By Jonty Ralphsmith
Cranbourne is back in a position it is so accustomed to.
This year, the Eagles will be hoping they can lift the premiership trophy.
Steve O’Brien’s men face Cheltenham, which is an appropriate conclusion to a season where those two sides have been the clear pacesetters.
An 18-point quarter-time lead set the platform for Cranbourne to win its preliminary final against St Kilda City 12.6 (78) to 8.18 (66).
The Eagles were runners up for four consecutive years from 2012, before winning in ’16, and will be hoping to add another premiership to what has been a storied and successful era for the club.
Playing with plenty of momentum, having come from fifth to reach the preliminary final, the Saints were not outplayed in the first quarter, but their inability to put a goal on the board hurt them and gave Cranbourne the early ascendancy.
It was eight goals apiece after the first break, with the first quarter proving the telling blow in the contest as Cranbourne was able to maintain ascendancy after the fast start.
So long the backbone of the Eagles’ successes, the defence stood up once again, withholding plenty of Saints’ pressure, forcing them wide and applying heat, leading to inefficiency inside 50.
Skipper Brandon Osborne was named best on ground and was engaged in an absorbing battle with ex-AFL listed Aaron Edwards all day.
Edwards, the barometer up forward, kicked three goals for the Saints, but was never able to turn the momentum of the game and stamp his authority, despite kicking 78 majors for the year.
By capitalising on its intermittent forward-50 entries, Cranbourne put scoreboard pressure on the Saints.
Playing their aggressive brand of footy, St Kilda City finally got some reward in the final quarter with three goals, having kicked just five for the game up until that point.
But Cranbourne toughed it out and staved off the charge, sticking to their brand which netted two goals to confirm victory and a spot in the grand final.
O’Brien is confident his side can go to another level on the weekend: having another hotly contested, high-octane final under their belts will be a positive for the Eagles.
“We had a few nervy boys,” O’Brien revealed.
“I didn’t think we kicked the ball as well as we usually do – whether that was nerves or the pressure of the prelim final, I’m not sure, but that is one area we will need to tune up on Saturday.
“We just need to get the guys to relax – the skills they have used for 21 games got us to this position so we need to get them to execute that on Saturday.”
The Rosellas have won each of the teams’ three clashes in 2022, but a tight tussle in the second semi-final two weeks ago – that saw Cheltenham qualify for the grand final – has given O’Brien’s men confidence going into the clash.
The one player that has been named in Cheltenham’s best in each of the three encounters? Dylan Weickhardt.
The seasoned campaigner, and ex-Sandy Zebra, oozes class and pouncing on him and limiting his influence will be important for the Eagles.
Austin Johnson has been a picture of consistency for Cheltenham, which has him on Richmond’s VFL list, while Finn Ryan, son of coach Des, is a Frankston VFL-listed player.
Myke Cook and William McTaggart are others that have been at higher levels that O’Brien’s men will need to monitor.
Another name to watch out for is Josh Fox, the Rosellas’ sharpshooter whose potential return from injury provide an important spark after he missed the match two weeks ago.
“If you drop your guard for five minutes, they make you pay,” O’Brien said.
“We know we will need a total four quarter performance.”
The boys from Livingston Reserve learned that the hard way two weeks ago.
The glass-half-full view of that performance, and what the players will draw upon leading in, is that Cranbourne got a good run on in the third quarter and Cheltenham was not able to halt that momentum until after the final break.
But letting them get out to a 30-point halftime is what proved fatal and can’t be repeated.
As he stated ahead of the semi-final, O’Brien reiterated there are no mental scars from the two home-and-away losses to Cheltenham.
One of those losses was by 18 points thanks to a strong last quarter from Cheltenham, and the other was a massive defeat at home – but during a form slump in horrible conditions.
“We’ll have a bit of fun this week,” O’Brien said.
“All the work has been done – it is just about getting some touch and ticking the legs over.”
KEY PLAYERS
Marc Holt: The champion full-forward is a big-game player. He kicks bags for fun and is the man that Cranbourne loves to target going inside 50. He kicked six goals two weeks ago and has 76 for the season and if the Rosellas let him get off the leash again, he could almost outscore them on his own. The crowd love him and his teammates know he deserves a second premiership, so if he gets on a roll, it could be telling in the momentum of the match.
Michael Boland: Colleague Tyler Lewis’ ‘Tyler’s Top 10’ segment tells us that one of the tired footy sayings is that matches are won in the midfield. But the cliché’s popularity indicates its accuracy, and Boland’s ruck work has proved so important to Cranbourne getting the game on their terms this season.
Brandon Osborne: The skipper provides important direction on the field from the back half and is so important to their organisation behind the ball. The Eagles’ defence is their one-wood, and he is a massive reason why, plus he distributes well out of the defensive half. He takes the best forward every week and you can guarantee that if someone looks like they will get off the chain and win it for Cheltenham, Osborne will be put onto him and shut him down.
Ryan Davey: Has personified the Cranbourne spirit his whole career, playing in the Eagles’ three losing grand finals from 2012 and then was instrumental in their ascent to the premiership in 2016. That tells you he has experience in the big games, and delivers. Brought up game 250 earlier in the season and delivers every week in the midfield. If Cranbourne get up, expect that he will have a major say when they look like they might be getting on the back foot, he will naturally be one that is looked at to help stem the tide.
