Heidelberg wins third straight NFNL Division 1 premiership, defeating Montmorency

Heidelberg continues to break new ground, a third straight NFNL Division 1 premiership completing a top-flight clean sweep for the first time in 49 years.

Heidelberg celebrates winning the NFNL Division 1 premiership. Picture: Andrew Batsch

Three-peat. Clean sweep. History.

Heidelberg stamped its authority on NFNL Division 1 with a third consecutive premiership at Preston City Oval on Saturday.

The Tigers were simply too good for old rival Montmorency, winning by 41 points, in front of 4000 people.

The margin strangely flatting the Magpies, given the inaccurate 9.19 (73) to 4.8 (32) scoreline.

It completed a sweep of the day’s flags, having earlier won the under-19s and reserve grade – the first club to achieve the feat in the top flight since Reservoir-Lakeside in 1975.

Heidelberg coach Vinny Dattoli and captain Keenan Posar hoist the premiership cup. Picture: Andrew Batsch

Heidelberg’s Brody Tardio celebrates on the final siren. Picture: Andrew Batsch

Heidelberg players celebrate, while Montmorency players commiserate. Picture: Andrew Batsch

While the premiership hat-trick is the third in club history, following 1910-12 and the 2006-09 four-peat.

A colossal performance in defence earned Ben De Bolfo the grand final medal, the Box Hill VFL-listed defender simply impenetrable at times during the match.

Fellow key defender Daniel O’Dywer, now four-time premiership star Lachie Wilson, Luke Bunker and Brody Tardio also stood out.

Now two-time Tigers premiership coach Vinny Dattoli said it was a special day in club history for several reasons.

“It’s unbelievable isn’t it,” Dattoli said.

“It will sink over the next week or so but to have the whole club do what they’ve done today, it’s a phenomenal club.

“The players do what they do but there’s so many good people behind the scenes and I’m sure the whole club will enjoy this day for a while.

“Des Luckman, who’s 90 this year and a stalwart of the footy club, we designated the year to him at the start.

“He’s been part of our pre-game to this point, so I wanted to acknowledge him, and we wanted to fill him with joy.”

Nathan Honey gave Heidelberg the perfect start, slotting the opening goal of the game inside the opening three minutes.

Stef Uzelac and Tom Keys battle in the ruck. Picture: Andrew Batsch

Brody Tardio and Mitch Jorgensen celebrate a Heidelberg goal. Picture: Andrew Batsch

Solly McKay and Sam Wright made it three goals in quick time before a barrage of behinds.

The Tigers kicked five straight behinds before Ben Crick finally got Montmorency on the board just before quarter-time to keep the Magpies in the game.

Tardio kicked the first major of the second term before three more behinds had Dattoli nervously patrolling the sidelines, seeing his team waste a glut of opportunity.

Monty ruckman Flynn Riley made it an 18-point game and then disaster struck for Heidelberg when Brayden Sier limped off with a hamstring injury.

However, Honey kicked his second seconds before half-time to land a critical blow for the Tigers.

They took a 25-point lead into half-time, despite having 10 more scoring shots, 5.11 to 2.4.

When Montmorency’s Nick Green soccered through a goal early in the third it looked game on but two-time Rosbrook Medallist Lachie Wilson produced the goal of the day to immediately answer back.

Losing his marker at a boundary throw-in, the Richmond VFL ace swooped on a loose ball and snapped truly through traffic.

Magpies gun Nash Holmes produced his own moment of magic shortly after, a one-handed pack mark, and converted his set shot to keep his club’s hopes alive.

However, it would prove to be Montmorency’s last goal of the game.

The war of attrition threatened to derail Heidelberg’s day as first Benjamin Nikolovski rolled his ankle and then Jess Gedi twisted his knee.

Tensions spilled over in a fiery finish to the third term with O’Dwyer first going toe-to-toe with Nash Holmes after throwing him into the Heidelberg bench and then Marcus Lentini after a bone-rattled hip-and-shoulder.

With Montmorency pressing, De Bolfo then produced a desperate goal-saving tackle to deny Levi McCormack before a towering intercept mark set up a Tom Keys goal that gave the Tigers a 28-point three-quarter-time lead.

So good all day, Heidelberg’s defence came to the fore in the final quarter, keeping the Magpies goalless, while first O’Dwyer and then Tardio put the icing on top a commanding performance.

“There’s been a lot of grand finals, as we all know, you go back to North Melbourne in 1998 when they kicked themselves out of it,” Dattoli said.

“We felt like we were in control, it just would have been nice to kick some of the goals we were missing.

“That’s footy and the boys kept their composure.

“We lost a couple of players that hurt our rotations, losing Brayden Sier is never easy then we lost Jesse Gedi, which really hurt.

“But our last quarter was equally as good as our first, we’ve defended really well all year – it’s the backbone of our style – so we’re rapt.”

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For Montmorency, Cameron Nyko shone off half-back, working hard defensively and consistently giving drive forward.

Holmes, Jordyn Gillard, Billy Jenkin, Connor Kane and Patrick Dozzi also stood tall.

Heidelberg also defeated Montmorency in the reserve grade decider, winning back-to-back flags by 54 points.

In the day’s opening game, there was more history for the Tigers as they won their first Division 1 Under-19’s premiership, defeating Diamond Creek by 42 points.