EFNL 2023: South Belgrave completes unbeaten Division 1 home-and-away season

South Belgrave completed a perfect home-and-away season for the second time in four years on Saturday – with the Saints set to welcome back a gun duo for their first final.

FOR the second time in four years, South Belgrave is toasting an unbeaten home-and-away campaign.

The Saints sealed the deal on Saturday with an 85-point demolition of Croydon in the Eastern league’s Division 1, lifting the club to 18 consecutive victories this season – and 24 overall stretching back to last year.

South Belgrave was promoted to Division 1 following its Division 2 flag in 2022.

It finishes its campaign on top of the ladder, earning the first week of the finals off.

The feat isn’t lost on dual Saints premiership coach Luke Galliott – who also led the club to an unbeaten Division 3 campaign in 2019 on the way to the flag.

He said the weight of expectation off the back of past glories hadn’t shaken his group this season.

South Belgrave has saluted a second unbeaten regular season in four years. Picture: Field of View Photography

“We’ve probably used our previous seasons … it’s something we’ve sort of leant on and it hasn’t caused any anxieties or angst in the group – it’s just been about performing at your best every week,” Galliott said.

“Probably for some individuals (it’s also been about) trying to keep their spot in the team – the best part about that is no-one’s played selfishly, and it’s been team-first footy.

“That’s been probably the most pleasing part as a coach … (and) I thought we played as well as we had all year (on Saturday).”

Leading the onslaught was Tim Smith with six majors on Saturday – with the ex-AFL Demon a runaway winner of the Division 1 goalkicking crown, finishing the season on 53 – 14 ahead of Montrose’s Ryan Garthwaite.

Galliott said Smith came from the field in the third term – the coach taking a cautious approach with the 2022 Division 2 league medallist ahead of the club’s first final in a fortnight’s time.

Tim Smith climbs for a grab against Mitcham. Picture: Field of View Photography

“He’s just a star and he plays any role that we put him in, whether it’s on the footy or forward,” Galliott said.

“Without Taylor (Garner) being there the last month or so, he’s played more forward.

“He was off the ground 10 minutes into the third quarter – he took a massive mark and came down a little bit hard and was a bit sore.”

The coach declared the return of former AFL Kangaroo Garner was imminent after missing the past month with a calf injury.

Fellow forward and older brother Damian is also set to resume.

“Taylor will definitely be back for the first final … if it was a final (last Saturday) he probably would’ve played, but in two weeks he’ll be ‘mickey mouse’,” Galliott said.

“Damian will be the same – he’s got a bit of a corked quad but he’ll be right in a fortnight as well.”

South Belgrave awaits the winner of this weekend’s Montrose-Mitcham qualifying final.