MPNFL: Bonbeach out to snap 38-year premiership drought

Bonbeach is just one win away from ending one of the longest premiership droughts in the Mornington Peninsula football league.

Bonbeach champion Shane McDonald has the ball as Sharks captain Jackson Casey looks on. Picture: Hamish Blair

Bonbeach has stormed into the Division 1 grand final with a decisive 23-point win over Frankston Bombers in Sunday’s preliminary final at Rosebud.

Sharks champion Shane McDonald slotted four goals and Beau Bailey was best-afield in the 11.14 (80) to 8.9 (57) triumph.

Bonbeach’s last premiership was 38 years ago in 1984 when the club was known as “the Beaches’’ and beat Red Hill in the Nepean league grand final.

The Sharks will face powerhouse club Frankston YCW in the 2022 grand final at Frankston Park on Sunday.

It will be a rematch of last week’s thrilling second semi-final, won by YCW with a last-minute goal by Luke Paynter.

Joseph Fisscher.

Sam Gilbert.

The stage is set for the Shane McDonald show at Frankston Park as the brilliant small forward chases his first flag in a superb two-decade career.

Frankston Bombers kicked the first two goals of the preliminary final but Bonbeach hit back with a vengeance, firing off the next 10 goals to surge to a 38-point lead at halftime.

Rain fell in the second half and Bonbeach’s scoring dried up; the Sharks managing only one goal after halftime while the Bombers kicked four to cut Bonny’s lead to 20 points at one stage.

But Bailey, Matthew Douglas, McDonald, Liam Hulett, Jack Sullivan and Sean Corrigan made sure Bonbeach held on to progress to the big dance.

Bonbeach coach Adrian Connolly.

Bonbeach coach Adrian Connolly said his side did well to hit back after the Bombers’ fast start.

“Our midfielders went to work and Shane McDonald turned on a little bit of magic with Trent (Dennis-Lane) and I think we kicked seven in the second quarter and the footy Gods looked upon us and brought some good rain,’’ Connolly said.

Bonbeach’s ex-AFL forward Dennis-Lane looked sore late in the game but Connolly said he would play in the grand final.

Connolly said the 38-year premiership drought wasn’t in his thoughts as he prepares his side for a tilt at the flag.

“As new coaches come and go you can only live in the future,’’ he said.

“I respect the past but you live in the future...it’s nice those little stories and things but it doesn’t really influence what happens next week.’’

He said his side would have to “bring our A Grade game’’ to beat Frankston YCW in the decider.

“But we’re in it,’’ he said.

“They’ve been a great team, they’ve beaten us three times, we know we’ve got a big week ahead of us.

“We just look forward to at least trying to take it up to them.’’

It was a sad end for long-serving Frankston Bombers coach Beau Muston, who announced mid season he was finishing up.

Dylan Garrett, Ryan Marks-Logan, Josh Chapman and Khan Haretuku were among the Bombers’ best players on Sunday.