Reynella to meet Brighton in the Southern Football League grand final

IT TOOK Reynella co-captain Shane Bradshaw months to get over last season’s Southern Football League grand final loss. He is hoping for redemption tomorrow.

IT TOOK Reynella co-captain Shane Bradshaw months to get over last season’s Southern Football League grand final loss to Noarlunga.

“It’s the hardest thing that I’ve gone through in my football career,” Bradshaw says.

“It still hurts today.”

The Wineflies trailed only once in last year’s premiership decider – when Noarlunga’s Waylon Johncock kicked a goal after the siren to ensure a four-point win.

Twelve months on, Reynella has bounced back to reach another grand final.

It plays Brighton at Hickinbotham Oval on Saturday.

Bradshaw, 31, says the club is desperate for redemption.

“It (last year’s loss) is definitely fuelling us and we speak about it a fair bit. It drove us right from pre-season” he says.

“I was standing in the goal square behind the goal post as Johncock kicked the goal and I could see it going.

“I was saying ‘come on boys, someone touch it’.

“But he snuck it through, the bugger.

“I’ve replayed it in my head a thousand times and I tell you now I won’t be letting that happen this week.”

Bradshaw has played in five SFL grand finals but won just once – in 2010.

He missed Reynella’s most recent A-grade flag, in 2013, with a groin injury.

“I haven’t had a good strike-rate so far. Hopefully I can get another one (flag) this weekend.”

Reynella booked its spot in the grand final after defeating Flagstaff Hill by 43 points in the preliminary final at Port Noarlunga on Sunday.

Brighton recorded a 39-point win over Noarlunga at Christies Beach in Saturday’s preliminary final.

Bradshaw says the tight-knit squad, which includes only a handful of players who were not Wineflies juniors, is a lot fitter and healthier compared to last season.

He says a premiership will be reward for the team’s hard work and also an early birthday present given he turns 32 next week. The half-back flanker is also weighing up his playing future but is leaning towards continuing next season. “It’d mean everything to me. It’d top off a pretty successful career and as a group, it’s been driving us for so long.

“To get this at the end would be unreal.”