By Marcus Uhe
The disappointment in Shane Dwyer’s voice at three-quarter-time was obvious.
Before breaking into lines, Dwyer brought the group in tight to remind them of the importance of playing at their best this late in the season.
In a replay of last year’s Premier Division grand final against Woori Yallock, the Tigers had just kept the Magpies to one goal in the third quarter, the fourth time such a potent offence had been so restricted in 2023.
The midfielders looked flat, the forwards were stagnant inside 50, and the backs were under relentless pressure from repeated inside 50s as the Tigers pressed for an upset at Kalora Park, eager to exact revenge for last season’s decider.
With only a 19-point margin at the final break, the game was certainly in the balance, but the Magpies were able to put their feet on the accelerator when it mattered the most, kicking six-goals-to-three in the final term to put the finishing touches on another excellent home-and-away season.
“It’s probably the first spray I’ve given them in two-and-a-half years of coaching them,” Dwyer said.
“I understand it was a bit of a dead rubber, but you don’t want to be getting into bad habits coming into finals.
“I was more disappointed that we weren’t doing what we were supposed to be doing.
“It was more about our lack of defence and a lack of movement inside 50; we got a bit lazy and I was really frustrated at that. But the backs were going as well as they could go, it’s just that the midfielders and forwards were probably not doing what we expected from them as much.
“In the last quarter we picked it up again and outscored them again. That was the most pleasing thing, to cop the rev-up and respond was good.”
An opening quarter blitz from the Magpies would have sent shivers down spines of rivals, their ease of ball movement and attacking flair on full on their way to a quick 25-point lead.
Defenders were forcing turnovers and crushing the Tigers on the rebound, playing on without hesitation as space revealed itself everywhere in the forward half of the ground.
The Tigers took a while to find their feet, but closed the quarter with the final three goals in a reminder of the quality in yellow and black.
Star midfielder Kody Busoli was beginning to wield his influence for the visitors in the middle as Woori Yallock began to move the ball the length of the ground with precision foot skills, Busoli capping the term with a goal at a forward 50 stoppage to close the period.
But where the Tigers began to match the Magpies in open space, it was the stoppages that proved problematic time after time.
If the home side could force a ball-up, the likes of Brad Scalzo, Kurt Mutimer and Corey Bader set about farming it out to the runners and forwards to do their best work.
Four goals in eight minutes midway through the quarter pushed the lead to a game-high 37 points.
Winger Dylan Mutimer nailed two in the quarter, lending his support for the big names in the forward half of the ground, while Matthew Butera was making the most of his opportunity in his first senior contest since round seven.
In a midfield missing key pieces in Tom Toner and Tom Miller, their contributions were invaluable.
The Magpies took a 33-point into the long break but came out the rooms lacking the intensity they showed earlier in the afternoon.
Alex Marsh kicked the first of the half as shallow forward 50 entries cost Narre Warren time again, the Tigers’ defenders in rebounding the ball without pressure at ground level.
The Tigers dominated much of the quarter, Magpie defenders Trent Papworth, Cameron Miller and Ryan Patterson under siege for much of the period under the weight of repeated forward 50 entries.
A pair of desperate efforts in succession from Woori Yallock defender Tim Nathan when outnumbered no doubt incensed Dwyer and provided ammunition for the three-quarter-time address.
Sensing the momentum shifting, Narre Warren’s senior players stood tall.
Repeated efforts from Brad Scalzo on the wing forced the ball inside 50, where Jake Richardson nailed a true captain’s goal to arrest the slide.
It restored a 30 point margin, but two goals to the Tigers to finish the quarter was emblematic of the first three, goals in time-on hurting the Magpies time and again.
With Dwyer’s words ringing in their ears the Magpies kicked three of the opening four goals of the term, through Richardson, Will Howe and Hayden Dwyer.
Richardson’s was textbook Magpies, suffocating the ground and forcing a defensive intercept mark leading to his scoring opportunity, and Dwyer’s the result of clinical ball movement from further afield.
Goals were traded for the remainder of the afternoon as both sides walked away content with the effort, but excited for what’s to come.
“We kicked six-goals-to-three in the final quarter and congratulated them on the fact that they’ve had a good season so far.” Dwyer said of his post-game address.
“We finished on top, but they haven’t achieved anything, so it’s more or less about trying to get better at the things we need to get better at, and trying to hit the finals series at full tilt, which we’re going to need to do if we’re going to go all the way.”
Richardson finished with five goals in what Dwyer declared his best game for the season, likewise Dylan Mutimer, who kicked two, and Matt Butera, who kicked three.
Peter Gentile, Toner and Miller are expected to return for the first final, but will make the most next week’s bye to ensure their bodies are in top shape to return.
Joel Smith kicked two goals for the Tigers as their only multiple goalkicker, Zach Monkhorst Jordan Williams and Jude Hay among their top contributors.
