newtown & Chilwell was powerless to stop the onslaught, which eventually cost it the chance to claim its first minor premiership since 1985 and two guaranteed opportunities to play in the club’s first grand final in a decade.
However, coach Steve Johnson’s message to his players was simple after the loss.
“Be disappointed, but don’t be despondent about the result,” he said.
“I thought St Mary’s were as good as I’ve seen them play, and as good an opposition as we’ve come up against this season.
“Their first half was unbelievable; their first quarter, the scoreboard didn’t really reflect the way the game was being played. In my opinion, they probably were a three or four-goal better team in that first quarter.
“The second quarter, they put it on the board, and we were fumbly, and we didn’t absorb pressure all that well.
“So at half-time, I went in thinking, ‘Where’s this going to go for us?’
“And I thought they responded really well in the third quarter.”
Bell Park will face St Mary’s in the elimination final after holding off two-time reigning premier Leopold by 21 points at Hamlyn Park.
The Dragons, who needed victory to guarantee a finals berth, claimed the crucial four points, 12.15 (87) to 10.6 (66).
Jett Bermingham was outstanding in the Bell Park midfield, while Mitch Mahady finished with an equal-game-high three goals.
For the Polders, who have missed finals for the first time since 2015, there was no fairytale farewell for triple-premiership duo Sam Scott and Andrew Pepper.
Connor Giddings kicked three goals to finish with a competition-best 68 majors.
Colac snatched third spot from St Mary’s after pulling away from Grovedale in the second half to claim a 16.13 (109) to 6.10 (46) victory at Burdoo Reserve.
The visiting Tigers’ six-goal third quarter was enough for them to book a qualifying final meeting with Newtown & Chilwell.
Playing coach Seb Ross kicked a season-high four goals, with Adam Garner and Ryan Monaghan contributing three apiece.
Leigh Ellis and Tom Gillett each finished with two goals for Grovedale.
St Joseph’s finished the home-and-away season on top of the ladder for the second straight year after taking care of Geelong West by 69 points at Drew Oval.
Joeys bounced to a 21-point lead at quarter time and continued to build that margin throughout the afternoon before claiming a 19.9 (123) to 8.6 (54) result.
Felix Henderson kicked a career-high five goals, with Paddy De Grandi and Joel Edwards each adding three majors.
Lachie Horniblow’s three goals for the Giants, who farewelled long-serving coach Greg Mellor, took him to 50 for the season.
Nine goals from Jonty Broughton were the highlight as South Barwon handed St Albans a 120-point hiding at McDonald Reserve.
However, with Bell Park, St Mary’s and Colac all securing victories, the Swans’ 23.13 (153) to 3.13 (31) win counted for nothing other than leaving the two-time reigning grand finalist with the best record of a team not to reach the finals in GFNL history.
Returning former coach Jason Davenport kicked six goals, but North Shore fell short of avoiding the wooden spoon, with the previously winless Lara climbing off the bottom of the ladder following a six-point victory at Windsor Park.
Trailing by two points at three-quarter time, the Cats outscored the Seagulls 3.4 to 2.1 in the final term for a 14.12 (96) to 14.6 (90) victory.
Tom Gunther was crucial for Lara, finishing with five goals.
X: @krockfootball
