Blues sweep to Nepean League glory

JONTY’S JOTTINGS

Nepean League Grand Final
by Brendan Rhodes
Photos by Rab Siddhi of RPPFM Peninsula Photos; Andrew Hurst Photography

 
(please support my fundraising effort at https://beardsofhope2016.gofundraise.com.au/page/BrendanRhodes)

HASTINGS completed a stunning sweep of the Nepean League finals series to outclass Frankston by 27 points in yesterday’s Telstra Stores Mornington and Rosebud Grand Final at Frankston Park to win its first Premiership since 1995.

The Blues had come from the Elimination Final with impressive victories over Red Hill, Somerville and Rosebud just to make the big dance, and systematically took the minor premiers apart from the opening bounce before seeing off a third quarter rally to win 11.15 81 to 6.18 54.

Frankston failed to score a goal in the first half and in fact had 14 behinds on the board before Brad Whittley finally broke through with 12:15 on the clock in the third term.

Hastings was perfectly led by captain Paul Rogasch in a Mornington Peninsula Brewery RPPFM Man of the Match performance, taking it upon himself to fill the hole across half back the Bombers were trying to create for Luke James, Zac Longham and James Degenhardt, who received treatment for a back injury in the opening term.

   Paul Rogasch is named best on ground

While there were doubts externally about the Blues’ ability to back up for a fourth week in a row, they weren’t shared by Brendan Dunne, his coaching panel, his players or his supporters – Hastings banner ominously carried four key words – They Don’t Rate Us.

And they got the perfect start when Peter Mawson snapped the opener after the opening five minutes had been an armwrestle.

Luke Hewitt missed a set shot and Scott Jansen a snap as Hastings started to edge clear, and with Josh Chapman, Dale Sutton (twice), Michael Maiorino and Corey Micari all missing gettable shots, majors to Luke Smith and then Hewitt after the siren gave the underdogs a handy 15-point at quarter-time.

The second quarter was all Hastings as it worked to put a sizeable gap between it and the minor premier, with Matt Clifford landing a long bomb from 60m and Mawson kicking his second after Josh Mulheron was flattened by a frustrated Ryan Kitchen, who was struggling to match his bigger opponent as his troublesome right hamstring appeared to flair again.

A minor quad injury to Josh Francis added to Frankston’s woes, and although he returned heavily strapped, Colin McVeigh kicked a long goal in time on to blow the margin out to 35 points at the main change, and the Bombers had kicked a paltry 0.9.

Frankston’s wastage of opportunities was critical, with the Bombers only trailing 29-25 on inside 50s in the first half, despite trailing clearances 27-19 – those stats ended up finishing 55-52 and 46-37 in Hastings’ favour – certainly not numbers that would indicate such a convincing victory.

 Beau Muston

Bombers coach Beau Muston moved himself forward at the break in a bid to provide a target, and while he stood up to be one of his team’s better players and support the effort of Dale and Brett Sutton and Josh Chapman, he wasn’t able to finish his good work off, with two shots touched on the line by gritty Blues defender Terry Green.

Longham missed two set shots and Frankston had a woeful 0.14 before Whittley received a questionable free kick and slotted the goal midway through the term to finally get his team on the board.

A standard Nathan Lonie classic from outside 50 helped pull things back, and although Nathan Gray got a steadier from the goalsquare, Maiorino answered quickly and at 18 points with a quarter to play, there was hope on Bomber Hill.

It didn’t last long.

With Mulheron overcoming his sore head to continue to eclipse Kitchen, Luke Smith dominating all over the ground, Rogasch still marshalling things, Steve Robb lively, Mark Devereaux and Shaun Foster lively and Lance Brouwer supporting Green down back, Hastings took control again with six of the first eight scoring shots of the final quarter, and when McVeigh dobbed a ripper from in front of his team’s delirious supporters, the party was underway.

See the start of Hastings’ celebration here … https://www.facebook.com/RabSiddhi/videos/1103329813094314/

An emotional Dunne and delighted Rogasch spoke to RPPFM after the game, with their words able to heard through these links.

