By JARROD POTTER
IT WAS a Dandy day around the South East Juniors grand final grounds, with two teams from Greater Dandenong winning premierships.
Parkmore Pirates Premier 2 side – comprising under-16 and under-17 players – plundered everything in the Fountain Gate defensive end to boot 13.12 (90) to 1.4 (10).
The Pirates held the underdogs goalless until the final term as nothing would best the premiership-claims of the rampaging Parkmore brigade.
Pirates forwards Jacob Bakes and Harrison Bean booted four goals each in the grand final victory while captain Perry Lewis-Smith (three goals) starred for Parkmore to earn an additional medallion as the grand final best on ground medallist.
“Three flags in five years for these boys with back-to-back flags in under-12 and under-13,” Parkmore president Michael Palma said.
“This year they were on top all year – lost their first and only game the last home-and-away round, by two goals to Endeavour Hills then beat them in the semi-final the next week.
“It was a great win for the boys and I’m sure the league will put them up into Premier 1 next year and under-17s there will probably only be the two divisions.
Palma said the win was a great boon for the Pirates, who are starting to turn the corner results and membership-wise after a few hard years.
“Five teams in our own right, one combined with Fountain Gate in under-15s, so to get three teams in the finals – including the girls in their first year – was amazing,” Palma said.
“It was a great day for the club and great day for junior football in the area.
“It’s pretty tough in our area, so to speak for ourselves, it’s a lot of hard work from our parents, committee, families and players have put in a lot of hard work into it all.”
In an all-Dandenong under-13 Division 3 grand final – Noble Park managed to knock off its cross-town rivals North Dandenong in a 6.4 (40) to 4.1 (25) thriller, where the Bulls’ Ilias “Road Runner” Panagiotou received the best-on-ground medal.
The Bulls had to hold on against the wind as they only kicked one behind after the main break, but their ironclad defence ensured the Sharks could not swim away with the trophy.
“For a side that was supposed to finish last or second last, to finish on the ladder and take out a grand final was a good day – pretty happy with that,” Noble Park coach Mick Carlsson said.
“We dominated the first half and in the third quarter the boys became complacent – but North Dandenong only scored a couple of points, but had the majority of the ball.
“It was a bit of a game of wind so to win a grand final and only score one point in the second half was a great effort – good on the boys.”
Carlsson also highlighted the performance of his side’s gun girl – Esma Gonullu – who stormed the packs in both finals and was crucial in the Bulls’ win after a dynamite last term.
“She runs in the back line and dominated in there,” Carlsson said. “Six contested marks in the third quarter of the first semi and stopped them scoring and she was just as good in the final quarter yesterday.
“She can kick it 45 metres already at under-13s and she crashes packs – doesn’t give it up for nobody.”
Carlsson wanted to congratulate the umpires on a fantastic performance letting the game run smoothly and also the support of parents, players and everyone around the club as well as the opposition.
The under-11s Pirates were the other side from the area in the big finale, but weren’t as lucky in their pursuit of the title, casting a mirror image of the elder Pirates’ result in a 23-point loss to Berwick.
