THEY have been the best two sides right throughout the 2013 home and away season and this week Montmorency and Bundoora clash in the 2013 Division 1 Grand Final.
A shot at football immortality awaits the 22 combatants of each club as Montmorency looks to break a premiership drought that dates back to 1979, while Bundoora is after its second premiership success in three years.
It is the Magpies’ first Grand Final appearance since 2008. In the 34 years since their last premiership they have finished runner-up on four occasions. More than three decades of heartache will be forgotten if Bryan ‘Jack’ Cole and Ryan Jackson stand on the dais with trophy aloft at 5pm Saturday.
Despite its 2011 premiership win, Bundoora too has had to contend with its fair share of Grand Final agony since joining the top flight in 1982. In their 30-year life in Division 1, the Bulls have featured in 14 Grand Finals, for just three victories.
Montmorency enters this year’s decider on the back of a dominant season that netted 15 wins from 18 home and away matches, before a come-from-behind victory over the Bulls in the second semi final a fortnight ago.
It has been an emphatic response to a disappointing 2012 finals campaign that saw the club exit the finals race in straight sets despite a first-place finish.
Great change swept through the Magpies’ nest over the 2013 pre-season. ‘Jack’ Cole returned as coach in place of Fabian Carelli, while boom recruits Ryan Willits, Rowan Nayna, Mark McKenzie and Harley Ryan entered the fold, following the departure of Kayne Pettifer, Dean Limbach, Aisake O’hAilpin and Michael Steven.
The Magpies won their opening 13 games of the home and away season, which included two thumping wins over Heidelberg and an 80-point drubbing of Northcote Park in the 2012 preliminary final re-match in Round 7.
The addition of Willits has made the Magpies on-ball division all the stronger, with his excellent ruckwork allowing the likes of Ryan and Luke Jackson, Daniel Keenan and Jesse Donaldson to thrive in the midfield.
The match up of Willits against Matthew Dennis in the ruck is worth the price of admission itself on Grand Final day. Both are match winners who possess great agility and the ability to take strong pack marks around the ground. The winner of that battle alone may well decide the result of the match.
Montmorency scores more points per game than any other team in the competition and has been held below 100 points in just three games this season. It’s no coincidence those three occasions have been its only three losses of the year.
Patrick Fitzgerald has had another consistent season and, with 56 goals in 19 matches, landed himself at full forward in the 2013 Division 1 Team of the Year. Ben Walton has developed into a game-breaker and has 50 goals for the year – including a bag of five in the Magpies’ six-point win over the Bulls in the second semi final.
Montmorency’s midfield has also been finding the big sticks consistently, with Ryan Jackson (32 goals), Willits (29) and Jesse Donaldson (22) all averaging more than a goal a game this season.
Down back they are brimming with tall options given the emergence of Michael Fitz-Gerand and Daniel Coghill. Shane Tennant has had another extremely consistent season and is likely to get the unenviable task of having first crack on Frank Rosbrook Trophy winner Cameron Cloke.
Craig Flint provides a steadying head in defence, and has the ability to move higher up the field, while Harley Ryan, Ben Haynes and Rowan Nayna are ready to scoot the ball outside defensive 50m when it hits the deck.
Montmorency may well be refreshed heading into the premiership decider following two byes in the past three weeks, but Bundoora is certainly battle hardened following three successive weeks of finals action.
Throw in a must-win Round 18 game against Northcote Park and the Bulls have had one month of perfect preparation to gear themselves for the red-hot intensity that will arrive on Grand Final day.
Despite losing to the Magpies a fortnight ago, the Bulls’ form over the past month has been more than impressive. It has twice towelled up 2012 premier Northcote Park and has led both Montmorency and Heidelberg by 40 or more points in the final quarter.
They did fade late against both the Magpies and Tigers, but in both outings were severely down on interchange rotations following injuries to key players.
