SFNL: St Paul’s McKinnon thrashes Dingley to keep ‘unlikely’ finals dream alive
St Paul’s McKinnon needs a few things to fall its way this Saturday if it's to play finals but Dogs coach Jason Heffernan says it's the unlikeliness of their recent run that has driven his group.
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St Paul’s McKinnon coach Jason Heffernan says embracing the unlikely is playing a role in his side’s run of form.
While the Dogs’ finals chances are slim, so was the probability of what they’ve achieved in the past five weeks.
The Dogs have collected wins over St Kilda City, Cranbourne, Chelsea Heights and most recently Dingley, with their only loss being by a solitary point to Port Melbourne Colts.
The results have the Dogs one win outside the five but still one of the most dangerous teams in the competition.
Heffernan says his group has used doubt as a driver in how they attack the final month of 2023.
“The commentary to us is that while it does feel unlikely, if you’re five goals down to Cranbourne at half time, it’s unlikely that you’re going to win that game, we won it,” he says.
“If you’re five goals down at quarter time against Port (Melbourne Colts) at Port, it’s unlikely that you’re going to get near it, we lost by a point.
“Every game seems to matter, us versus Dingley, if they win they sew up second spot, if Springy win they keep their double chance intact.
“That was my commentary to the boys, every win seems to matter in the results, so I was actually more hats off to Port for beating us and then Springy.
“I just hope our boys put the performance they did against Dingley against Springvale, it’ll be a good motivator over the summer I think.”
Saturday’s performance was the pinnacle of the Dogs’ season, dismantling Dingley 21.9 (135) to 4.12 (36).
Heffernan says it was an emotion-filled performance that could’ve swung one of two ways pre-game.
“It was one of those ones where it was all there, the boys were just on,” he says.
“There was huge emotion; our fitness guy is going in for open-heart surgery in three weeks and he is close-knit with the club.
“One of our old past admin guys was there on Saturday, he had a stroke at the end of last year and it was his first time back down to the club.
“He can’t speak, he has lost all his faculties and he was down on Saturday… it was one of those days where the emotion was going to be too much to handle or it was going to the driver in what ended up happening.”
Despite a 4-1 record since announcing his resignation Dogs coach, Heffernan says the form isn’t swaying him back on his decision.
“It’s extremely bittersweet for me,” he says.
“It’s not that I don’t want to coach St Paul’s or don’t have great relationships with this playing group, it’s just the right thing to do.
“There’s so much emotion attached to it because it’s not that I don’t want to be there, it’s because it’s the right thing to do.
“It’s given us a bit of time to look at the playing group you’ve got and enjoy the last five or six weeks with that group that has been with you for so long.”
Matt Kreymborg kicked five and Stephen Muller kicked three while Matt O’Brien and Austin Murphy ran amok.
Nathan Freeman and Lachlan Lamble were solid for Dingley.
The Dogs need to claim victory over Springvale Districts and Mordialloc to upset Port Melbourne Colts if it’s to jump into finals contention.
If the Dogs are to defeat the Demons but the Colts beat the Bloodhounds, it would mean they have defeated four of the top five — excluding only Cheltenham — this season.
Port Melbourne Colts, meanwhile, made the Dogs’ finals hopes unlikely by clinching a bright win over Springvale Districts.
The Dees came hard in the final term but a late goal to the home side sealed the 15.13 (103) to 13.15 (93) victory.
Chan Hargraves booted five for the Colts while George Angelopoulos found immediate form after a fortnight on the sidelines.
The Dees and Colts have taken one win apiece from their two outings this season and will likely settle the score in the first week of the finals.
A vintage performance from Cranbourne’s Marc Holt propelled the Eagles back into third position.
The champion forward kicked 10 majors in the Eagles’ 18.19 (127) to 1.2 (8) win over Mordialloc.
The Bloodhounds have struggled since losing Mitch Brown through a shoulder injury, kicking just one goal in their past two matches, but Jack Sullivan, Jack Bailey and Lachlan Howes put up a strong fight on Saturday.
Cheltenham’s Josh Fox also filled his boots with another eight majors in the Rosellas’ commanding victory over St Kilda City.
The powerful forward gave a few off too as Finn Ryan also kicked six in the 29.21 (195) to 0.2 (2) win.
While the Rosellas’ forwards are cashing in the back six has a unique streak running, having not conceded a goal for 10 quarters of football.
Bentleigh has won its third win in as many weeks and, in doing so, has leapt Mordialloc on the ladder.
The Demons had 10 individual goal kickers in the 20.12 (132) to 8.12 (60) triumph over Chelsea Heights.
Nick Bufalo kicked two and was among the best for Bentleigh while Luke Nunn (four goals) and Ben Cooper were also impressive.
Cody Stackelberg was Chelsea Heights’ best.
SFNL Division 1 ladder: Cheltenham 64, Cranbourne 48, Dingley 46, Springvale Districts 46, Port Melbourne Colts 44, St Paul’s McKinnon 40, Bentleigh 20, Mordialloc 16, Chelsea Heights 12, St Kilda City 4.
ROUND 18 FIXTURE: Chelsea Heights v Cheltenham, Port Melbourne Colts v Mordialloc, St Kilda City v Cranbourne, Dingley v Bentleigh, Springvale Districts v St Paul’s McKinnon.
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