Southern league grand final: East Malvern eyeing first Division 1 premiership
ONE of the youngest senior mentors in local footy, rookie coach Nathan Robinson will lead East Malvern into the Southern league Division 1 grand final against St Paul’s.
Local Footy
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Footy. Followed categories will be added to My News.
East Malvern has known some adversity this season.
A $5 million redevelopment of the Lucas Reserve clubrooms has meant the Panthers have operated out of portables, never much fun.
There was also the player-points drama that seemed to drag on for weeks. The bottom line was that the club was stripped of four premiership points, much to its disappointment.
MORE SOUTHERN LEAGUE FOOTY:
BULLDOGS UNDERDOGS BUT TOP DOGS
FLAG FLYING AT SPRINGVALE DISTRICTS
But the Panthers may end the season on a historic high.
They’re in the Southern league Division 1 season for the first time, chasing their first premiership in the top grade.
It’s been a gradual climb for East Malvern, which started in Division 3 when Southern was established in the early 1990s.
The Panthers were placed in Division 1 before winning a premiership; runners-up in 2006, they were promoted after Balwyn took off for the Eastern league in search of greater challenges.
East slogged away for a few seasons, was relegated in 2011 but went straight back up after winning a flag.
This year brought its fourth consecutive appearance in Division 1 finals.
“We’d sort of struggled to go deep, but this year we’ve taken that extra step and gone as deep as you can go,’’ East Malvern’s former long-serving president Scott Kirkwood said.
The Panthers have progressed under first-year coach Nathan Robinson, at 27 one of the youngest senior mentors in suburban football.
Robinson followed former coach Ben Lockwood to the club in 2016.
“He had coach written all over him,’’ Kirkwood said.
“He’s extremely passionate and he has a great footy mind. He’s still a very good player, a warrior, and we thought he could step into the role. He wanted to do it. Yes, it was a bit of risk because he’s young. But he’s really galvanised the group. He’s galvanised the whole club, actually. He’s really well liked. He doesn’t expect anyone to do what he wouldn’t do.
“Extremely popular but also hard enough and strong enough when he needs to be. His ability to keep everyone up in what has been a challenging year has been outstanding.’’
Some choice recruits have also helped to lift East Malvern into the grand final.
Former VFL player Steve Brewer, a premiership defender at Port Melbourne in 2011, joined as an assistant coach and has been a force with his long left-foot kicking on the wing and across half back.
Port-listed Chris Carey, who won the medal as Southern’s best interleague player, has dominated in the ruck; Lucas Hall, originally from Lauderdale in Tasmania, has been valuable at both ends of the ground; Marc Lonergan, the brother of former Cat Tom, has bolstered the defence, as has ex-NEAFL and Wagga Tigers player Dylan Morton; and local lads Dan Gauci, Jack Waterston and Tom Stephenson have been good inclusions.
East Malvern had six players represent the league and three of them — Carey, tough midfielder Luke Duffy and Hall — were selected for Vic Metro.
Carey and Duffy are from the bush; East Malvern has for years had a country flavour to it, recruiting players as they venture to town for work or study.
But the Panthers’ push for a premiership will also involve one of suburban football’s best players of the past two decades, former Vermont champion Ryan Mullett.
The former Eastern league premiership player and league medal recipient is 34 but remains a formidable midfielder with his relentless running and pin-sharp skills.
Kirkwood raved about his performance in the preliminary final against Mordialloc.
In Saturday’s grand final East Malvern comes up against minor premier St Paul’s at Springvale Reserve.
“I reckon they’re a fantastic club and have been for a long time,’’ Kirkwood said of St Paul’s. “They’re really well run, they’re well coached. They’ll go in as deserved favourites. But they only beat us by 10 points in the second semi and we had our chances. It will be a game about which side can takes its chances. We certainly think our best is good enough.’’
Kirkwood said there was a buzz at East Malvern, which turns 100 next year.
“I don’t think the feeling has been better at any stage in my time here,’’ he said.
“That’s easy to say but it definitely is. There’s a real optimism about Saturday and for the future.’’
MORE LOCAL FOOTY:
Your A-Z guide of country footy’s hidden gems in 2024
Country footy is full of cult heroes and gun players who don’t always get the recognition they deserve. We’ve named our best from across the state.
‘Just play and be free’: Ex-AFL livewire joins Firrito’s Brookers
Gembrook Cockatoo coach Michael Firrito has lured a former AFL teammate to help spark the Brookers’ resurgence in Outer East league.