VAFA 2018: Glen Eira beats Hawthorn by a point to make the Division 3 grand final

GLEN Eira has literally limped into the VAFA Division 3 grand final after edging Hawthorn by a point in the second semi-final on Saturday, despite suffering a spate of injuries.

Glen Eira’s Julius Waras Carstensen fractured his arm in three places on Saturday. Picture: Stuart Milligan

GLEN Eira has literally limped into the VAFA Division 3 grand final after edging Hawthorn by a point in the second semi-final on Saturday, despite suffering a spate of injuries.

The Gryphons finished the game with only 16 fit players as they held on grimly to win 10.9 (69) to 9.14 (68) at Whitefriars College.

Three players suffered serious injuries: young gun Jesse Maxfield did his ACL in the opening quarter, key forward Julius Waras Carstensen fractured his arm in three places after trying to shrug a tackle and Julian Stone also suffered an ACL injury.

Waras Carstensen underwent surgery on Saturday night and, at 31, might not play again.

Glen Eira led by 26 points at quarter-time, 20 at halftime and 21 at the last change but was running on empty in the last quarter as Hawthorn surged home.

“We had a couple of blokes who, under other circumstances, would have come off and not played out the day but it was a final so they stayed out there,’’ Glen Eira coach Jon Edgar said.

“We basically after halftime just had to shut it down and we did that pretty well.

“We managed to score a couple (of goals) after halftime but we really tried to slow the game totally down because we knew we’d run out of legs and we knew wouldn’t get to the line if we didn’t.’’

Ash Carey was instrumental in the win, along with Matt Harris, Stuart Carey, Todd Richardson, Jamie Doran and Stone before he did his knee.

Glen Eira, which has won 18 of its 19 games this season, will have a week off before contesting the grand final.

Edgar believes the Gryphons have the depth to cover the injuries.

“We’ve dealt with injuries all year,’’ he said.

“The depth is there, we’ll be okay I think. If we didn’t get the weekend off we were cooked. If we had have lost by a point we would have been cooked this week without a shadow of a doubt.’’

Defenders Kye Cherian and Daniel Petsinis and forward Andrew Barrett are likely to come into the side for the flag decider.