Maribyrnong Park, West Coburg face off in EDFL Division 1 decider

Maribyrnong Park and West Coburg will face off in what’s shaping as thrilling grand final. Both coaches reveal the keys to stopping the opposition and the players they’re cautious of.

West Coburg is hoping to return to Premier Division. Picture: Andy Brownbill

The Essendon District Football League division one season all comes down to Maribyrnong Park and West Coburg.

Led by Brodie Holland, Maribyrnong Park is looking to immediately bounce back to Premier Division after relegation in 2023.

West Coburg is hoping it’s third time lucky after two grand final losses in a row.

We spoke to the coaches about where the game will be won and lost.

MARIBYRNONG PARK VERDICT – BRODIE HOLLAND

West Coburg’s ‘trademark’

“They’re really strong around the midfield with three high quality midfielders in (Tom) Baravi, (Jonah) Horo and (Ruairi) Cleary. I feel their trademark is their clearance work and being able to do it with efficiency if you don’t put enough pressure on the ball carrier.”

Tackling a different looking forward line

“They have a different look to what most other sides might have, they’ve mainly got smaller players who are dynamic in the way they got about it. (Ibrahim) Taha and (Omar) Saad are really talented in their own right. You look at our end we’ve got a couple of bigger guys. If you allow them to get the game on their terms, their forwards can be really hard to combat.”

Team selection

“I’ve been coaching for 12 to 13 years and it never gets any easier when you tell someone they won’t be getting a game, whether it’s a grand final or round one. We’re probably looking at least one change due to the match-up situation but we’ll continue to assess it. It’s fantastic we’ve got the reserves in the grand final as well because it showcases the depth we’ve got at the club at the moment.”

On the game two weeks ago

“We had 14 guys playing in their first senior final in the second semi, we will take some confidence from that. They had the first eight scoring shots, which were behinds, we just managed to take our opportunities which gave us a real boost. I think we’ll see a real strategic game this weekend. We’ve played each other three times this year, I don’t take too much away from the second time when there was a bigger margin because they had a few missing which hurt their structure around the ground.”

WEST COBURG VERDICT – DANIEL BARNES

A third straight grand final

“We’ve learn a fair bit about preparing over the last few years but every time has been against a different team so you don’t look too much at the result. Sometimes you can try and pull a rabbit out of the hat for a grand final but we’ve stuck to our usual process. We’re staying calm and focusing on what we can control.”

Limiting Maribyrnong Park

“They’ve got quality players across the ground, a very good midfield with (Matt) Gaul, (Lachie) Plowman and (Brodie) Romensky. They can really hurt you on the spread if you don’t limit their space. They know their structures well. Their forward line will try and bring you up the ground and get you on the slingshot. They’ve got five guys with double figure goals so we know all about their diversity forward of centre.”

A decider in his first year as coach

“It’s all come down to having good people around me. Phil Cleary has been a real mentor for me, his experience has been something which has been something really important for me to lean on. Our captain Dane Lucas has been amazing. I had been involved as a senior assistant the last couple of years and I’m determined to help this group finish the job.”

Team selection

“We’re in a really good place at the moment. Everyone has trained fully throughout the week and with our reserves in the grand final as well, I’m very happy.”