UPPER FERNTREE GULLY – DIVISION 3 PREMIERS
Home & Away: 18 Wins 1698/827 205.32
Finals: 2 Wins
Coach: Chad Rogers
Best and Fairest: Tim Riseley
The Perfect season… What more can be said for the Kings of 2016!
Coming from fifth in season 2015 under the guidance of Chad Rogers the club continued to build a list that had the perfect mix of youth and experience.
The 2016 Kings came into season 2016 as the hunter, following relegation in 2013 the club had been building their new frontier, the side that would take them back up into Division 2.
Kicking off the season with a bang the Kings shoot very quickly to a 7-0 record before meeting Templestowe in Round 8. As expected the top two sides in the Divisions battled for supremacy in a tight tussle, The Dockers squandered a 15-point ¾ time lead to go down by one point and open the door for the Kings.
The following week the Kings were tested once again, home to The Basin in Round 9, Upper Gully found themselves down at the final change by 17 points. The Kings kept the Bears scoreless in the final term to keep their dream run alive.
Upper Ferntree Gully went into cruise control over the next six weeks claiming some big wins over finals challengers with their Round 15 clash with Heathmont their only sour tone. The club still managed the win, in extraordinary circumstances, both sides only managing one point between them in the final term.
The Houdini acts during the season only heightened expectations, there was no question that Upper Ferntree Gully couldn’t escape any situation they found themselves in.
Heading into Round 18 the Kings came up against a half-strength Templestowe line-up and claimed a 58-point win, one of three battles the two would have in the back half of the season.
Two weeks later, and back to a full line-up Templestowe had earnt the right to take on the Kings once again in the 2nd Semi Final. A role reversal of the first meeting, Upper Ferntree Gully led by 27 points at the final change before the Dockers kicked four goals to nothing to almost steal victory from the jaws of defeat.
The tight contested struggle the Semi Final proved to be was certainly a reversal in the Grand Final. The Kings gained control in the middle early in the game and were able to control gameplay taking a four goal lead into the main break, they didn’t take a backwards step in the second half led by Grand Final specialist and Les Leete Medal winner Tate Hickleton who booted six goals.
