How Murrumbeena secured the SFNL 2024 Division 2 premiership

Stacked with talent and tipped to triumph, Murrumbeena opted to return to an old approach before its emotional Southern league grand final win over East Malvern.

Murrumbeena celebrate its 2024 Southern league Division 2 premiership . Picture: Valeriu Campan

Murrumbeena flipped the script during the week.

The Lions were the team to beat from the first siren of the Southern league Division 2 season.

But heading into a third straight grand final, they opted to avoid the favourite tag and focus on doing what they do best — hunt.

And it worked, as Murrumbeena powered past East Malvern to lift the premiership in a 13.9 (87) to 9.5 (59) triumph.

It was third time lucky for the Lions, after losses to Black Rock and East Brighton in their past two deciders.

Drenched in emotion and beer, coach Michael Kinsella said the Lions put an emphasis being the ones to hunt.

“We’re the Murrumbeena Lions, so it was all about the hunt this week,” he said.

“We knew we might’ve had more on paper but you have to have the desire, the attitude and the hunt.

“We knew throughout the day we would get better and we knew they (East Malvern) would throw it up to us.

“We just embraced it, people probably think a stacked team on paper want to play fast footy, but we just embraced the fact that it’s going to be dirty footy in finals.”

Captain Jordan Pollard (left) and coach Michael Kinsella raise the cup. Picture: Valeriu Campan

That hunted tag was thrown around a lot when it came to Murrumbeena this year.

After a strong recruiting haul, the Lions were covered in expectation.

They finished the home and away season with just one blemish and raced through to the grand final after a commanding win over Doveton in the second semi-final.

But Kinsella, who took over from Liam Wilson this season, knew the names on paper meant for nothing if he and his group couldn’t put it together on field.

“There was a bit of pressure, it’s sort of hard to explain, you know you’re a good team but you have to tell the guys to not get ahead of themselves,” he said.

“You can’t reinvent the wheel as coaches either, so it’s a huge relief (to win).

“We’re in Div 1, where we think we should be.”

Dareo’s Double: Livewire Dareo Rogers was BOG. Picture: Valeriu Campan

With three premierships already in the bank (open grade, reserve and senior) – and the under-19s pushing for another next weekend – it’s hard to comprehend the Lions struggling.

Kinsella, however, remembers those days vividly.

And it was why the flag was such an emotional accomplishment.

“Liam (Wilson) and I took over as coach and senior assistant in 2021, at the end of Covid, and the club was in a pretty poor state,” he recalled.

“Our first session we had six blokes there at 6pm, so for our core nucleus to recruit was to get ex-Beena juniors, no matter what, and then try fill around the edges.

“What happened was we got everyone back, Jordy Pollard was a mate at work of James Shirley, he wanted to come as well.

“We tied in a few others and we went after a nineteens program.

“Once you build a program that’s inclusive, it has to be organic too, but we’re inclusive with our women’s program and I think people underestimate how important that is.”

SFNL Division 2 football grand final: Murrumbeena v East Malvern at Ben Kavanagh Reserve. Murrumbeena players celebrate their premiership victory. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Sam Michael had the footy attached to his hands all day but it was a three-goal haul from small forward Dareo Rogers which won the approval from the umpires.

Wade Lees was also tremendous for the Lions, holding a heavy tag on Panthers’ superstar Robbie Amendola.

James Shirley took the job of restricting Panthers’ skipper Isaac Morrisby (two goals) after defender Aaron Bodin went down in the first final.

Bodin, who missed just one game during the home and away season, ruptured his patella tendon in the first final.

The senior win followed the reserves’ three-point win over Endeavour Hills.

Beena forward Mitch Simmons was the hero, taking a soaring pack mark and kicking his side ahead in stoppage time.

SCOREBOARD

MURRUMBEENA 2.1 9.2 10.3 13.9 (87)

Goals: Rogers 3, Elton 2, Wright 2, Tolongs 2, Centinich, Virtue, Hargrave, Holmes.

Best: Michael, Rogers, Pollard, Lees, Shirley.

EAST MALVERN 3.1 3.1 6.3 9.5 (59)

Goals: Hogan 3, Morrisby 2, Bacolas, Berryman, Riley, Frith.

Best: McNamara, Berryman, Borcoski, Amendola, Hogan.