SFNL: Cheltenham is on its way to a fourth consecutive Division 1 decider

Cheltenham is into a fourth consecutive Southern league grand final but it wasn’t without two important lessons. Coach Justin Pickering discusses those and provides an update on a wounded star.

Cheltenham coach Justin Pickering. Picture: Andrew Keech.

Cheltenham coach Justin Pickering says his side needs to turn two areas of its game around quickly if it is to secure another Southern league premiership.

The undefeated Rosellas held off Dingley by one point, 7.11 (53) to 7.10 (52), to book a place in a fourth consecutive Division 1 grand final.

Pickering’s men trailed at every change and only hit the front halfway through the last quarter, courtesy of a composed set shot from skipper Jack Worrell.

The Dingoes then had a chance to clinch victory with the last kick of the match through Lochie Benton but his shot skewed across the face of goal.

Pickering said the tight win was “a good lesson” on the importance of ball use and pressure after the Rosellas were “poor in those areas” before half time.

Pickering asked more of his stacked midfield at the main break and felt he got a response in the second half.

“I think at quarter time they (Dingley) were starting to use the ball quite well and play hit up football and we were a bit slow to react,” he said.

“We pride ourselves on the turnover game and I think we just didn’t put the pressure on like we normally do.

“At some stage that’s going to pay a price and towards the end of the second quarter, they had a lot of the ball and got the reward.

“I think our forward line wasn’t getting the feed we needed to, you can blame the forwards but I don’t think the mids were delivering it the way we’re used to.

“I put it on the mids at half time and they responded, they took ownership of it and that’s how we’ve done it all year.

“The mids really responded, it was about trusting each other, even though we didn’t hit the front until late in the last quarter, that confidence and trust in each other got us over the line.”

Sam Hayes. Picture: Andrew Keech.

While the Rosellas’ pressure usually leads to turnover scores, it was the Dingoes who scored 49 of their 52 points from turnover.

Pickering said the lack of pressure not only hindered their ability to score gave top Dingley forwards Caleb Lewis (four goals) and Trent Dennis-Lane (two goals) too much time and space.

“Our pressure could have been better and when it is, as in post half time, it just makes the job easier for the forwards,” he said.

“Vice versa, pressure makes it easier for the backs as well, good forwards like Trent and Caleb like space for the mids to deliver it into.

“That’s not taking anything away from Dingley, they played a really good pressure game, so I think we’ll need to turn that around quickly.”

The Rosellas did suffer a significant casualty in their tight win.

Ex-AFL man Sam Dunell, who was a prized recruit for Cheltenham this off-season, sustained a compound fracture to his finger.

“He was in a fair bit of pain when he came off so it looks like his season is done unfortunately,” Pickering said.

“He will be unlucky, being such a key player for us and having been terrific all year, it’s very disappointing.

“It’s not ideal but that’s footy, when one goes down one has to step up.”

Sam Dunell is likely to be the unlucky story of the Southern league season. Picture: Andrew Keech.

Jacob Edwards, Sam Hayes, Dylan Weickhardt, Joshua Lai, Jack Worrell and Rex Kilburn were Cheltenham’s best while Lucas Walmsley, Michael Barnes, Caleb Lewis, Lochie Benton, Josh Ferguson and Kai Stretton were the Dingoes’ best.

St Paul’s McKinnon, meanwhile, ended Cranbourne’s run with an 85-point thrashing.

The Bulldogs got the jump on the Eagles with a six goal to two first term and just built on their ascendancy from then on.

Bulldogs’ skipper Matthew Kreymborg kicked six, all of which came in the third quarter, while livewire Sam Hilton-Joyce was at his blistering best.

The result was a sour farewell for champion Cranbourne coach Steve O’Brien.

St Paul’s McKinnon now meets Dingley again in this Saturday’s preliminary final.

It will be the third time in four weeks the Dogs and Dingoes face off.