AFTER 96 home and away matches and five thrilling finals the two best teams of the 2014 Mininera and District Football League season will go head-to-head tomorrow for premiership glory.
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In one of the most intriguing grand final battles in recent years, minor premiers Moyston/Willaura will face the in-form Tatyoon at Glenthompson, with the Hawks vying for their first flag since 2011, while the Pumas are chasing that inaugural piece of silverware as a united club.
A fortnight ago it appeared Moyston/Willaura already had one hand on the premiership cup, however a 29-point semi final loss to Tatyoon the only side to defeat the Pumas this season (also doing so in round four) has brought this match back to even money.
Tatyoon coach Jarrod Blandford said the Hawks have been gathering momentum in the the last month and a half of football.
"You have got to go into a grand final with confidence and on the back of our last month to six weeks of football the boys are certainly up and about," he said.
Despite his team's 1-2 record against the Hawks this season, Moyston/Willaura coach Trent Fiscalini said there is no reason to change their approach ahead of the grand final.
"I think we just stick to what we know. We have learnt from the past two games where they have beaten us and know what areas have let us down, so if we can just refine and improve on them, hopefully it is enough to turn the result around," he said.
"Their pressure on the ball carrier hurt last time and I don't think we have had enough talk or protection from our blokes around the contest.
"Accountability needs to improve too, that was evident even last weekend (against Hawkesdale/Macarthur), so I will be red hot on that happening this week."
Fiscalini and assistant coach Dennis Bell have some headaches at the selection table ahead of tomorrow's game, with at least three of the Pumas' key players set to return after missing the preliminary final.
Aidan Bell will return from a one week suspension, Aaron McKinnis is back after missing due to his sister's wedding and Sam Seres has overcome an ankle injury.
Defender Tyson Carr (knee) is also in line for a recall depending on how he trained last night.
"We have at least three guys to come back into the side from the weekend's team and with the couple of blokes that stepped up and played well it makes it quite difficult," Fiscalini said.
"It is a hard part of coaching, but the boys understand that it is footy and we have to put our best team out on the park for Saturday and leave no stone unturned."
Fiscalini said his midfielders will have a massive responsibility tomorrow, with Josh Bywater, Luke Thomas and Jacob Hamilton needing to win plenty of the ball from the centre to give Moyston/Willaura's potent forwardline first use.
After Hawks’ goal kicker John Butler tore the game apart with five majors in their last encounter, Josh Day and Rhys Cronin will be hoping Tatyoon’s onballers aren’t able to find as much room to deliver the ball with precision.
Blandford is expecting Butler to receive more attention this time around, but said that may allow the likes of Steve Butler or Mitch Cronin the chance to bob up and hit the scoreboard.
“Without a doubt they’ll certainly have more emphasis on stopping him, for sure,” Blandford said.
“I suppose if they do manage that, it will just enable someone else to stand up and take the workload.
“I think both forward lines sort of counteract each other because both certainly have plenty of firepower, so I think the game will be won in the middle.
“A player like Andy Maconachie could really stand up for us on a nice sunny day and big grand final stage.
“He is one player I’ll be looking to stand tall on the wing and give us some drive forward, but we’ll also rely on the experience of Sean McDougall, Damian Cameron and the like.
“Our pressure on their ball carrier is when we were able to get on top of them in that third quarter of the semi. We pressured them harder than I think they had been all year and that was when we were able to build that lead up — that needs to go to another level again Saturday.”
Tatyoon is expected to take an unchanged line-up into the season’s climax.
Despite being the benchmark team of the competition all year, the Pumas won’t be fazed carrying the ‘underdog’ status into this match.
Many of the Moyston/Willaura players will be looking to avenge last year’s disappointing grand final loss to Wickliffe/Lake Bolac, and Fiscalini feels this side is better poised to challenge than at the same time 12 months ago.
“Looking at this team, I think we are a lot more even right throughout the whole ground, I don’t think we have many weaknesses,” he said.
“We actually have guys playing in their genuine spots, so we have genuine wingmen and we’ve got an actual centre half-back and a full-back.
“The spine all lines up, whereas last year there might have been a couple of weaker links — I think we might go in a bit better this year.
“Tatyoon have been a finals’ team for many years, but we also have players that have had that exposure to finals’ footy and I think the main thing that would have stood out was just that hurt after the (2013 grand final) match.
“No doubt the boys that experienced that will be hungry and determined not to feel like that again.”
In light of this week’s passing of Moyston/Willaura club legend Ruth Brain, Fiscalini said the group will have added incentive to bring home the premiership.
“She was just a great lady at our club and for the whole league,” he said.
“Speaking with Ruth on Monday night at the league vote count she gave Moyston/Willaura her well wishes to hopefully get over the line, so that will definitely give us even more motivation.”
Wickliffe/Lake Bolac will be seeking redemption for last year’s grand final loss in the reserves when it takes on Tatyoon.
The Magpies are on an eight game winning streak and after finishing fifth on the ladder, have defeated all three of their more fancied opposition on the road to tomorrow’s grand final.
The Hawks finished third after 16 rounds of the home and away season, but were also able to run over the two teams above them to book a spot in the decider.
The two sides have faced off just once this season, with Wickliffe/Lake Bolac winning the round seven encounter by 39 points.
In the under 16s the Ararat Eagles are the red hot favourites to claim back-to-back premiership titles when they take on Moyston/Willaura.
The Eagles have been a dominant force of the junior competition in the past two years, with the side looking to complete consecutive perfect seasons having not dropped a match so far in 2014.
The Pumas will have plenty of confidence and belief having won their last five games, including last weekend’s thrilling preliminary final against Lismore/Derrinallum by two points.
See pages 29-40 for the special Mininera and District Football League grand final feature.