Above: Demons coach Stephen Hughes, right, and co-captains, from left, Brad Scott and Mick Odachowski get their hands on the silverware.By Paul Pickering
UNDERESTIMATE us at your own peril.
That was the warning Springvale Districts delivered to Southern Football League (SFL) Division One powerhouse clubs on Saturday.
First-year coach Stephen Hughes and his mercurial band of footballing journeymen were simply too much for Dingley to handle in Saturday’s grand final, winning by 25 points to secure the Division Two silverware and a berth in the SFL’s premier league for 2008.
“We’ll explode into Division One next year,” a jubilant Hughes vowed after the match, premiership celebrations erupting around him.
“I can tell you, we’re not going to be there just to make up the numbers.”
A bold prediction, no doubt, but one that nobody in the 3000-strong crowd at Clayton Reserve on Saturday would dare dispute.
In a battle of the undisputed divisional heavyweights, the Demons absorbed every hit the brave Dingoes threw at them, only to land an emphatic knockout punch in the last quarter.
Given the high drama of the teams’ last encounter a fortnight ago – in which the Demons prevailed in extra time – many feared Saturday’s clash might not live up to lofty expectations. They need not have worried – this was a September special.
While nothing had separated the teams in three anticipated showdowns this year, Springvale Districts was thrust into favouritism before the bounce as injured 100-goal spearhead Mark Williams trotted down to full forward.
Showing no signs of a chronic shoulder strain, Williams wasted little time in stamping himself on the contest, booting two goals in the first quarter despite the close attention of Dingley’s Daniel Atkin.
Meanwhile, Demon game-breaker Gavin Vassallo escaped the clutches of dogged Dingo Paddy Edwards only briefly – but with devastating effect – to slot through a pair of snapped goals on either foot.
If not for the leadership of everywhere man Clinton Brookes, who kicked three of Dingley’s four first-quarter goals, the Dingoes could have almost seen their premiership dream shattered prematurely.
As it was, the Demons had opened up a 26-point lead early in the second quarter.
Inevitably though, the head-strong Dingoes mounted a comeback on the back of familiar names such as Tony Lavars, Andrew Frost and Jai Smith.
They hit the front when Lavars soared across the goal square to palm the ball down to playing coach Adam Quinn – cast in the unfamiliar role of a rover – for their fifth goal in succession.
The drama escalated in a fiery third quarter as both sides tried to establish a physical advantage.
The tension boiled over as Brookes retaliated from a heavy tackle, swinging an impulsive backhander in the direction of Demon co-captain Mick Odachowski.
While few could question Brookes’ passion, the undisciplined act saw him sent from the field for 15 minutes either side of the final break.
With the Dingoes leading by 11 points at three-quarter time, coach Quinn was keen to impress upon his charges the magnitude of the opportunity, reminding them that a premiership win would change their footballing lives. But the Dingoes’ desire was eclipsed by the pure class of Springvale Districts, as the freakish talents such as Vassallo and Mark Charles assumed centre stage.
From the moment Vassallo swooped swiftly on a loose ball to seize the lead five minutes in, the last quarter became a victory parade for the Demons.
Charles sparked the celebrations with two brilliant snapped goals before an encore performance from Vassallo iced the match – and secured best afield honours for the former Noble Park livewire.
Predictably, the final siren was like a shot to the heart to the young Dingo pack, bringing many to their knees in a pose of rueful despair.
The Demons promptly gathered for a raucous rendition of the club song before Hughes sought out his adversary, friend and former team-mate Quinn for a conciliatory hug.
While there was genuine empathy for Quinn’s plight, Hughes said the script could not have played out more perfectly for his Demons.
“It’s the best possible way to win it,” he said. “To be down at three-quarter time against a side like Dingley, it just shows the character of this group.”
Like many first-year coaches, Hughes told the Demons administration he would bring them a flag in 2007 – thus ending an 18-year premiership drought littered with painful finals losses.
“The monkey is off our back now,” he said proudly after the match.
Having delivered on his promise, Hughes will now lead Springvale Districts in its first foray into Division One next year.
Meanwhile, the Dingoes will have to wait until at least 2009 to exorcise their Springvale Districts demons. Despite feeling the cup slip agonisingly through his fingers, Quinn was quick to praise his group for a commendable SLF debut.
“They realise it was a great opportunity to win a premiership,” he said. “But it’s more about what they’ve achieved to get there. A lot of guys have made a big step forward in their footy careers.”
While Quinn could not contemplate 2008, he admitted it would take an unforseen change of heart to wrench him from the surrounds of Souter Oval.
Surely that will provide some solace for the Dingoes as they lick their wounds over summer.
