Kilmore achieved football silverware for the first time since joining the NFNL, after defeating Mernda by 26 points at Lalor Reserve to secure the 2024 Division 3 reserves premiership.
The Blues held their opponents goalless in the opening term and wouldn’t let up thereafter, kicking seven goals to five in the final three terms of the match to prevail 9.9 (63) to 5.7 (37).
It’s the club’s first football premiership since joining the league in 2016, and after falling short in their second semi- final meeting over the Demons a fortnight ago, which was their first loss in 2024, they looked like a side determined to not be on the wrong end of a result this time around.
Known as the premiership quarter, it was the third term that broke the game open in the Blues favour, they piled on five goals to one to give themselves the match-winning advantage that would never be challenged.
Two of those five majors came from Jaiden Smith. He finished with four goals for the afternoon, an equal season-high, and was a scintillating presence inside forward 50. His forward craft always kept the usually resolute Demons defence on their toes.
Further afield teammate Christopher Jackson went on to win a deserving best on ground medallion and was an exceptional force in the middle of the park. His work rate, especially amongst the stoppages, saw him regularly driving the ball forward and creating scoring opportunities.
Thomas McMillan, Hayden Phillips and David Saunders all had positive contributions in the defensive half while the efforts of Ben Maher and Ryan McDonald were also notable in the side’s historic premiership.
For the Demons, captain Michael Aparo put in a modest performance and was his side’s best contributor for the afternoon, his work off half back was a highlight, doing all he could to try and keep the boat afloat in defence. At the opposite end of the ground, Luke Furci had positive moments and was the most threatening of any Demon in the forward-50, booting three of his side’s five goals for the day.
An almost perfect day weather wise greeted the two sides, however the first quarter saw just two majors kicked. In fact, the entire opening term score was produced by the Blues, who had a slight wind advantage for the quarter, as Marcus Webb and Jaden Smith found the big sticks to help establish a 15-point quarter time advantage.
Just as the first was, the second term was incredibly contested, with neither side able to wrestle momentum for long periods of the time.
After going scoreless in the opening term, Murci would finally open up the Demon’s account midway through the second term, which cancelled out Benjamin Doyle’s goal earlier in the quarter.
It was the only time Mernda would find the big sticks for the half, but they would still face a 15-point deficit at the main break.
However, the Blues capitalised greatly in the third term, with a terrific five-goal term all but putting the game beyond doubt.
Smith would kick the first two goals of the second half to really put the scoreboard pressure on the Demons, and after William Crouch responded for Mernda, the minor premiers nailed the next three, with Cody McQueen, Luke Chapman and Ryan McDonald all goaling to extend the lead past six goals.
Down by 39-points at the final change and with just two goals to their name for the day, Mernda would need a miracle to finish the match as premiers.
The Demons would do all they could to put some doubt in the mind of Kilmore, with Furci producing a major inside 30 seconds of play to start the final term on a high.
Mernda booted the next two goals to further cut the margin, before Smith slotted a fourth goal of the afternoon at the 17-minute mark to cue the celebrations from Blues fans, as they went on to finish a historic 2024 campaign as premiers.
