By Jonty Ralphsmith
It had more plot twists than a Hollywood classic and the box office ending no-one saw coming.
With likely eight top 10 prospects in action on Marvel Stadium in Sunday’s Vic Metro clash with Vic Country, dozens of storylines were unfolding as the game always looked set for a grandstand finish.
Both teams entered the clash undefeated, creating a winner takes all game and with scores level at three-quarter-time, the scene was set for 25 minutes of choking suspense that would have had script writers salivating.
Vic Metro kicked the first goal inside 30 seconds of the last stanza via Brisbane father-son prospect Levi Ashcroft, and it was locals Xavier Lindsay and Harvey Langford who were the protagonists of Vic Country’s response
Gippsland’s Lindsay, dynamic in the first half, was moved from the wing into the centre stoppage for the last quarter and rose above his counterparts with the game on the line.
Each one of his last quarter involvements were gold: nine disposals, three clearances including two from the centre, two direct goal assists and a massive holding the ball free kick to hold up Vic Metro.
Remaining under the radar outside the Power system despite a litany of match-winning performances at Coates League level across the last 18 months, he made a statement.
It followed a first quarter where he linked up beautifully, winning 12 disposals, laying four tackles and taking five marks.
He put Vic Country on his back and it was a significant factor behind the momentum shift.
Dandenong Stingrays co-captain Harvey Langford, too, finished his national championships in fine style.
Clean in the midfield all day, it was a big contested mark inside 50 and conversion which started the turnaround at the four-minute mark of the last quarter.
Thus begun a three-goal chain for Vic Country, with the lead stretching to 12 points midway through the last quarter.
When Vic Metro finally got a look inside 50, Warragul Industrials defender Alixzander Tauru channeled his inner Heath Shaw with a desperate goal line tackle which saved a certain major.
It appeared a defining moment, symbolic of Vic Country’s grit throughout the day, but there was plenty of work left to be done.
Alongside Langford and Lindsay, Cooper Hynes also lifted in the last quarter, spending time in the midfield and putting a quiet day behind him to win some important contests.
Metro, though, was able to hit back with the next two and took a one-point lead at the 19-minute-mark of a match played in 25-minute flat quarters.
For recruiters, it was the perfect spectacle: who would take responsibility with the biggest game of the year on the line?
Spectators, meanwhile were caught in a tense apprehension: too engaged to look away, but watching through gritted teeth, aware of the gravity of every disposal.
Lindsay was the player who seized the moment best, laying a bruising tackle which won him a holding the ball free kick, and spotting GWV first round prospect Sam Lalor 45 metres out from goal.
Lalor’s shot would fall short, but Bendigo’s Archer Day-Wicks came from deeper than Leo Barry in 2005 to take a huge contested grab and snap an easy goal to give Vic Country a five-point lead with 90 seconds remaining.
Cruelly for Vic Country, that narrative was merely a red herring.
Vic Metro went forward from the following centre clearance, winning a free kick at the top of the arc and controversially awarded a 50-metre penalty for dissent.
Ironically, it was highly-regarded defender Luke Trainor who was brought to point blank range to nail the set shot on the siren.
As the players from both sides processed the shock and reacted to the stunning climax, spectators were left to exhale, exclaim and release their fingernails from their teeth.
Despite the heartbreak for Vic Country, the championships provided exactly what it was designed for: allowing players to express themselves against the best in the country.
In a breathtaking blockbuster, the local boys delivered.
Final score: Vic Metro 12.13 85 defeats Vic Country 13.6 84
Locals’ stats recap
Xavier Lindsay, Gippsland: 30 disposals*, 11 marks*, eight tackles*, eight score involvements, six intercept possessions*, six inside 50s*, 585 metres gained*.
Harvey Langford, Dandenong: 19 disposals, one goal, five clearances*, five inside 50s, nine score involvements*
Alixzander Tauru, Gippsland: Five disposals, four intercept possessions, three marks
Cooper Hynes, Dandenong: 14 disposals, six contested possessions, two clearances, one goal
Willem Duursma: 12 disposals, 83 per cent efficiency, three intercept possesions
*Denotes team-high
