Dingoes coach Adam Quinn will take on good friend and former team-mate Stephen Hughes in Saturday’s grand final against Springvale Districts.
By Paul Pickering
SOME would argue that the Southern Football League’s (SFL) Division Two grand final combatants have been pencilled in since May, but a Springvale Districts versus Dingley clash went from formality to reality on Saturday as the Dingoes shrugged off Caulfield in a scrappy preliminary final at Clayton Reserve.
After a brutal extra-time loss to Springvale Districts in the previous week’s semi-final, the Dingoes could be excused for suffering something of an emotional letdown against the Bears, who they pummelled by 105 points three weeks ago.
But while playing coach Adam Quinn admitted it was an uninspiring performance, he was relieved to have negotiated the penultimate hurdle.
“It was just a matter of getting over the line for us,” he said.
“(Caulfield) probably had more of the footy than we did, but didn’t take their opportunities.”
The Dingoes extended the margin at every break, but finished with the same number of scoring shots as their less-fancied opponents.
Quinn, Clinton Brookes and Andrew Frost booted three goals each for the afternoon, while Tony Lavars, Josh Williams and Darren Andrews were Dingley’s best four-quarter contributors.
Importantly, the Dingoes emerged unscathed from the contest, leaving midfield-architect Steve DeBolfo – who broke his collarbone the previous week – as their only significant casualty for the grand final.
Quinn, who left the Demons last year to take the reins at Dingley, is looking forward to resuming his strategic battle with good mate and former Noble Park team-mate Stephen Hughes this Saturday.
Nothing has separated the sides this year and nothing less than a classic will satisfy the lofty expectations of loyal fans.
“It’s fair to say there’s been an instant rivalry (between the sides) this year,” Hughes said, reflecting on three high-quality Demon-Dingoes duels in 2007.
Having finished fifth last season, Hughes’ Demons have flourished in the presence of high-profile recruits such as Mark Williams, Gavin Vassallo, Mark Charles and Waata Wells this year.
Williams, who injured his shoulder on his way to kicking his 100th goal for the season in round 18, has been all but ruled out for Saturday’s clash by the straight-talking Hughes, but the Demons have shown they have the artillery to match the Dingoes up forward.
Dingley’s maiden season in the SFL has been a quest to shake-off the indignity of a winless wooden-spoon in the Casey Cardinia League last year.
Despite Quinn’s goal-square dominance and the return of Clinton Brookes and Brett Gniel playing a major part in the Dingley resurgence, it has been the fast-tracked development of a young group that has catapulted the Dingoes towards September glory.
While many would say Dingley’s respect-salvaging mission has already been accomplished, Quinn is quick to quell any such suggestion.
“We might have won a bit of respect back, but we haven’t achieved anything yet,” he said.
The fledgling rivalry between the Demons and Dingoes has been the saviour of an otherwise non-competitive division this year.
If the sides have any sense of theatre, as recent history suggests they do, Saturday’s clash will be a performance befitting the competition’s biggest stage.
The clubs will face off in a reserves’ curtain-raiser at 11.45am, before the seniors resume hostilities at 2pm at Clayton Reserve.
