Five weeks out from the MPFNL Division 2 finals, it looked like Devon Meadows wouldn’t even make the top five and the hope of holding up the premiership cup at season’s end was nothing more than an untouchable dream.
But as the siren sounded at Frankston’s Kinetic Stadium on Saturday and supporters streamed onto the ground, a realisation sank in for the Panthers … it wasn’t a dream anymore – they had broken a 48-year drought and made history.
Devon Meadows had pulled off one of the greatest upset victories ever seen in the MPFNL, beating Frankston Bombers by five points in a thriller to win the club’s maiden premiership.
After 48 long years, and almost three decades since their last grand final appearance, the Panthers were kings of the jungle.
The significance of the victory cannot be understated – after all, it was only the first time that they beaten the Bombers in 2025 – saving their best performance for the final day of the season.
After the up-and-down rollercoaster which was Devon Meadows’ season, coach Ryan Hendy struggled to put his emotions into words.
“It was just an amazing feeling, we have all waited so long for this,” he said.
“Just how much it meant to so many other people was overwhelming; so many people have put so much work into this footy club.
“When the final siren went, that was a feeling I have never experienced in my life.”
Hendy tried to keep the lead up to the game as similar as possible for the players, keeping them hungry but calm as they approached the big day.
“It was a great build up and we said embrace it, enjoy it and when the ball goes up Saturday, you go back to basics and don’t overthink it … and that’s what they did,” he said.
“I could see in the rooms before the game, the boys were so calm.
“We tried to keep things pretty simple and give them a clear focus of what they needed to do.”
Preparation for the big game included an inspirational viewing of a documentary, The Wounded Tiger, which is a film that details Richmond Football Club’s rise in 2017 – a story of resilience, belief and a big theme of “why not us?”.
While they weren’t wounded, the Panthers were in uncharted territory as they approached their first grand final in 28 years, so why not draw inspiration from a side who achieved the ultimate after a 37-year drought?
In Devon Meadows’ case, Ryan Hendy played Damien Hardwick, Nick Battle played Trent Cotchin, and of course Joel Hillis was Dustin Martin, winning every award possible in the MPFNL this year.
“We watched that doco during the week and it was fantastic; it really put a strong focus on the boys to be brothers in arms out there on the ground,” Hendy said.
“If you need to lean on your teammate when you are out there, you know he will have your back … and that is what it takes to win a premiership – you have to have that bond.
“Maybe that is why we didn’t quite get there in previous years, we didn’t have that strong connection within the playing group and the coaches, but we worked hard to get that right this year.”
There were countless storylines and moments throughout the year for the Panthers, both on and off-field, which kept the premiership dream alive.
Early in the year, ruckman Riley Simmons went down with a broken leg, how could they compete without a ruck, and where would they find a replacement?
Through a Joel Hillis connection, they found Arnold Kirby who they hoped could fly down from the Northern Territory each week, do the job and compete – not only did he soon become a cult figure, but also a huge piece of the premiership puzzle.
In round 16, clutch young gun Jack Wilson kicked a goal after the siren to sink Seaford and secure four points for the Panthers.
Hendy and the club knew this was a big win in the context of the season, but nobody knew it would go on to be a moment which shaped the club’s history.
However, the club still had a mountain to climb if finals were even a chance, needing two late-season wins against two of the best teams.
They ticked the first box with a 10-point win over Chelsea and came from behind to beat Pearcedale by 10 points in round 18, but they still needed other results to fall their way.
“With five minutes to go in the last quarter of the Pearcedale game, we were losing and I looked at the live ladder and we were sixth and outside finals – we came back to win that,” Hendy said.
“Then you look at the Crib Point and Chelsea game, Crib Point have a shot to win the game from 20m out and miss, then we get into finals and jump to third.”
And then the final stretch to the summit – beating Frankston Bombers, a formidable side that started the season 15-0 and were deemed unbeatable.
Outsiders gave Devon Meadows no chance, but they had the belief and confidence that they could continue their brilliant finals series and get the job done.
“I knew that we were as good as Frankston but I know a lot of people didn’t really believe that,” Hendy said.
“The experts were saying that Frankston was a five or six-goal better side than us, it was theirs to lose, they are a better and more experienced side, but we never believed that.
“We were really confident that we had what it took to win it, but we had to get it right, we had to work hard and have a strong game plan.”
Hendy thanked the Devon Meadows faithful for their huge showing of support throughout the finals.
“The amount of people that got behind us on the weekend was amazing, I have never seen a bigger crowd in my life,” he said.
“The rooms were full to the brim, to see Chris Langley and all his committee who have put in so much work get rewarded was great., also Helen Flanigan presenting the cup.
“I’d also like to thank my family, my wife Bec and my kids Will and Emma for all of their support … they have allowed me to chase my dream of being a premiership coach and I couldn’t be more thankful.”
Devon Meadows is excited for the challenge that Division 1 will bring and hopes this is just the beginning of the club’s success.
