Diamond Creek returns to NFNL Division 2 grand final after defeating Whittlesea
The biggest NFNL Division 2 finals win since 1998 sees Diamond Creek return to the grand final stage, ending Whittlesea’s season in brutal fashion.
Northern
Don't miss out on the headlines from Northern. Followed categories will be added to My News.
You’ve likely seen The Simpsons meme where young onlookers implore Krusty the Clown the stop beating up the Hamburger Thief.
On Saturday, it was Diamond Creek beating up Whittlesea in one of the most extraordinary preliminary final performances in recent memory.
A 93-point demolition job at Epping Reserve.
It’s the biggest NFNL Division 2 finals margin since Lower Plenty trashed Macleod by 103 points in the 1998 minor semi-final.
The 18.14 (122) to 3.11 (29) victory earns the Creekers a return to the grand final stage and a shot at redemption.
After just one loss in the home-and-away season, the Eagles’ season ends in disappointment and for the first time it will not immediately bounce back from Division 1 relegation with promotion.
Diamond Creek coach Andrew Tranquilli said his players proved to themselves what they’re capable of.
“It’s a reinforcement to our playing group, that’s the style of play we can produce when we put it all together,” Tranquilli said.
“This year rounds one to 18 was about qualifying and then making sure, come finals, we’ve got to put it all together.
“It wasn’t fantastic, the first final against Morang, it was close but not good enough then there were signs last week that we’re close to our best.
“(Saturday) was the prelim final against the premiership favourites and we just worked to our mantra is – our pressure.”
Whittlesea will be left to rue a wayward first quarter when it kicked 0.7.
Diamond Creek punished that inaccuracy, booting 4.1 itself, to take a 18-point lead into quarter-time.
With the breeze at its back in the second term, although a little imprecise, the Creekers fully capitalised piling on 6.6 to one goal and stretching the half-time margin to 53 points.
Last year’s grand finalist kept the pressure on in the third term, pushing the advantage past 10 goals.
Andrew Elward’s third goal of the day pushed the lead to 99 points late before a late Mitch Taplin consolation goal for Whittlesea avoided any danger of a three-figure defeat.
Tranquilli said the first-half efficiency set up the win.
“We were pretty clean and efficient in how we transitioned the ball and we kicked straight,” he said.
“They could easily have had three or four goals – whether that’s finals pressure, I can’t answer that – and it’s a different story.
“Pleasingly we were able to kick goals and that was the message at quarter-time, ‘don’t fool yourself, well done but they’ve had seven scoring shots and it could easily be the other way around’.
“We kicked 6.6 and it all started with our contest work, we got hands on the ball first and owned possession.”
Matt Lewis was named best-on-ground in the win, impressing off half-back with his intercepting and rebounding to turn defence into attack on numerous occasions.
Ben Major, Jacob Booth, Tyler Barnes, Brenton Keating and Matthew Brennan were also key contributors, while Elward, Tom Baird and Jett McLaughlin all booted three goals.
For Whittlesea, Riley Carter, Steven Dempsey, Lucas Hobbs and Xavier Dimasi stood tall on a dirty day.
Diamond Creek will now look to turn the tables on South Morang after the Lions claimed a six-point win in the qualifying final a fortnight ago.
The Creekers will also be determined to erase last year’s heartbreak of losing the grand final to Eltham.
With the seniors and reserves to play this weekend, the club hopes to have all three football sides in the grand final after the under-19s won through to the Division 1 preliminary final.
South Morang will have all three sides in action at Preston City Oval on Saturday after the Lions’ reserves and under-19s completed Whittlesea’s misery a preliminary final win of their own.
Tranquilli said the club knew it wasn’t far away but it couldn’t allow South Morang the same freedom it had previously.
“We were one kick away in the first final but that’s not to say they don’t have room for improvement as well,” he said.
DIV 1: HEIDELBERG CRUISES INTO THIRD STRAIGHT GRAND FINAL
LEADER: GET YOUR NORTHERN FOOTY NEWS HERE
DIV 3: HISTORY AS OLD PARADIANS WIN FIRST-YEAR FLAG
“We just need to make sure we nullify their strengths, get our hands on the ball first and control the way we use it then they’ve got to chase us.
“Gary has got them well drilled, so if we allow them easy footy it will be game on.
“With our reserves in the grand final and our 19s winning (on Sunday), it’s going to be a good vibe on the track.”
South Morang and Diamond Creek will contest the senior and reserve grade grand finals, while St Mary’s will tackles the Lions in the under-19s decider.
Northern clubs make recruiting splash
RECRUIT TRACKER: Northern league clubs have combined to sign more than 150 recruits for 2025, including ex-AFL, VFL-listed talents and promising young guns.
Whittlesea’s one big lesson from straight sets exit
Having crashed out of finals in straight sets this season, Whittlesea is taking a different approach to season 2025 and has secured the return of several juniors.