Payneham Norwood Union faces Sacred Heart Old Collegians in Saturday’s division two amateur grand final
DUAL Norwood premiership player Garry McIntosh will use all his nous when he coaches Payneham Norwood Union in Saturday’s division two amateur football grand final.
NORWOOD legend Garry McIntosh knows a thing or two about winning flags.
As the Redlegs’ dual premiership player prepares to coach Payneham Norwood Union in Saturday’s division two amateur football grand final, he is urging his charges to seize the opportunity.
“Winning premierships is why you play the game,” McIntosh, 50, says.
“Every footy club wants to be playing and winning on the last day of the season.”
The Thebarton Oval decider completes a remarkable run of success for the Falcons, who were promoted to the second tier last season after winning the division three grand final.
The minor premier, which plays Sacred Heart Old Collegians in the premiership decider, dropped one match all campaign – in round two against Broadview.
“They’re a pretty self-driven group and we’ve got a lot of leaders, which has created a really good culture,” McIntosh says.
“We had a lot of close games during the year, but sometimes good teams drop those games.”
The Falcons recruited John Giannini, Jack O’Leary and Ben Vidic from Norwood’s reserves, and Matt Prouse and Brett Ancell from Central District in the off-season.
“Our team that won the division three grand final last year was excellent, but I know if we had that same group we may have been middle to bottom this season,” McIntosh says.
“To finish minor premier was not where we saw ourselves (before the season), but it turned out they gelled together well, and they played some really good team-orientated footy.”
PNU was languishing in division four when McIntosh took over in 2005.
“The club has been up and down over the years, but we think we are starting to become a good division two club.
“Now we’ve got to make the next step to become a solid division one club.”