EFNL 2022: Third South Belgrave flag in nine years marks rapid rise

The Saints’ climb has been rivalled by few across the past decade, with a third flag in nine years lifting the club to the second tier.

South Belgrave celebrates the 2022 Division 2 flag. Picture: Davis Harrigan

FEW can lay claim to the climb of South Belgrave across the past decade.

The Saints snared the Eastern league Division 2 premiership in a canter with a 39-point defeat of Ringwood at Mitcham’s Walker Park on Sunday.

The 13.14 (92) to 7.11 (53) victory marks a third senior flag for South Belgrave in nine years – and promotion to the league’s second tier.

It’s the club’s second consecutive premiership following its unbeaten 2019 campaign in Division 3, with the rapid rise beginning with an undefeated flag season in Division 4 in 2013.

Take out the two previous seasons wiped due to Covid, and it’s three flags in the past seven campaigns, and four grand finals in the past eight having challenged in 2012.

Tim Smith (left) and Luke Galliott (right) lift the cup. Picture: Davis Harrigan

South Belgrave senior coach Luke Galliott said the climb up the ranks had motivated his group, with no promotion for the Division 2 premier in 2023.

“That was the real driving force for us, knowing that there was no promotion next year,” Galliott said.

“We were desperate to get out of the division while we can and keep driving the momentum, but it’s something that I suppose when I came to the club in 2019, we were really confident we could do.

“Covid got in the way a bit, but we were really positive with the guys we got in ’19.

“We went down half a division that year with the (division) restructure, so we took advantage of that, then we came back to the comp that we technically were in and improved a heap in the past few years.

“We’re really bullish about the footy club, where it’s going and what it can achieve.”

Saints captain and ex-Melbourne forward Tim Smith put the Redbacks to the sword with a five-goal display to earn the Les Leete Medal for best afield.

Galliott paid tribute to Smith’s season, finishing with 77 majors from 20 matches.

He took over the captaincy following a season-ending injury to two-time competition medallist Liam Kidd.

“No doubt he’s been sensational,” Galliott said of Smith.

“He missed one game for the year, but other than that he’s been unbelievable every week.

“One of my assistants made mention that he reckons in six or seven games that if Tim didn’t play this year, we probably wouldn’t have won, so that says a fair bit about the guy.

“When Liam (Kidd) went down, he was the obvious one to take over the captaincy.”

Ex-AFL Kangaroo Taylor Garner also capped off his first season back in the local ranks playing in a premiership alongside older brothers Damian and Mitch.

Taylor Garner headed to South Belgrave after his AFL career finished. Picture: Davis Harrigan

The trio played in the same side together for the first time in May.

Taylor played nine matches kicking 34 goals, Damian produced 42 majors from 14 appearances while ruckman Mitch received a long line of mentions in the best.

MORE: Ex-Roo Taylor Garner on post-AFL life

“Hopefully they (the club) feel I’ve repaid them a little bit so far and I can keep doing that, and hopefully we can strive for a flag at the end of the year,” Taylor Garner told Leader in June.

The Saints produced plenty of highlights in Sunday’s flag win. Picture: Davis Harrigan

Galliott becomes a dual premiership coach at South Belgrave – but he’s steadfast in repeating the feats of the past two campaigns and continuing the climb.

“I’m pretty proud of the group and club that they’ve been able to build something, to allow me to manage it and do the day-to-day stuff,” he said.

“I’m certainly not underplaying it, but for me I just want to go and do it again to be honest.

“We’re going to leave no stone unturned to try and be competitive in winning next year – that’s where my focus is.”