By Tyler Lewis
It all comes down to this.
The two best teams in the Eastern Football Netball League; Rowville and Noble Park.
22 Hawks and 22 Bulls will stride onto to Bayswater Oval on Saturday holding a latent pen, and with it, the opportunity to write themselves into football folklore.
The close-town rivals have met on a trio of occasions this season, all swinging the way of the Hawks.
In round 1, Rowville won 16.13 (109) to 12.11 (83), in round 16 the Hawks overcame a nine-goal deficit to win a nail-biter, 16.4 (100) to 14.14 (98), and just a week ago in the qualifying final, the Bulls went down 15.6 (96) to 8.12 (60).
Recent history means for nothing now, according to Noble Park coach Steve Hughes.
“I think it’s nil all, the reality is that they’re 3-0 against us, but that’s fine – we start the game nil all,” he said.
“We review hard on what we haven’t done well against them during the week, we will take a close look at match-ups.
“But we know and I’ve known in my heart all year that we’re good enough, it’s just being able to execute.
“That’s easier said than done against a side like Rowville, but we’re in it, so we’re a chance.
“Rowville have 100 per cent been the best side all year… we’ve just got to be the best side on the day – that’s the equation.
“It’s not easy, they’re a terrific side, but we reckon our best footy stacks up, we will find out next week.”
While Hughes has rated the Hawks for the entirety of the season, many have expected Rowville to stumble.
But after last week’s earnest finals triumph, the Hawks have shifted from under rated, to flag favourites.
However, that title is one Hawks coach Ben Wise isn’t taking on.
“I don’t know about hot favorites, but it doesn’t really change much for us,” he said.
“The external review of where people rate us doesn’t really factor into how we prepare, so I think we’ll go in knowing we’re up against a strong opposition.
“We will have to plan and execute what we need to to beat them again.
“We’ve played them three times already this year and got the chocolates, so the belief will be there.”
In the three matches this year, the Hawks have kicked 100 or more on two occasions and 96 points on the third.
When Hughes addressed his players at the main break on Saturday, he yearned for more ‘feral, stingy football’ from his group… he takes conceding personally.
So how have the Hawks done it with so much liberty this season?
“There’s a number of factors, you can’t just label the back six as being the key players responsible, it’s a collective,” Hughes explained.
“It’s difficult on a big ground like Bayswater (Oval), it’s hard to defend the ground with presses if the opposition use the ball pretty well.
“It’ll be a real focus for us over the next seven days to make sure we get that right.”
For Wise, that tendency to score is a proud asset, but at the same time, he’s aware that if they lose their recent grapple-hold on the engine room that it can all sway the other way very quickly.
“I think it’s knowing that if we get the ball into our forwards that we do look dangerous one on one,” he said.
“If we can have some ascendancy through the middle of the ground against good opposition, I think we’re dangerous enough to kick a good score.
“They’re probably in the same boat, really; if their midfield gets on top, we’ve seen if they do get on top, they give their forwards the best opportunity to score.
“They attack really well through the middle of the ground and give themselves good opportunities to score… we’ll have our work cut out for us.”
Grand final week often comes with spontaneous stories that are the answers to unwavering questions.
Hughes recruited Jack Francis in preparation for this season after his side was lacking artillery in 2021.
But in recent weeks, Francis – who has kicked 28 goals this year – has spent time playing a negating and then attacking role at half back.
If the Hawks get off the chain early, the question looms, is the experienced coach, bound for his third grand final appearance, brave enough to send Francis back.
“I think he’s got traits that blend themselves to being capable as a tall-rebounding defender,” he said.
“He’s very good in the air, it’s a lot easier in my opinion playing down back rather than forward with the game in front of you.
“He’s very athletic, one of the fitter players in the side and he typically makes pretty good decisions.
“We had a hunch that he would be okay as a defender, I don’t know why pulled the trigger in the last couple of week’s, but we have.
“It’s definitely an option for us next week.”
There will be few changes made for Rowville, understandably so too, the Hawks have lost just two matches this season.
Often accompanied with energy and enthusiasm is inexperience, but it’s not something Wise is losing sleep over, revealing his message to his group this week.
“Just expect a fierce contest… you go to war,” he said.
“This is what you play for, the intensity will go up another 20 per cent, there’s going to be a lot more external build up, but we’ve just got to focus.
“We’ve got a really experienced coaching group that have been around a lot of these games, Andy Scott and Jimmy Gwilt have played in a lot of finals.
“We’ll be ready to go, we know what to expect, if any boys ask for advice, we’ve got and we will give it to them.
“Just embrace it all, don’t try and hide from it, we’re in a privileged position to be competing at the end.”
THE HISTORY:
ROUND 1:
ROWVILLE 5.3 10.4 12.4 16.13 (109)
NOBLE PARK 2.1 8.7 10.9 12.11 (83)
Rowville Goals: M. Davey 3, M. Taylor 3, J. Coleclough 2, M. Evans 2, L. Wynd 2, L. McDonald, M. Sruk, L. Stapleton, M. Seedsman. Best: J. Eickhoff, M. Davey, A. Brolic, L. Stapleton, N. Schoenmakers, J. Coleclough.
Noble Park Goals: B. Marson 4, J. Francis 3, L. Scott 2, Z. Alwan 2, K. Kean. Best: R. Morrison, K. Martin, K. Byers, C. Horton-Milne, J. Marson, J. Francis
ROUND 16
NOBLE PARK 5.4 11.7 13.11 14.14 (98)
ROWVILLE 1.2 5.4 11.4 16.4 (100)
Noble Park Goals: B. Marson 3, S. Allan 2, K. Byers 2, J. Stern, L. McDonnell, L. Bull, C. Horton-Milne, J. Beech, K. Martin, J. Marson
Best: C. Horton-Milne, R. Morrison, K. Martin, J. Tour , K. Byers, J. Stern.
Rowville Goals: M. Taylor 3, L. McDonald 3, K. Young 2, J. Coleclough 2, M. Seedsman 2, M. Davey, N. Wood, J. Arundell, A. Zijai. Best: L. McDonald, M. Seedsman, J. Eickhoff, K. Young, T. Edwards, A. Frawley.
SEMI FNAL 1
ROWVILLE 7.2 11.3 13.5 15.6 (96)
NOBLE PARK 3.0 6.3 7.8 8.12 (60)
Rowville Goals: M. Davey 4, L. Wynd 3, K. Flakemore 2, J. Coleclough 2, M. Taylor 2, J. Arundell, J. Clarke. Best: N. Schoenmakers, J. Eickhoff, L. Wynd, M. Davey, T. Barlow, A. Brolic.
Noble Park Goals: H. Fairbank 2, J. Sketcher 2, B. Marson 2, B. Lambert, K. Martin. Best: J. Sketcher, K. Martin, C. Horton-Milne, J. Stern, L. Bull, L. Scott.
