Robinvale Euston Eagles seal Sunraysia league minor premiership

A club in the state’s north west is celebrating their first minor premiership but there are bigger plans in place for the merged entity. Find out how the club rose from bottom to top.

There is unfinished business for Robinvale Euston in the Sunraysia league despite a historic day for the club on Saturday.

The Eagles soared to their first minor premiership as a merged entity, beating Ouyen United by 34 points to seal the title with two rounds to play.

Robinvale Euston was two games clear of the Mildura Demons heading into the weekend but a win by the Eagles and a Demons loss to Red Cliff gave the club the minor premiership.

Since 2015, the first season of Robinvale and Euston merging, the highest the team finished in the regular season was third in 2018 and 2019.

It follows the team finishing last in their first year in 2015.

Now, the team is on track to win their first premiership since 2010, when Robinvale claimed the Sunraysia league title on their own.

“It’s fantastic to be able to do that but the big job at hand is to carry that through into the finals,” Eagles president Phil Lamattina said.

“But we’ve put ourselves in a pretty good position.”

Lamattina said the success of the club over the past few years has been their juniors with Andrew Richardson playing a vital role as a playing coach.

But the addition of new coach Craig Davison has taken the team to a new level.

“I think he’s had the ability to mesh all these football players together and give them a bit of direction and they are playing with a bit of hunger,” he said.

“The way he goes about it, he likes to work with the group. When he needs to he works one-on-one and has the support around him.

“It’s just exciting to see the group come together.”

Lamattina said the team has also lifted with their captain Braidyn Turner showing great leadership.

It also helps with Isaiah Johnson leading the goalkicking with 76 goals including seven against Ouyen United.

Robinvale-Euston's Isaiah Johnson has starred in the first half of the season. Picture: Glenn Milne (supplied)

“He’s one of those stories for the ages,” Lamattina said.

“Coming from a young kid, he had heaps of potential, but went off track a little bit.

“He got his life back on track, come back to the footy club and started playing reserves (last year).

“He come into seniors and hasn’t missed a game since. He’s the barometer for the side.

“When he is up and about the whole side is up and about.”

Lamattina said the two towns were buzzing with what could happen in the next few weeks.

And comparisons are already being made between this year’s team and the 2010 Robinvale premiership side.

“I wasn’t really involved with the football club in 2010 but they talk about it and our benchmark is we get compared to the 2010 side,” the president said.

“They went through undefeated and they are big shoes to fill and we’ve only ticked one box so far (compared to them) and have got more to tick.

“The grand final is the ultimate prize and what we’re working hard on to do.”

But the club knows it will face a strong challenge from the Mildura sides, including Irymple, who are aiming for their third premiership in a row.

“Irymple has been the benchmark and what they’ve been able to achieve with their population is great,” Lamattina said.

“We’re the little engine that could and we will continue to chug away (towards a title).”

The Eagles play South Mildura in their final regular season game before having a bye in the last round.