EFL 2019: Vermont claims back-to-back EFL premierships
Vermont greats have labelled the 2019 premiership side among the best ever seen in local football as the Eagles completed a dominant home-and-away season by claiming back-to-back flags.
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As Vermont completed back-to-back EFL flags in its fourth consecutive grand final appearance on Saturday, attention turned to one question.
Where should this Eagles side rank among the club’s greatest teams?
Vermont’s history is littered with champion players and teams, but many will regard the team that lifted the 2019 Premier Division cup atop that decorated list.
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The decider was mostly one-sided as Harmit Singh’s side produced a 36-point win over Blackburn at Bayswater Oval to complete a dominant home-and-away season, which took in only one defeat.
And the premiership celebrations start for @VermontFC. pic.twitter.com/4nDEn1SF67
— Toby Prime (@T_Prime2) September 21, 2019
Vermont administrator Lee Bidstrup said this team deserved to be considered in the top few sides ever seen in local football.
“I’ve seen sides where we’ve won four (premiership) in a row … (but) there are many players here that I can’t recall us having better ones,” Bidstrup said.
Retiring Vermont champion Ryan Mullett declared it as “probably the best team I’ve played in” as he celebrated his fifth premiership to go with the 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 triumphs.
“I held my powder a little bit until we won but on reflection, this is probably the best team I’ve played in,” Mullett said.
“I’ve played with some great players. In terms of (a) pound for pound team, it’s full of superstars.”
Captain Lachlan Johns, Tom Schneider, Mitch Honeychurch, Alex Greenwood, Adam Parker and Robbie McComb controlled the midfield battle, and veteran ruckman Robbie Ross put in a vintage performance.
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Schneider was adjudged the Cliff Tomkins/Blue Ribbon Medal winner as best afield, while Rory Lehmann led the backline with support from Matt Willcocks, Joey Fisher and Tom Maas.
In attack, Blackburn had no answers for Brett Eddy, Andrew Ainger, Jake Best and Kirby McConnon.
Mullett said there was no reason why Vermont could not continue to remain the standard-setter of Australia’s premier community football competition.
“It’s just so well set up,” he said.
“Obviously the salary cap and the (player) points make it a little bit different but you’ve just got to invest in your juniors and I reckon we’ve got a great program with that.
“The core of the group are 24, 25 so they’re still in the sweet spot.”
To underline Vermont’s strength, only six of the 22 players in the grand final did not have state league or AFL experience. And yet it had 11 player points up its sleeve in its cap.
Blackburn coach Brendan Allen labelled it the best side he had seen in local football.
“I’ve seen obviously some good VFL teams but that team out there would probably give the top eight at VFL level a shake,” Allen said as he digested a 12.18 (90) to 8.6 (54) defeat.
Spearhead Eddy, with his VFL, SANFL and AFL experience, said Vermont would hold its own against any state league team.
“This side would go reasonably well against some bottom-half VFL teams,” Eddy said.
But we may only be witnessing the start of another dominant period in the club’s history.
President Michael Rennie said “I can’t see at this stage why they can’t continue on and be strong”.
Respected EFL commentator and former Vermont team manager Wayne Brasher said “this side of the past two years is the most beautifully balanced side Vermont has ever put on the park”.
“Winners across all lines … it really helps when you have key forwards, bat eight to 12 deep in the midfield and you’ve probably got nearly the best six defenders in the competition,” Brasher said.
“I’ve seen some good footballers come through but this group sets itself apart from some of the others.”
Vermont had won 27 of its past 28 games leading into the grand final and enjoyed an average winning margin of 54 points in that time.
By halftime, the purple and gold ribbons were all but being tied to the premiership cup.
The Eagles had established a 31-point advantage after expertly defending against the wind in the first quarter and capitalising with a 6.7 to 1.0 second term.
The clash became a grind following the main break before Andrew Ainger provided the sealer early in the last quarter.
All that was left was for Vermont to soak in another September triumph as it stamped its legacy as one of the greatest local football teams ever assembled.
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