🏆Premiership Wrap🏆

20 Sep 2018 by Roxburgh Park Football Club

Season Objectives
Qualify for finals – ✔
Finish top 2 and the double chance – ✔
Qualify for the grand final – ✔
Win the flag – ✔
Move up to Division 1 – ✔

Well Well Well……wasn’t that a massive day????

For those of you who have been completely cut off from the rest of the world, this might be a good time for you to learn that ROXBURGH PARK FOOTBALL CLUB IS PLAYING IN DIVISION 1 NEXT YEAR!!!!!

In a momentous day for the club, we’ve managed to finally win our first senior flag and progress to Division 1 in 2019. That’s only part of the story of the day though.

Before the history making seniors premiership we had a Reserves Grand Final to try to win in order to earn our third reserves premiership in a row but Moonee Valley were going to be a tough opponent. With a howling gale blowing towards the Primary School end, skipper Andrew had no hesitation in making the correct call to kick with the breeze in the first term. The ball just about didn’t go behind centre for us as we peppered the goals thanks to out dominance around the centre of the ground, whoever we were not able to put the score on the board and could only kicked 1.5-11 to 0.1-1 to lead by 10 points. The Fog came back hard at us as expected in the second term but they too were inaccurate, adding 1.6 while we managed what looked to be a vital goal into the wind by Billy to keep our noses in front at half time 2.5-17 to 1.7-13. After half time we looked to have broken the game open as we added 3.6 to no score and took a 28 point lead into the final change. Unfortunately for our boys, possibly our worst quarter for the year came on the wrong day as we let the fog kick goals from the first three centre clearances and suddenly it was game on. The tide of balls coming into the backline was too much for us to stop as our opponents booted 5.6 to nothing and ended up winning by 8 points. It was a bitter pill for our boys to swallow given they had not dropped a game since July 29 2017 and looked to have the game within their grasp as we entered the final term. Goal Kickers on the day were Belal with 3 while Tyla and JayJay kicked one each. Given the way the boys dominated the regular season not dropping a game the step up to Division One looks to be a great test for the group and we hope the boys come back firing next season. Call out to Dogga as well who badly broke a finger before half time but had it taped up and went back on for the second half. Surgery was required on Monday which meant he missed Mad Monday

Now onto the senior game against East Sunbury. What a game! Over recent seasons games between the two sides have been close fought contests and there has been a great deal of respect between the two clubs who have shared hosting rights for Anzac Day over the past two seasons. The game was the first senior grand final for the Thunder who were enjoying a purple patch in their first ever season playing EDFL Division 2 finals while it was our third trip to the Big Dance, having fallen short twice before in 2014 and 2016. Either way we were going to see a first time premier. Skipper Harley won the toss and elected to kick with the breeze in the first quarter. As we’d seen in the reserves game, despite the breeze it was still difficult to score even with it at your back. We opened the scoring early, a great snap by Luke after a long entry by Ryan giving us a great start. Geeza then added one of his own when he took advantage of a holding the ball free paid to Mark after a terrific tackle and snapped truly for our second. The defense held firm holding the Thunder to just 1 behind, after which Micheal launched a monster 75 metre torpedo past the wing towards half forward. That was a sight to behold on it’s own and got the crowd up and about. The score at the first change saw us leading 2.2-14 to 0.1-1.

As expected, after the first break East Sunbury steadied and with the breeze at their back added 3 goals, two to midfield star Ogilvie and one to Campbell. Up the other end our forwards found it tricky into the breeze but after some brilliant awareness from Sammy to catch a Thunder player holding the ball in the goal square, he converted with a right foot banana to give us a crucial goal into the breeze. Scores at half time saw the Thunder with a slender lead – 3.5-23 to 3.7-25. It could have been a bigger advantage had Travis not been on hand to take a great contested grab on the goal line right on the stroke of half time. We’d lost Alex part way through the quarter with a bad ankle injury so were down a rotation on the bench for the rest of the game.

After half time the Thunder Nation was up and about as their boys added two goals into the breeze and looked to be going better but two massive bombs, the first from Faz from 60 then a Jamie Grant special from inside the centre square (doesn’t he just love kicking bog goals against the Thunder!!) saw us regain the lead by a point going into 3/4 time – 5.10-40 to 5.9-39.

Given the Thunder had the use of the breeze in the final term it looked like our dreams may not come true on the day as we’d failed to use the breeze to our advantage for the two quarters we had it. What we lacked in wind assistance we made up with heart as our boys completely shut East Sunbury out of the game and only allowed them to score two behinds with the backline doing a massive job. The sealer came from the boot of “Mr. Clutch” – Osama Saad. Paid a free kick for in the back deep in the right forward pocket, which was just about the impossible pocket to kick a goal from on the day, Sammy calmly went back and slotted a drop punt that started outside the right point post but drifted back beautifully to split the middle. The final few minutes were frantic as our boys defended like their lives depended on it. With Ryan injured and moved to Full Forward, Cappa moved up the ground to give us some more run and when Pitty was struck down with cramp it looked like the walking wounded for the last few minutes. As the final siren sounded, the scores read 6.11-47 to 5.11-41 and we’d finally done it! Redemption! After much heart ache and soul searching following previous grand final losses we’d finally managed to taste Grand Final glory.

The Goal Kickers on the day were Sammy with 2,while single goals came from the boots of Cappa, Mosh, Faz and Geeza. Skipper Pitty was deservedly named best on ground while other notable performances came from Faz, Macca, Mosh, Cookie, the chicken lover Ferras and Dale (who was BOG at the celebrations back in the clubrooms later!)

There you have it, season 2018 is in the books and in season 2019 we make the huge step up into Division 1. It’s a massive challenge but one that the coaches, players, committee and fans should be excited about. We will have local derby games against close neighbours Craigieburn and get to test ourselves against the best of Division 1.

The job Faz, his senior leadership team, his coaching team and all of their support team have done this year has been nothing short of remarkable and you all hold a place in history and in the hearts of Magpie fans for everything you have helped us achieve as a club in 2018.

This weeks wrap is bought to you by ALL of our wonderful sponsors. Please support those who support your club.

Mowers & More
Roxburgh Park Hotel
Mantello Holden Roxburgh Park
Mantello Nissan
Mantello Suzuki
Mantello Kia Fawkner
Mantello Hyundai
Mantello LDV Fawkner
Mantello Finance
Raine & Horne Roxburgh Park
Webcap Maintenance & Construction Pty LTD
McDonald’s Roxburgh Park
Anytime Fitness (Roxburgh Park)
Alpha Lewis Signs
Ultra Tune Roxburgh Park
Minuteman Press Broadmeadows
D&D Smash Repairs
Roxy Computers

When you use their services, let them know you are doing so because they help our great club achieve feats like this! Without our sponsors the club would not be able to survive so we thank you all for believing in us and backing us in.

Until next year, it’s goodbye from the swooping magpies!

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