EFL 2018: East Burwood eliminated from Division 4 flag race after a 19-point defeat against Glen Waverley Hawks

EAST Burwood will be one of two Eastern Football League clubs to have played in all five divisions after being knocked out of the Division 4 premiership race.

EAST Burwood will be one of two Eastern Football League clubs to have played in all five divisions after being knocked out of the Division 4 premiership race on Saturday.

The Rams led by three points at quarter-time but the Hawks took control in the second term with five goals to one to set up a 26-point halftime lead.

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The margin was trimmed to 13 points at the final change before Glen Waverley steadied to record a 12.11 (83) to 9.10 (64) victory and advance to this weekend’s grand final against Whitehorse Pioneers.

East Burwood coach Stuart Wynd said the game got away from his side just before halftime.

Luke Brown gets the ball on the boot. Picture: David Crosling

“It was probably a five, 10-minute period and they kicked four goals really quickly and then they kicked the first two of the third quarter,” Wynd said.

“All of a sudden you look up at the scoreboard and we’re seven goals down. It was really disappointing.”

Wynd said the Hawks’ burst was the difference in the game.

“Other than that it was all pretty tight, we had our go in the third quarter where I think we kicked five straight goals and got right back into it, but it just felt like we needed that one more just before three-quarter time,” he said.

“We missed one at the start of the last quarter, which probably would have put us in front, and it was pretty tough from then on.

“You’ve got to take your chances in big finals, they missed a couple as well but they were the better team on the day.”

With both grand finalists to be promoted to Division 3 as part of the EFL restructure, East Burwood will be one of eight clubs to drop to the fifth tier in 2019.

Jason Kennedy is caught in a tackle. Picture: David Crosling

The former competition powerhouse has tumbled from Division 1 since 2013 but ended its 14-year wait for a finals victory in the elimination final against Forest Hill.

Wynd, who has re-signed for 2019, said the season had been “really successful”.

“If you had have said at the start of the year that we were going to play in a preliminary final, we certainly would have taken that,” he said.

“From where the club has been in the last three or four years, especially barely winning a game of footy, to get back winning games and getting people back to the footy club and enjoying the place again, we’d like to think we’ve got a little bit of respect back.”

With a host of returning players and recruits landing at the club at the end of last year, Wynd said the Rams had re-signed the majority of their list.

“They’re all going around again, which is terrific,” he said.

“We’ve got some really good under-17s coming up into our under-19s this year, so hopefully in a couple of years they can filter through to the senior group.”

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