By Marcus Uhe
What has loomed as an unwanted possibility has come to fruition for the Berwick Football Club in the form of a relegation playoff battle in the final round of the Eastern Football Netball League season.
Saturday’s clash with Norwood will determine which club remains in Premier Division in 2025 and which club packs its bags for Division 1, their papers stamped with the dreaded relegation seal of approval.
Both teams enter the game with one win to show for their efforts in 2024, and by coincidence have been drawn to face each other in a game that will significantly alter their futures.
The significance isn’t lost on the players, nor Berwick coach Clint Evans, who will coach his Wickers for the final time on Saturday.
“It is our grand final,” Evans said.
“We want to stay up, 100 per cent so that’s what we’re planning to do.
“We built last week up as a massive game and unfortunately we didn’t get the job done on Saturday.
“We just said ‘we’ve got two bites at the cherry to stay up’ and there’s no next week after this week.”
Little separates the two sides statistically, and less than six per cent differentiates the two on the ladder.
Berwick won the corresponding clash back in round nine, having kicked away early and hung on for a tense 18-point victory in the second half.
The looming threat of potential VFL-listed inclusions at Norwood hovers over the contest, and will further increase the degree of difficulty on a young side running out of steam towards the end of a long season.
The smaller deck of Mullum Mullum Reserve will aid the Wickers in requiring less run and spread from the tired bodies, and the prospect of ensuring the much-loved Evans finishes his tenure having staved-off the relegation threat for three consecutive seasons will act provide a major motivational carrot.
With the confirmation of Andrew ‘Hottie’ Williams signing on the dotted line to replace Evans in 2025, staying in Premier Division will be vital in securing all-important momentum heading into a new start.
“We’re going to be up against it – it’s not going to be a case of ‘go down there walk through two hours and that’s it’”, Evans said.
“It’s going to be a fair two hours of hard work.
“There’s a fair bit to play for and they understand that, so whatever will be will be.
“If we can stay up, it’s huge for these kids and what they’ve gone through and if they do, next year will hopefully be another stepping stone, getting a lot of games into them and getting guys back, ‘Hottie’ coming in as coach to reinvigorate the boys.”
