ACC: School footy premiership beckons for Parade and St Bede’s

Parade and St Bede’s have won through to the Associated Catholic Colleges grand final at Windy Hill. Here’s how they got there, and who excelled.

St Bede's will chase ACC premiership glory but Parade's Nate Caddy will be standing in its way.

Parade and St Bede’s will lock horns in the Associated Catholic Colleges grand final at Windy Hill on Wednesday, June 21.

Well coached and packed with talent, the schools will shoot for a premiership — and the chance to qualify for the prestigious Herald Sun Shield.

Parade, coached by former Essendon player Ricky Dyson, will be chasing its first ACC flag since 2009.

It overcame a determined St Patrick’s Ballarat by 25 points in Wednesday’s semi-final.

Top-10 draft prospect Nate Caddy kicked five goals for Parade in the 10.11 (71) to 7.4 (46) victory.

Nate Caddy in action for the Northern Knights. (Photo by Jonathan DiMaggio/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Dyson said Parade was made to earn its win by a “really hard and physical’’ St Pat’s side.

“I wouldn’t say it was comfortable,” he said.

“They (St Pat’s) were certainly an impressive outfit…really hard and physical at the contest but we managed to get over the top of them halfway through the third quarter.

“It was a really good win and great reward for the boys to get another crack at a grand final next week.”

Dyson praised Caddy, who was Parade’s only multiple goal kicker.

“He was really good, probably could have kicked a couple more, left a couple out there I think but it was a good performance from him,” he said.

Isaac Kako of the Cannons kicks for goal. Photo by Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Parade’s prime movers included Kristian Lawson, Isaac Kako, Zak Johnson, Noah Scott, Lachlan Plant and Davin Cameron.

“They had really important moments in that third quarter, it was a really physical game and our boys were really good in the contest,” Dyson said.

Parade go into the flag decider with a 5-1 record this season and Dyson said his side was united and focused.

“It’s a fantastic group,” he said.

“They’re really invested in school footy at Parade College. It makes it really easy for me to coach them. Also we’ve got a really strong relationship with the Northern Knights, there’s a high number of boys that are in that program, the overlap is really positive. I love coaching them.”

Noah Scott takes a kick for Parade.

St Bede’s coach Owen Lalor.

St Bede’s, meanwhile, defeated St Joseph’s Geelong, 5.7 (37) 3.11 (29).

And while coach Owen Lalor said the win was “ugly”, he is confident it showed his group another dimension to tough and contested finals football.

“It was just a really nice, tight contest,” he said.

“We have had a lot of games that have been open, free-flowing shoot outs, slick ball movement – this was different.

“It made it a really interesting game, it was a tough, scrappy, arm-wrestle win, it was good for us to win like that, winning ugly is not a bad thing.

“We came from behind to win which was a really good sign, St Joseph’s controlled the second and third quarter and we were down by a couple of points, I felt we were lucky to be within a kick.

“To come from behind twice in the last quarter, we got in front and then St Joey’s got in front and we came back with five or six minutes to go.

“The perseverance from them was awesome, they were digging deep and weren’t throwing it in… they certainly fight.”

St Bede's football side.

St Bede’s and Parade met earlier this year and produced a thrilling encounter in which Lalor’s group took the points, 10.6 (66) to 9.9 (63).

With the addition of Nate Caddy, who didn’t play in that match, Lalor is aware of the form and firepower Parade will come with but it hasn’t wavered his belief that his side has more to give on grand final day.

“We only beat them by three points so I think it’s (the grand final) two really even teams,” he said.

“It was great to beat them, there’s a bit of confidence there, the boys think they can beat them but it’s just two really good sides.

“Their (Parade) form is awesome, I have already seen some of the vision from yesterday and they played a really good game against St Pat’s Ballarat.

“They were missing a couple of very good players when we played them; they have the superstar of the schoolboy competition in Nate Caddy, he is going to be a top five draft pick they reckon, and he didn’t play us the first time so we have to prepare for him and a couple of other boys.

“There is a lot of upside to our group because yesterday there was a lot of boys who would be disappointed with their personal game, they didn’t have the output they would’ve given in other games.

“That’s not a bad thing because I think they will bounce back and will have a lot more to give next week.”