EFL 2018: Boronia upsets Ringwood to win the Eastern Football League Division 3 premiership
BORONIA has recorded one of the greatest upsets in the history of the Eastern Football League, stunning Ringwood to claim the 2018 Division 3 premiership.
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IT will rank as one of the league’s greatest upsets.
Boronia stunned the previously undefeated Ringwood to win its first flag in 18 years after a famous 16-point victory in the Division 3 grand final at East Burwood Reserve.
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.@boroniahawks win their first @footyefl premiership in 18 years after a stunning victory over Ringwood! pic.twitter.com/txKaiDrkCs
— Toby Prime (@T_Prime2) September 16, 2018
The Hawks finished sixth in 2017 but on Sunday night they were dancing around the premiership cup after a 10.16 (76) to 8.12 (60) triumph.
A boilover was on the cards at halftime when Boronia led by 12 points, before three goals in the third quarter from Les Leete/Blue Ribbon medallist Luke Hannon broke the game open.
Hannon’s magic up forward gave the underdogs a 30-point lead at the final change.
Belief bubbled in the huddle that first-year coach Matt Clark, who arrived at Tormore Reserve after a successful stint at Wantirna South, could take Boronia to the promised land.
Brenden Rapisarda then sealed the unlikely win when he snapped truly from the pocket at the nine-minute mark of the final quarter, sending hysterical Hawks fans into raptures.
The win completed a clean sweep of premierships for Boronia, also claiming flags in the reserves and under-19s.
Clark was filled with pride just moments after stepping off the premiership dais.
“We gave ourselves a chance and we’ve focused on us all year,” Clark said.
“It is a surreal feeling because we knew that they were the best side all year.
“For the club to win three premierships, it is a fantastic feeling and it’s an absolute credit to the people who were here before me who got the list together and to get the buy-in from the players.”
Ringwood were overwhelming favourites but were left to swallow their first defeat of the year on grand final day.
The Redbacks entered the decider with a 19-0 record, but failed to find the answers to Boronia’s heat.
The Hawks set the tone for the fairytale victory with its manic pressure, suffocating the Redbacks with more than 40 inside 50 tackles.
The Hawks were brimming with youth, with 15 players under the age of 21 playing the premiership.
The win was also Boronia’s first premiership since the 2000 Division 2 premiership and fifth EFL flag.
“Our challenge from the start of the year was to not use age as an excuse and I was really big on that at the start,” Clark said.
“I had no expectations when I went to the club, I realised they didn’t make the finals last year and it was going to be a monumental effort to get a bunch of young men to not only change and learn a new game plan, but buy-in on e tough brand of footy.
“To their credit, everyone at the footy club has brought in on it.”
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