Montmorency advances to semi-final showdown after defeating North Heidelberg

Montmorency banished last year’s semi-final demons with a strong qualifying final win over North Heidelberg and coach Nick Rutley reveals where the game was won.

Ayhan Bajramov in action for Montmorency. Picture: Nathan McNeill

Montmorency coach Nick Rutley believes the foundations of Saturday’s win over North Heidelberg were laid before a ball had been kicked.

The Magpies claimed a 19-point qualifying final win at Preston City Oval, banishing last year’s nightmare semi-final defeat.

In a howling Preston breeze, they held the Bulldogs scoreless in the first and third quarters but were able to score freely against it.

The 9.14 (68) to 7.7 (49) victory sets up a mouth-watering NFNL Division 1 major semi-final clash with two-time defending champion Heidelberg.

Rutley said the club’s mid-week planning was executed to perfection, aside from a wayward third term.

Marcus Lentini in action for Montmorency. Picture: Nathan McNeill

“North Heidelberg at Preston, I think was the biggest hurdle for our football club,” Rutley said.

“I thought we won the game during the week to be fair, the planning from our assistant coaches and buy-in from the players.

“Equally, the players have been really good at coaching on the ground and giving us feedback in-game, which has been invaluable.

“The ways they want to move the ball into the wind and with it, so I was really pleased for the players and the whole club.

“We butchered it in the third, we kicked 1.7, which was costly but at the same time we kicked nine goals and had nine goalscorers.”

Montmorency jumped out to a 23-point lead at quarter-time, having eight scoring shots to nil.

North Heidelberg looked to surge with the wind at its back in the second term but the Magpies answered each time and retained a 22-point lead at half-time.

The match could have been over at three-quarter-time if not the Monty’s inaccuracy, kicking 1.7, to leave the door ajar at 35 points.

However, the Magpies booted the first two majors of the last to push the margin out to 43 points and while North kicked the final four goals of the game it wasn’t enough.

Montmorency’s prowess against the wind highlighted by its 36 points with the breeze and 31 points against it.

“It’s huge, I think we kicked 5.2 into (the wind),” Rutley said.

“When you’re playing a game that is heavily biased towards wind and have to play two different styles, I still think you can score into it but you have to be precise with how you move the ball.

“That was one of the key things that the players came back to the bench with.”

Captain Stefan Uzelac was immense, sharing his time between ruck and defence, while Connor Kane kept league goalkicking medallist Parker Heatley goalless.

Marcus Lentini, Braedyn Gillard, Patrick Dozzi and Lachy Batchelor also impressed.

“We played Stef in the ruck a little bit and in defence, he was enormous,” Rutley said.

“All year he’s been huge but his last six or seven weeks have been incredible, I’m loving the way he’s leading the club first and the way he’s playing on the ground is second-to-none.

“I’m barely coaching him to be fair, he’s probably telling me what to do, as long as him and (Marcus) Lentini are playing well they can tell me what every they like.

“Connor copped a really nasty injury out at Hurstbridge about five weeks ago.

“He just thrives on defence and contest, young Parker Heatley is going to be bloody good player – he is a good player – and to keep him goalless is massive.”

For North Heidelberg, Liam Hunt, Brodie White, Ben Giobbi and Tom Rivis stood tall.

The Magpies will tackle Heidelberg with a spot in the grand final up for grabs.

They were the only club to defeat the Tigers last year and pushed the minor premier to one-point in Round 2 before a 28-point loss in Round 11.

Rutley said the Tigers would know the challenge his side poses.

“It’s a funny one, they know it, we know it and both clubs have a healthy respect for each other,” he said.

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“Vinny has the runs on the board, we’re all chasing him and I enjoy the coaching battle and the players are up for the same thing.

“Montmorency, to be fair, without silverware has been successful.

“There’s a lot of talent at the footy club, we just had to structure it up a bit and if you can get your defence right you can kind of let them go offensively.”

North Heidelberg awaits the winner of Sunday’s elimination final between Greensborough and Hurstbridge.