AFL Outer East: Gembrook Cockatoo scores hefty win over Yarra Glen to book Division 2 finals berth
Gembrook Cockatoo can start looking ahead to the business end of the AFL Outer East season.
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Gembrook Cockatoo stitched up its place in the Division 2 finals with a comprehensive win over Yarra Glen at the Gembrook Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
Powelltown, the Brookers and Yarra Glen entered the final round of the home-and-away season level on points, separated only by a narrow percentage gap.
Powelltown had the bye and secured its post-season berth with the resulting four points leaving Gembrook Cockatoo and Yarra Glen to play for the last remaining finals spot.
And it was the Brookers that extended their season by at least another week with an 18.17 (125) to 7.6 (48) win.
The ex-AFL pair of Tarkyn Lockyer (five goals) and Michael Firrito (four) led the way with Josh Tilley also tipping four goals into the kitty.
Leigh Scott, Dylan Scott and Connor Moore were all outstanding in the win.
In a tight tussle befitting the cut throat nature of the contest there was little in it at halftime with the Brookers holding a seven-point edge.
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But an eight-goal barrage in the third term had the Gembrook Cockatoo faithful planning for an elimination final showdown with Powelltown next weekend.
In the lead up to the contest, Brookers coach Brad Coller had been confident in the strength of the squad he’d have at his disposal for the big match.
“We’ll probably put our best team out on the park we have all year,” he said on Friday. “To make any noise in the finals you have to have a bit of luck with your personnel.
“We’ve beaten Powelly twice and that was without any of our stars
“So, if we can get there, we think we can make some noise.”
Coller said that for the Brookers to even be in contention for a finals berth they’d needed to survive a few finals-like matches over the past month.
“We've had quite a few of those this year and we've stood up to it pretty well,” he said.
Bringing along the next generation of Brookers talent was one of the main planks of Coller’s application for the coaching position.
And with 10 players coming up from last season’s under-18 flag-winning side, another five players under the age of 18 getting a run in the seniors this year along with 16-year-old Aaron Firrito, there aren’t many younger lists in the competition.
The development the young Brookers have shown has come with promise and inconsistency in equal measures and, while frustrating, the club is in for the long haul.
The young Brookers will now get a chance to hone their skills in the pressure of a senior finals campaign.
“We’ve promoted youth this year as part of our cause,” Coller said. “It's helped us and will help us in the future as well. Although there’s times when it’s hindered us because we haven’t been able to close games out.”
In other games this week, Seville wrapped up its minor premiership with a thumping 21.16 (142) to 4.10 (34) win over Kinglake while Yarra Junction warmed up for next week’s qualifying final against the Lakers with a 27.18 (180) to 5.3 (33) win over Alexandra.
And Yea picked up its first success of the season when it travelled to the Thornton Recreation Reserve and returned with a 17.10 (112) to 8.8 (56) win over Thornton Eildon.
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