Eastern league: Why Chirnside Park’s 2021 was a ‘success’

The Panthers broke a stack of longstanding hoodoos as they went from cellar dwellers to finals contenders, prompting this feedback from the coach.

The Panthers started their run with a drought-breaking win in Round 2. Picture: Steve Tanner

It didn’t end the way Chirnside Park would have liked, but senior coach Dave Newlands believes his club’s Division 4 campaign was a success.

The Panthers rose from cellar dwellers to finals contenders, after breaking a two-season losing streak in Round 2. They later won back-to-back matches – and won on their home ground – both for the first time in almost four years.

And after suffering relegation from Division 3 at the end of 2019 on the back of two winless seasons, they were also on the verge of snapping a 12-year finals drought – until COVID threw a spanner in the works.

But after posting a 6-5 win-loss record and finishing fourth at the conclusion of the shortened season, Newlands declared his group’s result a positive outcome, all things considered.

“It (2021) definitely was a success … I thought we’d always be in the top four to be honest,” he said.

Chirnside Park’s season was a success, Newlands says. Picture: Steve Tanner

“Coldstream were clearly the best side but the other sides around that second to fourth mark I thought were pretty even.

“It would have been nice to play a final, and I think after the Silvan game (in Round 12) we were absolutely flying at that stage and then we got struck down again.

“We were a totally different side by that stage – all the new guys had gelled, and everything was just working … I think we piled on 10 goals in the second quarter against Silvan.”

Newlands said the list would hold the club in good stead for the future, which features just a handful of players over the age of 28.

He’s confident the list will remain intact, while veterans in key forward Daniel Beddome and ruckman Grattan Stephens are touted to play on.

Newlands says Stephens was Division 4’s most dominant ruckman this season. Picture: Steve Tanner

Newlands said the club would also get to work on replacing centre half-back Kieran Urquhart, who has relocated interstate for work.

“Our older guys are pretty much just Beddome and ‘Sticks’ (Grattan Stephens) which are above 30,” Newlands said.

“The rest are all 28, others are 24 and it goes down to the 17s. They’re (the club) in a really good spot for a long time for development.

“Everyone’s really happy with the year we’ve had … they can see the change, they can see the shift, and they can see that they can play finals footy with the best of them.”

And one gun midfielder could snare the Eastern league’s Division 4 best and fairest – the Stephen Jones Medal – according to Newlands.

“Ben Slattery, if he doesn’t win the league best and fairest, I’ll be shocked,” Newlands said.

“He had an absolutely unbelievable year, this year.”

The finals race is wide open in Division 4 next season after the league confirmed this week that the undefeated Coldstream would be promoted to Division 3.

“Finals is a minimum next year – that’s the starting point for us, I think we can definitely target that for next year and from then on, who knows,” Newlands said.