By Tyler Lewis
Wandin has booked itself a date with Narre Warren in next Sunday’s second semi-final, after a dazzling final term saw the Dogs outclass old-foe Woori Yallock.
When Ben Monkhorst put the Tigers 18 points up five minutes into the last, Woori Yallock appeared home.
But Nick Adam’s men then flicked a switch, finding another gear to rattle home an enchanting nine straight majors on their way to the 16.10 (106) to 12.12 (84) win.
There was a 12-minute stretch in which the Dogs were simply irresistible, kicking six majors to go from 18 points down, to 17 points up in the blink of an eye.
Wandin – led by Chayce Black, Joel Garner and Patty Bruzzese – waltzed out of stoppages in the final term, putting the Tigers back six under immense pressure.
It was that stoppage dominance that coach Adam believes was the turning point in the contest.
“We were really conscious of what was happening at stoppage in the third quarter,” he explained.
“We feel like our midfield is a strength for us and in the third quarter, they (Woori Yallock) had taken that away from us.
“We went seven and one in the clearances from that (Monkhorst) goal – that changed it.
“Against good sides, territory is a big thing and it’s really hard to get scored against when it’s down your end.
“We challenged them (his players) at three-quarter-time, they needed to flip it, and they did… I think at one stage we were 9-1 or 9-2 (in clearances), which is really good against a quality midfield.”
At a crossroad, having conceded the last five goals, the Dogs rallied to play an exhilarating brand of football, which Adam is confident is a by-product of the trust within the group.
“We feel that our greatest strength is the connection of this group,” he revealed.
“We’re heavily locals and they’re best mates, they’ve played together their whole lives.
“All the guys we’ve brought in this year, there’s a connection, brothers, grandsons, they love being together.
“We talked about it at the start of the day; trust is something you have to earn, but once you’ve earned someone’s trust, you have no choice but to go out and give everything you’ve got.
“We felt that no matter what, when the chips are down, they’re willing to work for each other.”
In his post-game address, Adam spoke to his players about their desire to get a crack at Narre Warren on a spacious deck.
Contrary to competition belief, Adam considers his side more threatening on a big ground.
“I just think that’s part of the parcel of playing on a small ground all the time,” he laughed.
“So we win at home and the thing with Wandin is that it’s a difficult ground to come to, because it’s that small.
“We saw it with the south east sides in 2019, they come to Wandin and they don’t really have any idea how to structure up on it and the ball movement that’s required on it.
“But we actually we feel that our list is better on a bigger ground, we have been aching to get on one at different stages of the year.
“We played probably our best football – not the best result – this year was against Pakenham at Pakenham three weeks ago.
“I am not sure if it’s going to be at Gembrook or here… but the bigger the better.”
The Dogs will get that opportunity when they take on the Pies next week.
Woori Yallock, meanwhile, will take on Olinda Ferny Creek, which simultaneously defeated Monbulk by the barest of margins in a thriller at Kalora Park.
In Division One, Berwick Springs has secured a maiden finals campaign after an expected – yet earnest – win over Belgrave.
The Titans exploded out of the blocks with a sensational five-goal-to-one opening stanza that ultimately cemented the 19.15 (129) to 14.13 (97) victory.
Berwick Springs coach Rodney Benstead was incredible chuffed with his side registering their debut finals appearance.
“It’s just fantastic for our club,” he said.
“I think it’s really our first or second year in the competition, the enormity of it was when the Belgrave coach said he used you guys as a bit of an example of where we can get to.
“It’s exciting and it’s great for the players to get recognised, they’ve been exciting.”
Three sides are set with one round remaining; Gembrook Cockatoo and Seville will finish with the double-chance, while the Titans will finish third.
While the Titans and Brookers can’t move from their respective finals, Benstead isn’t shying away from the importance of momentum when the two sides meet this week.
“We just want to keep up our momentum,” he said.
“We have been building, each week we want to improve… obviously we won’t take any risks with players we feel aren’t 100 per cent.
“Otherwise we love the idea of continuity and improving each week… business as usual, it’s a good opportunity for a good hit out before we go into finals.”
That Gembrook Cockatoo outfit survived a scare on Saturday, kicking seven goals in the final term to overturn a 23-point final change deficit against Yarra Glen.
The Brookers kicked 7.1 in the final change, as opposed to its 3.16 in the first three quarters, on their way to the 10.17 (77) to 9.17 (71) victory.
Healesville, meanwhile, kept its season mathematically alive, with a 13.5 (83) to 10.15 (75) win over Emerald.
While they’re current splitting hairs on 48 points, the Bloods will need to defeat Seville and the Bombers simultaneously lose to Belgrave in the final round.
