Noble Park Football Club is hoping to replace memories of last year’s premiership loss to Vermont, pictured, with success against its rival in this weekend’s Eastern Football League grand final.By Shaun Inguanzo
NOBLE Park Football Club is hoping to cast aside the painful memories of last year’s grand final loss to archrival Vermont when the two clubs face off for another Eastern Football League (EFL) premiership this Saturday.
Finals fever has well and truly struck Greater Dandenong this week with teams from Noble Park and Springvale playing for premiership glory in their respective leagues.
Joining Noble Park in the premiership race is Springvale Districts, which will battle neighbour Dingley for the Southern Football League Division Two title this weekend.
But for Noble Park Football Club, this weekend’s grand final appearance marks the club’s position of dominance in a highly competitive league.
Club president Kevin Wright said Noble Park had a distinct advantage over its EFL rivals because it was able to attract quality players from Melbourne’s south east.
“It’s very beneficial for us at the moment because in the EFL the clubs are all in and about each other (further east),” he said.
“But we are basically out of their range, so we have the whole south east as our recruiting area.”
The club will field a stronger, fitter and faster team than last year’s runner-up outfit, and goes into Saturday’s match with a mental edge, having soundly beaten Vermont in their past two meetings this year.
The other strength at Noble Park is the success it is having off the field with its football social club.
The building in Moodemere Street is home to nine sporting clubs ranging from football to tennis, and including basketball, lawn bowls and even angling.
Mr Wright said the club was unique in that sense, and credit was due to its forefathers who about 30 years ago built one of the first football social clubs in Victoria.
“A lot of clubs envy us, but really the credit just goes back to the guys in those earlier days,” Mr Wright said.
The club will play Vermont at Bayswater Oval this weekend, and will kick on into the night – possibly drinking from the premiership cup – at the Noble Park Football Social Club.
