There’s a lot of buzz around Laurimar as they prepare for their second consecutive Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 Grand Final, with senior men’s coach Jimmy Atkins excited about the opportunity to take the club one better on Saturday.
The Power will meet Mernda at the Whittlesea Showgrounds in the 2023 decider, a fortnight after a grueling second semi-final contest against the same opponent which saw them prevail by 11 points.
If they do win, it will potentially be the first football premiership of any kind at the club since they joined the NFNL in 2017, with Laurimar’s reserves side to play off in the Grand Final hours before the senior men’s.
This is also the second straight season that Laurimar have reached the Grand Final after prevailing in the first final.
Senior men’s coach Jimmy Atkins spoke on how the approach to this weekend’s contest will be similar to what took place 12 months ago but did add how there was a different feeling compared to last year, with the reserves preparing to fight for premiership success also.
“The notable difference is that we’ve got our reserves team training with us as well so (there’s a) bigger group, with bigger energy and a lot more buzz,” he said.
“We trained on the Tuesday and Thursday last week and we all got together last Saturday as well, which was a perfect day for it. It’s really good to be out there with our reserves.
“It’s exciting for them, it’s exciting for us and it creates a lot of atmosphere and excitement at the footy club as well.”
Laurimar have been a force in the Division 3 competition over the last few seasons. In 2023, they finished inside the top two for the third consecutive season and have won 29 of their last 37 games.
They did however fall at the final hurdle last year, going down to South Morang by 15 points in what was a terrific Grand Final.
Fourteen players from the second semi-final side last week played in the 2022 decider, and while Atkins highlighted how those players have a fire in the belly to go one better this Saturday, he explained the important differences in the current side, particularly with ruck Aidan Clarke at their disposal this time around.
“We’ve got a lot of good young heads and adding Aidan Clarke who has a bit of experience as well, we’ve got a bit of a different mixture and I think we’re a bit of a different football side,” he said.
“[Clarke’s] experience has been great all year and in the last couple of weeks he’s really stood up. He’s played in finals; he’s played in premierships, so it’s good to have him around at this time of year.”
Laurimar’s work rate in midfield has been a massive catalyst towards their premiership charge in 2023.
Luke Wilson has produced another stellar campaign and will be one of the frontrunners for the league best and fairest in a few weeks’ time, while fellow co-captain Mitchell Thompson has the ability to turn games with his ball winning ability.
The squad had an average age of just over 22 years old in the second semi-final win, with the midfield duo being two of only seven players in the team over the age of 25.
They are a pair that Atkins is expecting to stand, and deliver come Saturday, particularly with how big of an impact the midfield battle will have on the upcoming contest.
“We’re expecting our leaders to lead and lead well as they always do and bring the young guys along for the ride as well,” he said.
“The midfield’s the battle for any big final, usually any footy game to be honest, so who can get the supply first out of the middle of the ground is going to help.”
