Well lads, welcome back to another week of LTS, footy is almost in the background, we have a couple of sad Collingwood supporters in the room and there was plenty happening over the weekend with the West Gippsland grand finals. We will kick if off with best action, and start with you Dave.
BEST ACTION
DAVE: On the weekend, the footy was fantastic. For Tooradin to win they had to keep it to a very low scoring game, which they did. They didn’t win, but full credit to Jordy Kelly and his team for the tactics that they employed. Nar Nar Goon chains the ball out of stoppage so well and they did in the first quarter. It’s like hands, hands, hands and then they have two left-footed half-backs who lace out their forwards with 50m kicks. They did it once in the first quarter, but Tooradin defended the ground really well, so well done to Jordy. It got back to eight points, 19 minutes into the last quarter when Adam Oxley kicked a goal, but the best action for me goes to Jonty’s number one pick in the top 50 this year, Nate Pipicelli. It comes down to the 19 minute mark of the last quarter, eight points the difference … you’re thinking Nar Nar Goon could lose this. What happens? Nate Pipicelli in the ruck, he wins the ball out of the ruck, kicks it deep into the forward line and Cooper Pursell takes a mark, quick answer, game over. That stoppage win, he just changed the game in an instant. Nate Pipicelli, well played. Also Jake Blackwood, one of the Blackwood’s who missed out last year, he took a mark half a second before the siren went at the end, so that was fitting that he had the ball in his hands. And just a special mention to Elisha Nicholas from Korumburra Bena. The A grade grand final was 43-43 with just a second or two left on the clock and she nailed the match-winner and her teammates went wild, so she is in the best action this week. But I will give it to Nate Pipicelli for his match-winning clearance when the game was on the line.
JONTY: I was a little bit pressed for local stuff but I did have one yesterday. The loudest reaction when the players were receiving their VFL premiership medallions was reserved for Zac Walker. The Phillip Island natives came down in droves to support one of their own and probably had to travel further than anyone else on Footscray’s VFL list to get there. He had a quieter day yesterday, but eight goals in the first two finals to help Footscray get to the grand final. A great storyline and what dreams are made of, you grow up supporting the Dogs and now he has got, albeit at VFL level, a premiership with those colours.
DAVE: Briefly remind us of the story, the rise of Zac Walker.
JONTY: He wasn’t on a Coates League list in January, was overlooked as a result of his kicking, believed to not be good enough to make Coates level, let alone AFL level. So, basically he applied himself last year playing for Phillip Island, he got an opportunity in January as an over-ager, then picked up in the mid-season draft by the Western Bulldogs. He was only picked up because the Bulldogs’ other preferences were already off the board. Had that mid-season draft fallen the way it was expected to, he doesn’t get picked up, so line in the sand moments everywhere.
DAVE: We could be looking at a Shaun Mannagh-type rise from the VFL, but just a younger version.
JUSTIN: I have got two pieces of best action. My first one, I was absolutely enthralled by eight games of netball on Saturday in the West Gippsland League, I spent eight hours court-side chatting to fans.
DAVE: What…your fans?
JUSTIN: No Dave; netball fans. It was a great day of action in the 17-under grand final between Cora Lynn and Phillip Island, it was right down to the wire. Phillip Island came back and took the lead and then Cora Lynn wrestled it back to hit the front by one. Phillip Island had the centre pass, but Sienna McPherson, the goal defence for Cora Lynn, intercepted the pass at a crucial moment. Cora Lynn got it forward from there and scored a goal to widen the gap to two goals – that was a game-breaking play and won the premiership for Cora Lynn. It was the club’s fourth premiership of the day, going on to win five. My other one was from the MPFNL Division 1 grand final, which was low scoring and wet. Rosebud was coming home hard with the wind in the fourth quarter and a kick came into the forward 50 but no-one could hold it. Liam Tidd came out of nowhere, picked up the footy and off one step, belted it home from 50m to put Rosebud in front by three points and win the game.
BLAIR: I actually got down to the VFL grand final at Ikon Park. I had a near miss with a tram and braved the heavy rain, but we got there. Best action, I am going to give it to Jedd Busslinger, a key defender who went forward for Footscray late in the game. This came after Southport had really got back into the match and it was anyone’s game. Busslinger bursts out on a lead, takes the mark about 40m out on the boundary before going back and slotting a huge goal. There were Footscray fans around me who groaned and said this could go anywhere. I was perfectly right behind the goals and had a beautiful angle to watch it bend back. I haven’t seen a crowd erupt like that in a long time, a huge moment.
JONTY: It was his second goal at VFL/AFL level in 54 games.
BLAIR: What a time to do it.
JONTY: It was a really long last quarter which went 37 minutes. You wouldn’t have heard it being there, but over the effects mic, at about the 32 minute mark, a Footscray fan screams, “wake the bloody timekeeper up” (boys laugh).
BLAIR: It was a bit like that, there were even Footscray fans behind the goals chanting ‘SIREN’ for a number of minutes. But yeah, shoutout to Jedd.
LOCAL FOOTY RIVALRIES
BLAIR: What local footy rivalry are you looking forward to, or one you enjoyed this year?
