Three flags for Foxes

By Marc McGowan
THREE premierships were enough for the Narre North Foxes to reign supreme over their Dandenong and District Junior Football League rivals on Sunday.
Only Cranbourne won as many flags on the weekend, with the Narre South Lions, Endeavour Hills, Hampton Park and Beaconsfield all claiming two.
Other local sides to achieve ultimate glory included Berwick, Hallam and Narre Warren.
Foxes’ president Brendan Gray, in his third year at the helm, was delighted with his club’s success.
“It was unbelievable on the weekend – a fantastic day. To have four sides just playing in grand finals was awesome,” he said.
“The footy club has been very successful in the last half a dozen years, winning 10 flags, but on Sunday to win three Premier Division pennants is just a credit to the club and the coaches.
“The club is heading in a fantastic direction and there are many exciting days ahead.”
Narre North won the under-13 and under-14 Premier Division age groups, as well as the under-10 White Division.
Gray was confident his club’s under-10 squad would triumph considering it had lost just one match for the season, but knew the other three grand finalists would be in for tough battles.
The Foxes’ under-13 Red Division team lost by just six points to Pakenham, while the under-13 and under-14 outfits overcame big challenges.
Narre North’s under-13 side came from behind at three-quarter time to claim victory by five points and the under-14s upset four-time reigning premier Endeavour Hills by 19.
The Hills had beaten the Foxes by 54 and 49 points respectively in their previous two meetings this year – the latter coming in the semi-finals two weeks earlier.
Full-forward Jack Farmer, onballer Clayton McCartney, defender and best-on-ground medallist Nick Battle and centre half-back Jacob Kell-Sheehan starred for Narre North in the under-14 decider.
Narre South Lions president John Rich was just as chuffed with his players’ performances.
The club is only in its fourth full season and added two flags – in the under-14 Blue and under-11 Premier divisions – to its inaugural premiership in 2007.
The Lions’ under-11 team finished fourth at the end of the home-and-away season before defeating Pakenham, Narre Warren and finally Fountain Gate.
“We got one two years ago, but to have two in one year and win our first Premier Division grand final just shows that we’re going places,” Rich said.
“It was such a fantastic atmosphere back at the clubrooms on Sunday afternoon.
“There were so many people happy to be involved in our club and it was just great.”
Endeavour Hills was unable to quite match its impressive four flags from last year, but first-year president Mario Aiezza was still thrilled to win another two grand finals.
“We had another good year and the fact is we won premierships in our younger age groups (under-12 Premier and under-11 Blue divisions),” he said.
“We had only eight eligible teams for finals and six sides made it to finals and four made it to grand finals, so that’s a pretty good strike-rate.”
The Hills’ under-11 premiership coach Trent Day also completed a remarkable achievement after winning a grand final at the club in his junior days.
The club’s under-14 mentor Justin Archer was in line to do the same, but his side was unable to beat the Foxes for the third time this season.