SFNL: Dingley and Springvale Districts coaches speak on the tense Division 1 result

Both Dingley and Springvale Districts have spoken on Saturday’s tense draw and how they both addressed it post match.

Extreme disappointment followed by overwhelming relief.

While both coaches were disappointed they didn’t leave Souter Oval with a win, Zach Horsley (Dingley) and Kris Thompson (Springvale Districts) eventually departed relieved by earning two additional premiership points.

Dingley (fifth) had previously lost each of its past three while Springvale Districts hadn’t tasted defeat since May.

As the Dingoes led for most of the match – including by seven points with 90 seconds remaining – Horsley feels it’s a win that got away.

But he didn’t harp on the missing two points for long after the final siren, with the cavalry expected to return in coming weeks and a lighter draw on the run home.

“In the context of the game, I feel like we let it slip away,” he said.

“I felt like we dominated possession and territory for the majority of it and probably didn’t take our opportunities when they were there, especially in the third quarter.

“But I think in the context of the season, the draw probably plays in our favour after a couple of lean weeks.

“Our percentage, I think losing 45 or 50 per cent over the last three or four weeks, it’s going to play into our hands at the end of the year.

“Our destiny is in our own hands, I guess you would say.”

Dingley coach Zach Horsley. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Despite having a more difficult run home, and a win over the Dingoes being crucial, Thompson said his group “pinched” the outcome.

“I was pretty happy with the two points, we didn’t play overly well, and that’s nothing on Dingley, we just didn’t play the way we have to this point of the season,” he said.

“We had some key players out, so did they, it probably made for not a great game to watch with the top players from both teams missing.

“We probably pinched a couple of points there.”

Springvale Districts coach Kris Thompson. Picture: Valeriu Campan

After trimming the 13-point three-quarter time deficit to less than a kick within five minutes, and Dingley previously losing its last three final terms collectively 17.9 to 2.1, Thompson didn’t expect his Demons to run away with it.

“I didn’t think we would run over the top of them, I thought it was going to be a slog,” he said.

“We changed a couple of things up at three-quarter time that allowed us to score, but it probably allowed us to be scored against.

“It was always going to go right down to the end… we were happy to take the two, so we got the message out to Shak (Bragg-Taylor) to get it to the line and we did.

“We were lucky, it almost hit the point post, but at the same time, (Cameron) Dickie grabbed the kick in and tried a torp up the middle and shanked it, it landed in Dingley hands, it could’ve landed in Springy hands and we could’ve had a shot after the siren.

“It was dramatic, it was sloppy, but we were happy to take the two points.”

Toby Arms kicked the final goal of the game. Picture: Valeriu Campan

And Shakore Bragg-Taylor was involved in the final chain. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Although the Dingoes appeared agitated by the result in the short term, Horsley said the tone of his message post game remained optimistic.

“It was pretty upbeat to be honest with you,” he said of the rooms post game.

“We were down in the dumps about the situation but we have been up against it for a long time, and while we didn’t capitalise in front of goal, I think we won a lot of the big moments.

“That’s a lot for us to take forward for the rest of the year, we tried a couple things with our game style, we tried to accelerate in our areas and it paid off for us.”

Springvale Districts faces: Bentleigh, Cheltenham, Cranbourne, Port Melbourne Colts and St Paul’s McKinnon on the run home.

While Dingley face: Mordialloc, St Kilda City, Chelsea Heights, St Paul’s McKinnon and Bentleigh.

In other Division 1 matches, Cheltenham all but secured pole position on the ladder with an inspired win over Cranbourne.

The Rosellas led at every change before edging away in the final term to win 8.11 (59) to 6.6 (42).

Star teenager Sean Lai was yet again best afield.

Ex-AFL forward Mitch Brown booted eight of his side’s 10 majors in Mordialloc’s 10.5 (65) to 6.14 (50) win over Chelsea Heights.

Brown has kicked five, six, 10 and eight in his last four weeks.

An all in tussle sparked a comeback for Bentleigh in its match with Port Melbourne Colts.

The Colts led comfortably before the heated exchange in the third term, which then appeared to lift the Demons who kicked eight of the next 10 goals.

The Colts ultimately held on however, 12.14 (86) to 12.12 (84), to continue their splendid tilt towards finals.

St Paul’s McKinnon trounced St Kilda City, 24.19 (163) to 1.4 (10) to keep in touch with the final five.

Stephen Muller kicked five while James Sziller was the best player on the ground.