MPFNL Division 1: How Mt Eliza’s flag journey unfolded
Mt Eliza coach Rikki Johnston has revealed six weeks ago he doubted his side could win the premiership. He explains how the Redlegs turned it around to become the best side in the Mornington Peninsula league.
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A brutally honest Rikki Johnston admits he had his doubts.
Late in the home and away season last month, the Mt Eliza coach knew his side needed to lift if it was to bring down the might of Dromana.
Words were spoken, plans put in place.
The Redlegs had to improve on the run.
Fast forward to Sunday and Johnston and his Redlegs were hoisting the premiership cup, having swamped Dromana with a razor-sharp second-half onslaught.
Mt Eliza was back on top of the MPFNL, winning its first senior flag since 2005.
“If we had have wound back about six weeks I don’t think we were ready yet,” Johnston said.
“And we really tried to get the boys to understand that we needed to keep improving in season.
“It wasn’t one where we’d say, ‘hey we’re not ready yet we’re going to wait ‘til next year’. We knew if we could keep fine tuning and get the belief up, we probably knew we had the cattle, but I think for us to play our best game last week (in the preliminary final) and then to trump that this week at the right time of the year probably shows that they did believe that we could keep improving.”
Johnston sold belief to his players.
After last week’s preliminary final win, he declared “we’re super confident’’ of beating Dromana in the decider.
The comment raised eyebrows around the league.
Seven of the eight rival coaches tipped Dromana to win the grand final, and comfortably.
But Johnston knew his side could conquer the Tigers.
“I presented some numbers to the guys on Thursday around the fact that we’d played eight quarters against Dromana this year,” he said.
“We’d won five, lost two and drawn one, so I think externally people might not have been in our corner but we were okay with that because I think we believed we could match it with them and I think we match up well with them which showed out.”
The coach had full confidence in his players; he knew what they were capable of.
“We’ve probably got a nimble forward line like they (Dromana) do but we thought we could cover theirs better than they could cover ours,’’ Johnston said.
“They’ve got a lot of great players and a lot of great midfielders and we knew it was going to be tough in there but we just hung tight and tried to halve those contests and the rest looked after itself.”
Trailing by 10 points at half-time, Mt Eliza clicked into gear in the premiership quarter, firing off five goals straight.
“We sent Tommy Small into the midfield which I think was a big boost for the group,’’ Johnston said.
“Look, the reality is in the second quarter when they kicked their score we just didn’t look after the ball and we know that’s Dromana’s DNA, they want you to get into a chaotic up and back game and that’s how they like to score.
“So we knew if we could look after the ball and be clean with our skills then we’d definitely get some more looks at it but I don’t think any one could have predicted how much we’d get a look at it.”
Johnston said the return of defender “Bob’’ MacDonald Girolami late in the season was crucial in the Redlegs’ road to glory.
He broke his foot playing for Richmond’s VFL side in March but recovered in time to take his place in Mt Eliza’s side for the last six weeks of the season.
“We got Bob back late. I think he showed today that he’s probably above that level and dominated that game,’’ Johnston said.
“Even Chris Carey coming into the group and Damian Mascitti. They were the older heads that we needed and they guided this group really well along with Scags and Nelma. That’s really all they needed, a bit of belief.’’
Many believe Mt Eliza is now set for a sustained period of success.
“The knock on the club has been that they’ve fallen over in the hard games but I think that monkey is off the back now,’’ Johnston said.
“Now it comes down to being able to continue to grow and evolve and now we become the hunted.’’
MATCH DETAILS
Dromana 1.3, 5.6, 6.9, 7.10 (52) def by Mt Eliza 4.1, 4.2, 9.2, 12.3 (75).
Goals:
Dromana: Clayton Gay 2, Sam Geurts 2, Jordan Andrews, Ethan Johnstone, Luke Oborn.
Mt Eliza: Mitch Smith 3, Lachlan Williams 3, Michael West 2, Owen Williams 2, Damian Mascitti, Tom Small.
Best:
Dromana: Jake Aarts, Billy Geurts, Josh Geurts, Dean Waugh, Riley Davis
Mt Eliza: Christopher Carey, Nicholas MacDonald Girolami, Michael West, Finlay Bayne, Tom Small
Reserves: Mt Eliza 11.7 (73) def Frankston YCW 9.10 (64).
Goals:
Mt Eliza: Robert Elliott 3, Aaron Bennell 2, Max Mourney 2, Harrison Scott, Josh Allan, Lachlan Enno, Will Taylor.
YCW: Michael Chaplin 3, Aaron Walton 2, Josh O’Toole, Jack Butland, Jaxson Mead.
Best:
Mt Eliza: Lachy Hodder, Nicholas Strickland, Harrison Scott, Max Mourney, Daniel D’Alberto
YCW: Zeb Quick, Aaron Walton, Jack Matthews, Jack Butland, Owen Vine
Under 19s
Mt Eliza 11.16 (82) def Langwarrin 3.5 (23)
Goals:
Mt Eliza: Jake Mones 6, Leon Brancatisano, Brodie Mcwilliams, Oliver Dignan, Dusty Corfield, Hudson Rigg
Langwarrin: Kylan Mitchell 2, Chad Bertrand
Best:
Mt Eliza: Oliver Pfister, Jackson Tanner, Jake Mones, William Deutsher, Oliver Dignan
Langwarrin: Brodie Carpenter, Max Poulios, Levi Chirico, Jaxen Mason, Jhett Moli
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