SFNL: Hampton has secured the Division 4 premiership double
Hampton’s fairytale transformation is complete after it took home the Southern league Division 4 senior and reserve premierships. We unpack the action and emotion of a historic day.
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Hampton’s fairytale revival is complete.
The Hammers, who dropped two divisions to field one team in 2022, have won the Southern league Division 4 double, taking home both the senior and reserve premierships.
Hallam led at the first and main changes but Hampton’s class in difficult conditions eventually rose to the top in the 8.12 (60) to 5.9 (39) triumph.
Hammers’ spearhead Madden Griffin capped his 96-goal season with five majors on the biggest stage.
Dynamic forward Levi Robinson was adjusted best afield while Matt Neve and Jack Sharlassian were Hallam’s best.
Hampton president Graeme Hyman said the club’s transformation from almost folding to kings of Division 4 “all came together today”.
“Three years ago we were on our knees, we had eight at training a week before the season was going to start,” he recalled.
“The boys got together and this is where we’re at … the lid is off.
“How did we do it? We were lucky we got some really good blokes in, we got a recruiter in, we got ourselves a good coach — you’ve got to get the right people around and it all came together today.
“It’s great … Division 3. We want to get back to Division 2 and even Division 1 over the next five years.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do but this is the beginning of it.”
Hammers’ coach, 1999 Norm Smith Medalist Shannon Grant, was overwhelmed with “relief” post game.
“I am proud of this group, they’re young men who love their footy, they do it for mateship, for friendship – I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Grant said.
“We had to fight for it but their character, resilience and their strength came out in the end.
“They’ve been able to create something today they’ll bond over for the rest of their lives.”
Grant immediately called Seb Sands to the podium after he received his premiership medallion.
Sands played 17 games for the Hammers this season but was ruled out of the finals series after being diagnosed with stress fractures in round 18.
Grant donated the medallion to Sands, who he feels will be a “massive part” of the Hammers’ rise back up the ranks.
“He’s a young kid in his first year of senior footy, he might’ve played one or two games in the reserves but played in the seniors after that,” he said.
“He played a really important role for us and he unfortunately got a stress fracture in the last game and had to miss out.
“He’s a terrific young kid, he will continue to work, get stronger and be a massive part of this club moving forward.”
Earlier, Hampton’s reserves stole victory from the clutches of defeat with a three-point win over Lyndale.
The Hammers conceded three goals in as many minutes early in the fourth quarter to trail by 16 points.
Two goals in time on, including the winner from Dylan Impagnatiello with 26 seconds left, sealed victory.
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