Above: Narre Warren’s 2008 premiership side, back from left, Daniel Borninkhof, Ryan Stanes, Joel Broadhurst, Jack McTaggart, Michael Collins, Brett Evans, Lee Boyle, Jackson Parker, Clay Peresso, Danny Brewster, Jarrod Anderson, Aaron Mills, Lee Clark, middle, Michael McGill, Brad Scalzo, Cole Harvey, Nick Scanlon, Shane Brewster, Chris Collins, runner Peter Hogan, front, mascot Xavier Shinners, coach Matthew Shinners, captain Glenn Hamilton and best afield Ricky Clark.By Brad Kingsbury
NARRE Warren was celebrating on Saturday night after an unbelievable 131-point victory over Keysborough in the Casey Cardinia league grand final at Berwick’s Edwin Flack Reserve.
It was the league benchmark’s third straight premiership and the easiest of all in a continuing era of domination that saw the Magpies exact a painful and merciless football execution on an oval that they can now quite rightly claim as their other home ground.
The crowd at the Edwin Flack Reserve lost interest in the contest after Narre Warren slammed on four goals in six minutes half way through the second term.
Keysborough players followed suit soon after and, unfortunately, the league’s showcase match of the season became a Magpie procession and little more than a series of training drills in perfect spring conditions after half time.
Both teams remained unchanged from their last outings with coaches Matthew Shinners and Greg Siwes selecting their sides based on run and attack.
Narre Warren was hot favourites to win a third straight pennant but Keysborough was a wildcard.
After a goal each in the first six minutes, Keysborough star Tyson King missed two shots with the breeze and the Magpies capitalised with Shane Brewster and Lee Clark adding goals along with a second to Evans, creating a 22-point quarter-time lead.
It was not the margin that was significant, but the way the Burra had stopped like rabbits in a spotlight when the pressure was applied, and not even the loss of Magpie Ryan Stanes to a knee injury could provide a boost.
Keysborough did not enter their forward 50 in the last six minutes of the first quarter and despite starting the second term with two quick goals, the scene was set for the Magpies.
Ricky Clark, Michael Collins and Shane Brewster took control of the midfield, while youngsters in Chris Collins and Matthew Werner decided it was showtime in attack and the Magpies shot away to a 57-point half time lead with a nine-goal to one burst.
Burra defenders Corey Wilkinson, Daniel Born and Michael Downie battled hard but were left high and dry by their team mates excluding Clinton King, whose work rate was superb all day.
The second half degenerated into a farce with Narre Warren booting a further 14.13 to 3.5 before the game was abandoned at the 25-minute mark of the final term due to umpires’ safety concerns after drunken brawls broke out near the fence between the coaches boxes.
There was little to keep the crowd entertained on field, however those who were still interested in the football witnessed one of the best goals of the year in the third term when Magpie Nick Scanlon kicked accurately from 45 metres at full pace after burning down the wing and taking four bounces.
Other highlights included superb goals to youngsters Werner, Daniel Borninkhof, Joel Broadhurst and Jackson Parker, with the effort topped off by retiring 34-year-old veteran Jack McTaggart who slotted the Magpies 27th and final goal with his last kick in football.
Shinners pre-game message had revolved around discipline. He asked for no 50 metre penalties, no send offs and no advantage to be given to the opposition.
His players responded as one but it took until midway through the second quarter before he started to relax and enjoy the outing.
“I was a little bit concerned in the first quarter. We had plenty of the footy and we missed some opportunities, but so did they, and it evened itself out,” he said.
“We didn’t start well in the second quarter but when we got our game going it was pretty impressive.”
The thrilled coach said that his emphasis on youth had been vindicated by the success but added that his experienced players had led by example.
“The young players have worked hard. They’ve probably exceeded my expectations. I knew I had a good bunch of kids here but they proved that they were ready for the challenge and improved as the year went on,” he said.
“Our more experienced senior blokes have held up and led the way. That helps the young blokes when the older blokes have a good head on their shoulders and lead by example, they can’t help but follow.”
Siwes was gutted by his side’s capitulation and said it was a sad end on a rollercoaster season. The simple fact was that his side could not match their opposition either physically or mentally after a tough finals campaign.
Ricky Clark started the afternoon brilliantly and finished it the same way to win the VCFL Medal for best afield, while fellow midfielder Michael Collins was deemed the best player by the 3RPP radio commentary team.
Narre Warren won its first under 18 premiership since 1956 with a 67-point belting of Beaconsfield in Saturday’s curtain-raiser, while Doveton won its second reserves premiership in succession with a 73-point win over Narre Warren.