JONTY: It is worth noting that three of the great rivalries in the region won’t happen next year. Cranbourne won’t play Narre Warren, which we got for one season. Doveton won’t play Hampton Park, because Hampton Park has been promoted, and Devon Meadows won’t play Pearcedale as a result of Devon Meadows winning the flag. But Buln Buln and Neerim South, they have been the two powerhouse clubs of the Ellinbank region and I think they are seven or eight minutes from each other. Every time those two teams play each other, it is really tight and anything can happen – I always look forward to it.
DAVE: I sort of got spoilt when I started doing this job, Cranbourne and Narre Warren was just the best rivalry ever. There were only two teams that could win the flag each year and they just used to belt the crap out of each other. Nar Nar Goon and Tooradin is not a fierce rivalry, but is probably the rivalry that West Gippsland football needed this year, because Nar Nar Goon was so superior to everyone else. For next year, the local rivalry in Southern is going to be Narre Warren and Hampton Park. It used to be massive.
JONTY: What, back in the 50s? (Jonty laughs, happy with his own work)
DAVE: Yeah, they started playing together in the South West Gippsland Football League in 1954. Hampton Park was part of that and Narre, or Narre Hallam as they were called back in the day, were also part of that.
JONTY: I was exaggerating when I said the 50s; I didn’t know it actually was.
DAVE: They have been rivals for a very long time, but the last time they played each other, Narre was so superior to Hampton Park. I don’t know Luke Bull and have never spoken to him, but I can tell by reading Blair’s articles that some blokes are just winners and they won’t accept anything else.
BLAIR: Yeah, I agree. He has been great for Hampton Park this year and is driven to succeed.
JUSTIN: Both of mine have a big asterisk next to them, because we have to wait and see how things play out in Outer East with some reshuffling. It’s hard to beat Cranbourne and Narre Warren, but Emerald and Gembrook Cockatoo is a wonderful rivalry. Our good friend Jonty Ralphsmith has unofficially named it the “Puffing Billy Cup” (boys laugh). This year, both games were absolute classics, especially with the goal after the siren game earlier in the year, on Anzac Day. You can’t get better than that, but we may not see it because Emerald may go down, but that is yet to be confirmed. The other one is Officer and Pakenham, again as asterisk, because Pakenham may go up due to restructuring and they didn’t win the grand final. If that rivalry was to happen next year, I would really look forward to it, both won the Under-18s flags this season, both were in the Under-19s last year and are young and upcoming teams which will beat the crap out of each other. The Princes Highway Cup I will call it.
BLAIR: Cranbourne v Narre Warren was a really enjoyable rivalry while we had it. Like we said, Hampton Park going into Division 1 and playing Narre Warren will be interesting. Also Cranbourne back into Division 2 against Doveton.
DAVE: Cranbourne and Doveton is a massive rivalry, that will be huge.
AFL GRAND FINAL PREDICTIONS
JUSTIN: I am notoriously bad at grand final predictions, along with a couple of mates on our radio show, last year we all picked Sydney by three or four goals, so that was not a good look. I have been on Geelong all year, they have been the best team for a while so I have tipped them by 23 points. Norm Smith, this was a coin toss for me between Gryan Miers and Max Holmes, but I have gone with the speedster Holmes. Missing out in 2022 with the hamstring injury, he’s got a lot of fire in the belly and so much to play for. First goal I have Zac Bailey, he brings energy and is going to come right out of half forward and get the first one of the game.
JONTY: I am really happy that Max Holmes will hopefully get to play in a premiership, that is the really positive storyline if Geelong wins.
BLAIR: Then you have the other side with Oscar McInerney for Brisbane.
DAVE: My grand final predictions are … and boys I’m coming off two years ago where I had 10 bucks on Bobby Hill to win the Norm Smith at 100-1 and won $1000, so that was pretty cool. Geelong by 18 points, I reckon it will be a really close one and Geelong might kick a couple of goals late and I reckon the guy that will kick them is going to be my Norm Smith prediction, Shaun Mannagh. I think he will kick five and win the Norm, he will fly under the radar. First goal; Jonty’s boy, Logan Morris.
JONTY: Geelong by three goals, with Patrick Dangerfield to back up his preliminary final heroics and get best on ground, Josh Dunkley to kick the first goal. I would love to see him win a flag. He flies under the radar but god, he is an absolute superstar. I will be barracking hard for Brisbane on Saturday, that is for sure.
DAVE: Because you dislike Geelong or you like Brisbane?
JONTY: More the latter.
BLAIR: Given my history, listen at your own risk. Cats by 37 points, Hugh McCluggage to get absolutely locked up again like he did in the first final. And my boy Shauny Mannagh for Norm, he is the only reason I ever support Geelong, he is one of the nicest and most humble blokes you will meet and his story is the best. He already has a Norm, a Norm Goss Medal, now it’s time for a Norm Smith. Three goals and 23 disposals for him. I am a Shaun Mannagh cheersquad, it’s an infatuation. and is definitely on the same level as Tom Toner. Also Jezza Cameron to kick the first of the game. That is another week of Let’s Talk Sport with cricket approaching next week, so it’ll be a bit of a different chat. See you then.