NEPEAN FNL SCOREBOARD

 GRAND FINAL 

HASTINGS               3.3              6.8              7.9            11.15          81
FRANKSTON           0.6              0.9             3.15            6.18           54
Goals: HASTINGS: Peter Mawson 2, Colin McVeigh, Luke Hewitt, Luke Smith, Matt Clifford, Nathan Gray, Mark Devereaux, Shaun Foster. FRANKSTON: Michael Maiorino 2, Brad Whittley, Nathan Lonie, Scott Foster, Luke James.
Best: HASTINGS: Paul Rogasch (Mornington Peninsula Brewery Man of the Match; VCFL Medal Best on Ground); Luke Smith, Steve Robb, Terry Green, Lance Brouwer, Mark Devereaux, Shaun Foster, Nathan Gray. FRANKSTON: Dale Sutton, Josh Chapman, Brian O’Carroll, Brett Sutton, Beau Muston, Josh Francis, Ryan Marks-Logan, Jason Kingsbury.

   Colin McVeigh celebrates

HOW IT UNFOLDED

First Quarter
2 Frankston rushed behind … Bombers 0.1 1 v Blues 0.0 0
5 Mawson goal … 0.1 1 v 1.0 6
6 Luke Hewitt behind … 0.1 1 v 1.1 7
8 Jansen behind … 0.1 1 v 1.2 8
12 Chapman behind … 0.2 2 v 1.2 8
16 Dale Sutton behind … 0.3 3 v 1.2 8
17 Maiorino behind … 0.4 4 v 1.2 8
18 Smith goal … 0.4 4 v 2.2 14
19 Robb behind … 0.4 4 v 2.3 15
22 Dale Sutton poster … 0.5 5 v 2.3 15
23 Micari behind … 0.6 6 v 2.3 15
SIREN Luke Hewitt goal … 0.6 6 v 3.3 21

Second Quarter
0:15 Devereaux post … 0.6 6 v 3.4 22
3 Clifford goal from 60m … 0.6 6 v 4.4 28
5 Hull behind … 0.6 6 v 4.5 29
5 Scott Foster behind … 0.7 7 v 4.5 29
7 Mulheron knocked out and taken from field. Mawson goal from free kick … 0.7 7 v 5.5 35
11 Frankston rushed behind … 0.8 8 v 5.5 35
19 Muston behind … 0.9 9 v 5.5 35
20 McVeigh behind … 0.9 9 v 5.6 36
21 Alanis behind … 0.9 9 v 5.7 37
22 McVeigh goal from 50m … 0.9 9 v 6.7 43
26 Smith behind … 0.9 9 v 6.8 44

Third Quarter
1 Rushed behind Frankston by Green … 0.10 10 v 6.8 44
2 Hastings behind unknown … 0.10 10 v 6.9 45
4 Muston behind, touched on line … 0.11 11 v 6.9 45
5 Muston behind, touched on line … 0.12 12 v 6.9 45
6 Longham behind … 0.13 13 v 6.9 45
10 Longham behind … 0.14 14 v 6.9 45
12 Whittley goal from free kick … 1.14 20 v 6.9 45
15 Lonie goal from 55m … 2.14 26 v 6.9 45
18 James behind, easy set shot … 2.15 27 v 6.9 45
22 Gray mark in square, goal … 2.15 27 v 7.9 51
25 Maiorino goal … 3.15 33 v 7.9 51

Fourth Quarter
1 Clark behind … 3.15 33 v 7.10 52
2 McVeigh behind … 3.15 33 v 7.11 53
3 Shaun Foster goal from snap … 3.15 33 v 8.11 59
6 Frankston unknown behind … 3.16 34 v 8.11 59
9 James long goal … 4.16 40 v 8.11 59
10 Devereaux goal from snap … 4.16 40 v 9.11 65
11 McVeigh goal from boundary … 4.16 40 v 10.11 71
12 Luke Hewitt behind … 4.16 40 v 10.12 72
13 Whittley goal from snap … 5.16 46 v 10.12 72
15 Luke Hewitt long goal … 5.16 46 v 11.12 78
16 Scott Foster goal … 6.16 52 v 11.12 78
18 Whittley behind … 6.17 53 v 11.12 78
19 Shaun Foster behind … 6.17 53 v 11.13 79
20 McVeigh behind … 6.17 53 v 11.14 80
21 Micari behind … 6.18 54 v 11.14 80
24 Luke Hewitt behind … 6.18 54 v 11.15 81
FINAL SIREN

