By Tyler Lewis
PULL QUOTE: “A lot of people have written us off for a long time and that was a bit of the theme before the game; we were cannon fodder, we were the bye, we lost three in a row to start the year… it’s good to prove people wrong.” Berwick Spring’s coach Rodney Benstead.
While a spot in the Outer East Division One grand final is just one win away, Rodney Benstead’s Berwick Springs has exceeded his expectations.
The Titans overcame a dashing Emerald outfit on Saturday, to record the club’s maiden finals victory.
The result hung in the balance at the final change, with just a kick in it after the Bombers kicked five on the bounce late in the third.
“I just think we’re a really caring and connected group,” Benstead said.
“I just talked about how I wanted to keep on going with this group of players, you know the energy and effort they have created all year has been really consistent.
“I just believed in them in the last quarter, I think the scores were a little bit misleading.
“They (Emerald) kicked five in a row to go 11 points up at the 20-minute mark (of the third) and the commentators – I watched the game back – said ‘it would be an Emerald and Gembrook’ preliminary final.
“A lot of people have written us off for a long time and that was a bit of the theme before the game; we were cannon fodder, we were the bye, we lost three in a row to start the year… it’s good to prove people wrong.”
While Benstead’s men have gone above and beyond his wildest dreams this season, he is urging them to ride the wave of emotion and momentum.
“You never cap it as a coach and you’re always really optimistic, but my thoughts this year were to just be competitive,” he said.
“We’ve been more than competitive this year, we’ve been in the running and we’re in the running now.
“The theme of our finals is ‘embrace the struggle’ and I feel like it’s a really exciting week, I am really looking forward to playing Gembrook now.”
That term ‘embrace the struggle’ will resurface this Saturday, when the Titans face off with an impressive Gembrook Cockatoo outfit.
“I just feel like we’ve been written off all year and they’ll go in short-priced favourites,” Benstead explained.
“Our backs are against the wall, but I think that’s when we play our best footy… there’s an intangible there.
“I know we’ll come out with a lot of spirit and hopefully that’s enough to get us over the line.”
Berwick Springs lines up against Gembrook Cockatoo, after the Brookers suffered defeat at the hands of Seville in the second semi-final.
Antithetically to the Titans, the Brookers had the game taken away from them in the final term, after leading by five points at the final change.
Dispirited with the result, Brookers coach Brad Coller put it down to desire.
“Seville just wanted it more,” he revealed.
“They’re just an experienced team and they stepped up and we didn’t, we thought we were going to but it just didn’t happen.
“(we lacked) A little bit of energy I suppose, I think just the effort, they (Seville) raised the bar in effort and we just didn’t go with it.”
Although Gembrook Cockatoo and Berwick Springs are building a fantastic local rivalry, Coller holds great respect for a side he sees with a lot of similarities to his own.
“We’re similar sides with youth and run,” he said.
“I have got a lot of respect for the way they go about things, (to beat them) I think we have to go back to playing our game again, that’s all it is.
“It’s the execution on the day, it’s a bit of a repeat, but we know what our game plan is, you have to win it in the middle of the ground to give your forwards opportunities.
“They have two gun midfielders in (Daniel) Ousley and (Blake) Simmondson… they’re stars, so if they get on top, that’s going to hurt, we have to make sure our mids are on the ball.”
The winner of this Saturday’s preliminary final will book a date with Seville on the AFL Grand Final Eve public holiday.
SCOREBOARD
SECOND SEMI-FINAL
GEMBROOK COCKATOO 1.6 6.6 10.8 10.9 (69)
SEVILLE 3.1 4.2 10.3 13.12 (90)
Gembrook Cockatoo Goals: M Wareham 4, M Firrito 4, M Templeton, J Verhagen. Best: J Tilly, L Henzen, C Bastow, M Firrito, D Welsh, D South.
Seville Goals: D Broadway 4, R Petracca 3, J Strachan 2, M Cecere, M Condello, J Lowe, C Niclasen. Best: J Weightman, D Nai, D Broadway, R Farrow, J Strachan, J Sciortino.
FIRST SEMI-FINAL
BERWICK SPRINGS 3.4 5.5 11.10 17.13 (113)
EMERALD 1.4 5.7 8.13 13.15 (93)
Berwick Springs Goals: B Hoewel 3, T Nelson 3, C Green 2, A Nelson 2, B Simondson 2, M Collett, H Don, D Ousley, B Worland. Best: B Simondson, N Rattle, R Hillman, C Green, H Don, J Malek.
Emerald Goals: L Crnogorac 3, T Ellsion 3, L Hoye 2, P Chin, L Collihole, J Donadel, J Rich, M Steer. Best: L Hoye, L Collihole, B Wilson, W Hansen, D Karacsonyi, J Rich.
FINALS BRACKET
PRELIMNARY FINAL
Saturday 17 September
Gembrook Cockatoo v Berwick Springs at TBC
GRAND FINAL
Friday 23 September
Seville v Winner of Preliminary Final
