EFNL Division 2: Templestowe stuns Waverley Blues in qualifying final

It was a plan executed to perfection the coach says, as the Dockers took care of one of the Eastern league Division 2 heavyweights on Saturday.

Templestowe caretaker coach Nick Batsanis says it was a plan executed to perfection.

The Dockers stunned the Waverley Blues 15.15 (105) to 11. 6 (72) in a 2 v. 3 qualifying final on Saturday, moving a step closer to the Division 2 decider.

Batsanis said pressure proved the catalyst in halting the Blues’ trademark ball movement, as Templestowe raced to a 52-point half-time lead.

“We put a hell of a lot of work into how they play footy – they’re a high-handball side and they chain it out through defence with one, two, three handballs,” Batsanis said.

“If you can’t shut that game down it’s going to be a long day, so we put a lot of work into pressure at the contest, the ball carrier, shutting their stars down and not giving them that one-two-three link that they normally have.

John-Paul Malietzis was best afield. Picture: Valeriu Campan

“It worked for us, and they weren’t able to get their game going at all, probably until the back-end of the day when the game was done and dusted.”

Despite the third-placed Dockers’ dominance, the Blues piled on eight goals to four in the last term – cutting a 54-point three-quarter time deficit to 33 at the final siren.

But Batsanis dismissed any concern about the opposition’s last-quarter charge.

“The message at three-quarter time was to keep going the way we were, but it got to about 10 to 12 minutes (into the last quarter) where we brought a few guys off and put them on ice,” he said.

“Putting myself in a player’s shoes, the boys had done so much work they were probably just gassed.

“At the end of the day, we’re not playing for percentage either.”

Templestowe’s Matt Nagel. Picture: Field of View Photography

John-Paul Malietzis finished best afield with four majors – but the coach said it wasn’t just his goalkicking which proved the difference.

“His forward pressure’s immense for us – he’s very good in the air but he’s just as good on the floor,” Batsanis said.

“He’s got a bit of X-factor about him, he kicks the ball so well, (and) his field-kicking and goalkicking are exceptional – he’s just a livewire.”

The victory sends Templestowe into a semi-final clash with minor premier Boronia this Saturday – with a spot in the grand final up for grabs.

Batsanis declared himself a certain starter after missing the past month with a hamstring injury.

“They’re clearly the best and they deserve to be No. 1,” Batsanis said of Boronia.

“We feel internally that our best is good enough against anyone on their day.

“We’ll go to work on the way they play and their game-plan.”

The Waverley Blues will meet Heathmont on Sunday with the winner to advance to the preliminary final, after the Jets defeated Mulgrave by 47 points in an elimination bout last weekend.