RESERVES

ROSEBUD bounced back from a surprise Second Semi Final loss to Red Hill to take the Hillmen apart by 54 points in the Reserves Grand Final.

Top of the ladder all season, the Buds were forced to do it the hard way after falling to the Hillmen by 31 points two weeks ago.

And the signs weren’t good early for Rosebud when Ryan Blake marked on the lead and kicked a goal after just two minutes to open the scoring for Red Hill.

However, it only served to spark the minor premiers into action, and Red Hill did not score again in the first half, falling 26 points behind, and did not manage another goal for the day.

Jamie Clarke, who played half the season in the seniors, was named the best on ground for Rosebud, while fellow senior regulars Matthew Baker and Robert Bos also starred in a game their team always had under control, despite the efforts of Shane Ramsay and Lachlan Chandler.

ROSEBUD                 1.1              5.6              5.8             9.11           65
RED HILL                 1.0              1.0              1.3              1.5            11
Goals: ROSEBUD: Phil Jones, Adrian Alford 2, Lachlan Armstrong, Blake Porta, Robert Bos, Ben Garlick, Fletcher Hustwaite. RED HILL: Ryan Blake.
Best: ROSEBUD: Jamie Clarke (VCFL Medal Best on Ground), Matthew Baker, Robert Bos, Lachlan Armstrong, Edward Ellis, Phil Jones. RED HILL: Shane Ramsay, Lachlan Chandler, Andrew Mock, Andrew Gilmour, Robert Mace, Ryan Blake.

UNDER 19

SORRENTO completed a third successive victory over Red Hill to leave the Hillmen empty handed from their two Grand Finals, winning by 23 points in the Under 19s.

The Sharks sat second all year, having lost just one game to Red Hill during the season, but took the minor premiership by beating their fellow red and white rivals in Round 16 and then claimed the flag by repeating the dose in the Second Semi Final and the Grand Final.

Sorrento edged clear as the match unfolded, leading by eight points at quarter-time, 13 at half time and 14 at three quarter-time, and when Ken King snapped a great goal from the boundary in the opening minute of the last term, the job appeared to be done.

Jonathon Ross gave the Hillmen hope, but they could get no closer, and after a 10-minute stalemate, majors to Jackson Grant and Jack Gipp put paid to any challenge.

Jay Blair was named best on ground ahead of teammate Angus O’Callaghan, while Hamish McShane and Mat Lonsdale were best for Red Hill.

SORRENTO              1.4              3.5              4.8             7.11           53
RED HILL                 0.2              1.4              2.6              4.6            30
Goals: SORRENTO: Jackson Grant, Nathan Abbott 2, Bailey Holt, Ken King, Jack Gipp. RED HILL: Mathew Lonsdale, James McGee, Jonathon Ross, Luke Marchesani.
Best: SORRENTO: Jay Blair (VCFL Medal Best on Ground), Angus Callaghan, Tom Clarke, Dylan Dunstan, William Tucker, Jackson Grant. RED HILL: Hamish McShane, Mathew Lonsdale, Jonathon Ross, Trey Dawson, Ethan Bryan, Oliver Wicks.

  Mornington & Rosebud Telstra Stores – RPP FM Match of the Day

   Mornington Peninsula Brewery – Best on Ground

Bendigo Bank Community Bank Rye, Dromana and Rosebud – Nepean Finals scoreboard

  Heritage Tavern & Restaurant, Balnarring – Half Time Round-up

   Bayside Automotive Group – Peninsula Finals

   Rye Hotel – sponsors of RPP FM Match of the Day