Macleod advance to Northern Football League grand final with win over Heidelberg

MACLEOD coach Garry Ramsay has batted away the ‘premiership favourites’ tag after his side’s thrilling seven-point win over Heidelberg on Saturday.

Macleod coach Garry Ramsay. Picture: Eugene Hyland

MACLEOD coach Garry Ramsay has batted away the ‘premiership favourites’ tag after his side earned itself a chance at back-to-back flags for the first time in the club’s history with a gripping seven-point win over Heidelberg on Saturday.

Heidelberg looked in complete control by the early stages of the second quarter with a 27-point lead.

It took until midway through the second term for Macleod to register their first major through the agency of Hamish Paynter, which sparked a run of four goals in 13 minutes as the Roos drew level at the main break.

Trailing by five points halfway through the final term, a Shane Doherty checkside goal and Joel Kidd set shot in the space of a couple of minutes saw Macleod hold on for a 10.13 (73) to 10.6 (66) win.

In Ramsay’s four-year helm at the club, it was just the Roos’ third win from 14 games decided by a goal or less, with Heidelberg inflicting three of those losses, as well as a seven-point loss in Round 18, 2014.

Ramsay said star injured trio Lucas Hobbs, Nick Lynch and Jack Langford would all be possibilities to return for the grand final on Saturday week, with the Roos to face the winner of the preliminary final between Heidelberg and Greensborough.

Injured star Lucas Hobbs (centre) will be a possibility to return for the grand final. Picture: Hamish Blair

“None of them are certainties but they are all possibles,” Ramsay said.

“They’ll be some hard selections coming up but it is nice to be in that position.”

When asked if Macleod deserved to be favourites for the premiership, Ramsay said the grand final would be a “50-50 game”.

“We still hold an inferior record to both Heidelberg and Greensborough this year, they’ve got us 2-1,” he said.

“We’re happy not to be the total underdog, whoever we play it will be a 50-50 game.”

Ramsay said discipline on and off the field had been the key to the side’s success this season.

Macleod will be looking to achieve the club’s first back-to-back premierships. Picture: Hamish Blair

“The onus was put on the team in general with some behaviours and they have really rectified the situation,” he said.

“(Our) recoveries have been good, extra sessions have been really good and our discipline on the field has been really good.

“They’ve turned into a group that I know what I am going to get.”

Ramsay said this Macleod team had set a “high benchmark” for future Roos teams, with the majority of players being homegrown products.

“I’d like to think it is a good blueprint for other clubs to be patient with your own and if you put some resources into your own, good things can happen,” he said.

“It doesn’t always have to be recruits or outside, you don’t always have to look outside for improvement.

“Sometimes the best form of improvement comes internally.”