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GRAND FINAL PREVIEW | DIVISION 4

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By: Matt Fotia

 

 

It’s that time of year once again.  

 

After 18 gruelling home and away rounds and a couple of physical weeks of finals, we’ve finally arrived at the big dance. All those weeks in the sun back in November are a distant memory as we look towards the Division 4 decider.

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In its 50th year, Forest Hill is looking to avenge the nail-biting six-point loss to the Ferntree Gully Eagles in last season’s grand final. Zebras coach Martin Stillman will being telling his side not to dwell on years gone by as they prepare this time around.
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“I don’t think you can look in the rear vision in relation to this week’s game, it’s a different game, a different opposition and different conditions,” Stillman said.
“We had 13 players in the preliminary final who played in last year’s grand final, and I mentioned to them after the game, you’ve got another opportunity here.”

 

One player who won’t be gracing Walker Park come Saturday is key forward Matt Carnelley. The Zebras’ focal point suffered a season-ending injury midway through the season and it has seen the necessity for other players to step up.

 
Nicholas Pincott has slotted 30 goals this season, including five against Donvale, whilst Timothy Johnston has added five majors during the Zebras’ finals campaign which has brought his season tally to 29. Stillman believes that Carnelley’s injury may have been a blessing in disguise for the Zebras.

 

“We’ve had to reconfigure the forward line, which has made us more unpredictable.…there isn’t just one player who is the key focus in our forward line, we’ve got multiple avenues,” Stillman said.

 

“It’s one of those things, Matt is a prodigious goal kicker so sometimes naturally we become Matt centric, so when you don’t have that key focal point when you’re entering the forward 50, generally the players look for the best option and that’s what you want as a coach.”

 

Defensively for the Zebras’, Todd Burger has been instrumental all season. Having appeared in the best players eight times this season, Burger will be the leader of a back six, which along with the rest of the side, must work together if Forest Hill is to be victorious this weekend.

 
“I say this with all sincerity, for Forest Hill to win the premiership this weekend, it’s not going to be one player who wins the game off his own boot or by himself, it’s got to be 22 contributors playing their role,” Stillman said.

 

“Donvale are such a good football team that we can’t just rely on one or two players. It’s got to be a team effort.”

 

“We know Donvale’s strengths and what we need to do, to peg them back a level or two (and) every coach in the competition know what Donvale do and how they play.

 

“It’s just a matter of the players being able to execute it…having the artillery and cattle to negate their assets and at the same time you’ve got to be doing things right at your end.

 
“Make no mistake, they’re a very, very good football team – well-coached, well-disciplined, terrific backline, great midfield and key forwards (and) they go in, rightfully so, as premiership favourites.”

 

The Forest Hill coach and the club as a whole are aware of the amazing achievements of its playing group throughout recent seasons.

 

Grand finals are a rare occurrence, so to make it to the big dance in consecutive seasons is an effort to be proud of.

 

“It’s a monumental effort to make a grand final, so much effort goes into it, from pre-season to everything that goes into a footy club,” Stillman said.
“To qualify for another final is an achievement in itself, but the reality is the difference between winning and losing is just enormous.

 

“For the winner all the time, effort and hard work is paid off and for the loser, well we know that feeling all too well.”

 

For Stillman, this weekend is more than just another chance at silverware. It’s his last game as coach of the Forest Hill Football Club. It’s a confusing situation to be in.

“It’s a bit of weird feeling knowing that for the last seven years I’ve coached football and this Saturday win, lose or draw, it’s my last game. This time next week I won’t be planning, I won’t be preparing,” he said.

 

“Walking off the ground with a premiership cup and a premiership medal would be a fairytale finish and a great way to finish my coaching career.

 

“I was fortunate enough in my last game as a player to walk off as a premiership player, so i’m hoping it’s a similar scenario as a coach.
“I think could live with that.”

 

 

For the Donvale Football Club this weekend is a massive sign that it is well and truly back on the road to redemption.

 

In 2014 the club did not exist, a long way from its 2005 Division 1 grand final appearance. This Saturday they have a chance to take a huge step on their way back to the top.

 

The Magpies have seemed unassailable in the second half of the season and after knocking off Forest Hill in the qualifying final, they were rewarded with a week off.

 

Coach Matt Fife thinks the increasingly common notion that the week off can be a bad thing is nonsense.

 
“It’s a good thing, it’s been a long year, we’ve got a number of sore boys in there, the week off is a blessing for us, it gives us a little bit of time to re-evaluate and re-focus,” Fife said.

 
“I’m not a big believer in breaking momentum of wins or what not, quite a few guys over the past three or four weeks that we’ve given a rest too, on their returns they’ve performed pretty well, so it’s all good.”

 
Having played their opponents three times already this season, Fife knows what to expect from a Forest Hill side that they’ve defeated on each of those occasions this season, but he is wary of a curve ball being thrown his way.

 
“I’m expecting a surprise of some sort, the first couple of times we played them they were pretty similar they didn’t really change anything, but last game we played them (in the qualifying final) they came out really physical, to try and rattle a few of our inside players and Leardi on the outside…just tried to really up the physicality around the contest.”

 

It’s no wonder the Zebras went after the Donvale midfield.

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With players such as Sam Coghlan, Karl Toce and Kyle Wignell combined with the outside run of Matt Leardi, the Magpies’ engine room provide the ball on a silver platter for the twin towers up forward in Nicholas Murphy and Jake Purcell, who have kicked 160 goals between them this year.

 

Ruckman Zac Haig is often under-valued as well. The tireless big man covers the ground better than most of his opponents and has featured in his sides best players nine times in 2017.

 

Despite having lost last year’s grand final, Forest Hill does have much more immediate big dance experience than Donvale.

 

Fife believes that experience will help the Zebras, albeit experience in a losing final.

 

“It’ll be in their favour that’s for sure, having grand final experience is definitely a benefit. Just for the composure and the communication with the blokes who haven’t been there before, how it is and what to do,” he said.

 
“We’ve got a few guys in our side who have played in a flag in higher divisions, and they’ve been a real support for the younger guys throughout the season especially heading into finals.

 

“Your Purcells, your Murphys, these sorts of guys, Hayden Cotsford played in the 2005 Division 1 grand final, so there are blokes who have been around the traps and played in grand finals before, they’ve been a great help this week.”

 
Regardless of the result this weekend, Donvale has had an incredible turnaround since the events of 2014.

 

Its initial year back in the League left a lot to be desired, but after a preliminary final appearance in 2016 and a now a shot at glory this season, the sleeping giant is ready to rise from its slumber.

 
“It’d mean the world (a premiership), there’s been a lot of heartache for individuals involved with the club, the supporters,” Fife said.

 
“It’s been a pretty rapid development over the past 18 months, there has been a lot of smiles on people’s faces down there, and the numbers, the support has just swelled especially over the past two or three months, the amount of people at the club on a Thursday night and after games, it’d just mean the world to a lot of people.”

 

No matter what the scoreboard reads come 4:45pm on Saturday afternoon, the Eastern Football League will have yet another fairytale story to tell.

 

Whether it’s the immediate redemption of an up and coming club and a cinematic finish to its coach’s career, or the first major signs of a powerhouse being reborn, this clash promises to be one to savour.

 
I know where I’ll be this weekend. Make sure you’re there with me too.

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