By JARROD POTTER
AFL VICTORIA JUNIOR METROPOLITAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
BOOKING a place in the AFL Victoria Junior Metropolitan Championships grand final for the eighth time in a row, the South East Juniors will have to overcome their biggest rival to regain the cup it had for so many years.
A win on Monday over Northern FL secured the SEJ its place against Yarra JFL in the grand final after impressive wins over Western Region and South Metro earlier in the carnival.
The South East Juniors Youth Girls Under-16s battled Northern FL on Monday afternoon and despite a howling zephyr buffeting Marriot Waters Reserve, the Demons were able to kick away to run out 10.19 (79) to 0.4 (4) victory.
Cranbourne’s Courtney Jones (four goals) proved a class above as she burst out of the centre and down either wing in some amazing running passages.
SEJ Youth Girls interleague coach Chloe McMillan praised her charges for battling not only Northern but also the blustery conditions to kick away and take the comfortable win.
“We won, but it ended up 10 goals, 19 behinds,” McMillan said. “Not as good as a result, but the conditions were terrible.
“Trying to kick a footy and it comes straight back over your head, it’s pretty hard to play in but they managed to get through it which was good.”
McMillan thought Lyndhurst’s Emily Browning (best-on-ground medallist in game three), Cranbourne duo Sophie Phillips and Shaneece Stratton excelled through the centre, while Parkmore duo Karina Diaz, Teagan Sheldon (two goals) and Beaconsfield’s Jordanne Dyer stood strong in the ruck against some tall opposition.
“Their pressure around the ball – as soon as it hit the ground – for the bigger girls to hit hard they set up the game for us and was really good to see it,” McMillan said.
Emily Browning got the medal, Sophie Phillips again was outstanding and never stopped, Jordy Dyer in the ruck she was good throughout the whole game and Shaneece Stratton put her over the ball and she changed the dynamics of the midfield a bit – was in and under and got outside for a few possessions and got a beautiful left foot kick.”
The last challenge between the South East Juniors and the Youth Girls championship is long-time rivals Yarra JFL – with the duo set to lock horns for the third time in three seasons for the cup.
Yarra has the recent edge on SEJ, winning last year’s grand final by 19 points at Shepley Oval, but McMillan thinks her Demons are more than capable of getting the job done.
“It’s going to be a challenge as any grand final is,” McMillan said. “But we’ve been playing well as a team and take a lot of confidence and go toe to toe with Yarra.”
The grand final will be Saturday 20 June at Central Reserve, Springvale Road, Glen Waverley from 10am.
SOUTH EAST JUNIORS 1.7 4.15 5.15 10.19 (79)
NORTHERN FL 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.4 (4)
SOUTH EAST JUNIORS Goals: C. Jones 4, T. Sheldon 2, N. Weston, S. Stratton, B. Struylaart, G. Gee. Best: E. Browning, C. Jones, S. Stratton, C. Anderson, J. Dyer.
