VAFA Division 4: North Brunswick secures promotion and grand final berth with semi-final win over Parkside
EMOTIONS spilt over in the North Brunswick changerooms on Saturday after the club earned its first VAFA grand final berth in more than two decades.
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EMOTIONS spilt over in the North Brunswick changerooms on Saturday after the club earned its first VAFA grand final berth in more than two decades.
The Bulls clinched promotion to Division 3 with a 14.13 (97) to 6.12 (48) victory over Parkside in the major semi-final, ending an 18-year stay in Division 4.
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The 49-point win brought tears to the faces of the diehards who have stuck by the club through most of that period as North Brunswick’s achievement sunk in.
“There were tears from the old timers,” coach Marcus Butera said.
“Just joy in having the seniors and reserves there. Everyone is excited, but we still know there’s one game to go and we are just hopeful we can win it.”
As they have for so much of 2018, brothers Brendon (four goals) and Jake George (three) ran amok up forward against the Devils, taking their combined season tally to 111 majors.
Chris Bateman, Ashley Rae and Matthew David also fired, earning the Bulls a week’s rest and direct passage through to the season decider.
Butera, who was born one year after North Brunswick won its most recent premiership in 1981, said a drought-breaking flag would be “enormous” for the club.
“I’d feel tremendous satisfaction of course,” he said.
“But it’s about the players. It would be great to just see old the old guys and ladies that have been around so long, it would be great to see the emotion.
“They were really emotional after making a grand final. If we could win it, it would be great to see the emotion of them and the players.
“It would mean a lot to a lot of people. If we’re lucky enough, I’ll get terrific joy in seeing so many people happy.”
Told his club’s 37-year wait for glory mirrored the drought Richmond ended last year, Butera said he hoped his side could replicate the Tigers’ heroics.
“I would hope the parallels, universe and the stars align in the same way,” he said.
North Brunswick will face either Parkside or St Francis Xavier, who meet in Saturday’s preliminary final, in the grand final next weekend.
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