Matthew Dennis has been arguably the best player in the competition over the past month, while Ricky Dyson played his best game for the club last weekend – showing his appetite for the big occasion.
In Cameron Cloke and Gary Moorcroft, Bundoora has the best forward duo in the competition. Moorcroft’s 77 goals for the season are surpassed only by Cloke’s 90 goals. Moorcroft has kicked 11 goals in his past two outings against the Magpies, while Cloke looks primed to tear a final apart after tying with Heidelberg’s Mark Lynch for the competition best and fairest award earlier this week.
Bundoora’s fleet footed forward line of Adrian Papluca, Salvatore Mamone and Matty Aquilina was superb last weekend and the Bulls will be hard to stop if the trio can again contribute heavily to the scoreboard and apply pressure to Montmorency’s attacking defenders.
With Brayden Shaw and Kent Delbridge also finding the goals in recent weeks and James Lord set to return from injury, Bundoora is certainly capable of kicking a winning score even if Cloke and Moorcroft are contained on the big stage.
The Bulls are confident dual Team of the Year defender Trent Barbero will return for the Grand Final, with Barbero likely to take Patrick Fitzgerald if he does return from a hamstring strain.
Ben Shelton looks set to play on Ben Walton – a player he has blanketed twice throughout the season – while Brent Marshall will most likely find his way on to the ever-dangerous Wayne Pavitt.
Montmorency has won two of three matches against Bundoora this year, with all three games worthy contenders for match of the year status. Each encounter has been high scoring, with 90 points the lowest score recorded by a defeated team in any of the outings.
With the ultimate prize in the Northern Football League on the line, all eyes will be on Preston City Oval from 2:30pm Saturday for one of the most heavily anticipated Grand Finals witnessed in league history.
HEAD TO HEAD IN 2013
Second Semi Final: Montmorency 16.16 (112) def Bundoora 16.10 (106)
Montmorency
Goal Kickers: B. Walton 5, W. Pavitt 3, J. Whitling 2, R. Jackson 2, J. Brooker 2, L. Jackson , A. Chiocci
Best Players: S. Tennant, R. Jackson, B. Walton, M. McKenzie, H. Ryan, J. Brooker
Bundoora
Goal Kickers: G. Moorcroft 7, C. Cloke 3, S. Mamone 2, B. Shaw 2, C. Varsamakis, R. Dyson
Best Players: G. Moorcroft, B. Carlyon, R. Dyson, A. Papaluca, M. Dennis, J. Palazzolo
Round 12: Bundoora 17.12 (114) def Montmorency 13.12 (90)
Bundoora
Goal Kickers: C. Cloke 5, G. Moorcroft 4, J. Lord 3, M. Farrelly, R. Dyson, A. Stellas, A. Papaluca, B. Shaw
Best Players: C. Cloke, G. Moorcroft, J. Lord, M. Farrelly, B. Shaw, B. Marshall
Montmorency
Goal Kickers: R. Jackson 2, P. Fitzgerald 2, L. Collins 2, W. Pavitt, J. Donaldson, B. Walton, C. Flint, R. Willits, H. Ryan, B. Haynes
Best Players: R. Jackson, H. Ryan, L. Collins, J. Donaldson, J. Whitling, S. Tennant
Round 5: Montmorency 21.13 (139) def Bundoora 16.18 (114)
Montmorency
Goal Kickers: A. Magin 8, P. Fitzgerald 3, R. Jackson 2, C. Burton 2, W. Pavitt, A. Chiocci, J. Whitling, B. Walton, R. Nayna, M. McKenzie
Best Players: A. Magin, C. Flint, R. Jackson, C. Burton, M. McKenzie, S. Tennant
Bundoora
Goal Kickers: C. Cloke 5, B. Shaw 3, M. Farrelly 2, A. Papaluca 2, G. Moorcroft 2, J. Lord, M. Mitchell
Best Players: B. Shaw, A. Papaluca, C. Cloke, B. Marshall, B. Carlyon, B. Shelton
