Lindenow South enter Omeo District league finals as favourites
A country club in the state’s east has gone from a winless 2019 season to premiership favourites. Here’s how they did it.
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A country football club in the state’s east has gone from a winless 2019 season to premiership favourites as Victoria’s long-awaited finals series begins on Saturday.
Lindenow South, a club in the Omeo District league, finished on the bottom of the ladder winless, having drawn one game.
Now the Swampies are just two wins away from completely the most remarkable of turnarounds as they fight for the premiership flag.
They’ll enter the finals series as strong favourites having suffered just one loss from their 11 games this season.
The remarkable surge up the ladder has been in large part to returning faces from the 2016 premiership team.
Coach Nathan Pollard has been the most notable after he claimed his third Omeo District league best and fairest earlier this month.
“It’s been fantastic to this point of the year especially after missing out on last season,” he said.
“I made the decision to come back and I was fortunate enough my old man, Glenn, and Simon Williams both put their hands up to give me a hand.
“I don’t think I could have asked for a better first season as a coach. I’ll be proud of this group no matter what happens but I know everyone is in it for the long-haul.”
Lindenow South’s dominance of the competition was on display at the league vote count with captain Sam Howden finishing third.
Swift Creek’s Travis Balmer finished as the runner-up by a single vote.
Pollard said Howden’s individual recognition was a result of all the hard work he had put in away from the training track.
“He has turned himself into a running machine,” Pollard said.
“In the past he was a big, strong full forward but his fitness has allowed him to play in a similar way Nick Riewoldt used to.
“Our backline led by Jake St John and Mitchell Neal deserve a lot of credit as well. They’ve both come back to the club and done a terrific job.”
Pollard said he was most proud of his club’s family culture.
“The club has always welcomed people from all walks of life,” he said.
“Like everywhere else it has had its tough times but we always manage to find a way through.”
Standing in the Swampies’ way of a free passage into the grand final is Swifts Creek who finished second on the ladder.
The two sides will need to wait for their return to action with the second semi-final scheduled for next Saturday.
On Saturday, all attention will be on Omeo-Benambra and Bruthen who will play in the first semi-final at Swift Creek Recreation Reserve, with the winner advancing to the preliminary final in two weeks time.
Omeo-Benambra will enter as strong favourites having comfortably accounted for their opponents in their two previous meetings.
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