Victorian Amateur Football Association: Old Geelong edges Williamstown CYMS by a point in Premier C preliminary final

There were emotional scenes at the Box Hill City Oval on Saturday after Old Geelong made history by defeating Williamstown CYMS by a solitary point in the Premier C preliminary final.

There were emotional scenes at the Box Hill City Oval on Saturday after Old Geelong made history by defeating Williamstown CYMS by a solitary point in the Premier C preliminary final.

Behind at every change, except when it mattered, the Ogs earned promotion back to Premier B for the first time since the 1950s.

Contested pressure footy was the order of the day and with the scores deadlocked at the 29-minute mark of the last quarter, the game was up for grabs. A stray Old Geelong shot at goal that registered a behind proved to be the decider and, with the stalemate broken, the final siren sounded and Old Geelong saluted 8.18 (66) to 9.11 (65) to earn a grand final berth against Fitzroy.

OLD CAREY BACK INTO THE TOP FLIGHT

FITZROY INTO THE GRAND FINAL

NORTH BRUNSWICK CELEBRATES

Old Geelong celebrates at the final siren Picture: James Ross

“It was gutsy, really gutsy. We were two men down at the start of the second quarter and to be down two players against a quality outfit like Williamstown and to hang in there, says a lot about our players today,” Old Geelong coach Nick Bourke said. “We wanted to play a fast open paced type of game and they wanted to play longer and taller, so it was a game of two styles and the bigger ground here at Box Hill suited us.

“This club hasn’t been in B Grade since the 50s, this is a generational type thing and there are a lot of emotional people who were very happy about today. It’s huge, you know this club has been perennially in D and C Grade forever, and I think they were last in B Grade in 1958 or something and they haven’t been close since then, but they’re now mixing it with the big boys.”

Bourke, a 200-game player and premiership coach at Old Xaverians as well as a former president of the association, thought he’d seen it all in VAFA football.

“This is just amazing and it’s what makes football great. I always said I wanted to go back to a lower grade of football and help build and bring them back up,” he said.”This is amazing, football clubs are infectious and it’s great for this proud club. I said to the players after the game that today was for the volunteers of the club and next week is for the players themselves.

“The challenge we have now is to look after our injuries, control our emotion and get everything ready for next week.”

Jacob Jess (Old Geelong) leads the race to the ball. Picture: James Ross

Williamstown CYMS 3.6 6.8 7.10 9.11 (65)

Old Geelong 2.5 4.8 6.10 8.18 (66)

WILLIAMSTOWN CYMS Goal Kickers: J. Hogarth 2, J. Gray 2, T. Johnstone, N. Ebinger, R. Joy, J. Noonan, D. Jones Best Players: T. Johnstone, Y. Hemphill, J. Connolly, S. Callard, D. Jones, J. Slee

OLD GEELONG Goal Kickers: T. Balcombe 2, J. Simson, J. Nettlefold, C. Hatzis, S. Anderson, J. Read, J. Hutley Best Players: E. Keach, J. Hutley, J. Sheridan, W. Horsfall, J. Jess, D. Nicolson

SEASON OVER FOR OLD TRINITY

Old Trinity bowed out of the Premier finals race after a hefty defeat at the hands of St Kevin’s in the preliminary final at Elsternwick Park on Sunday.

SKOBs won 19.12 (126) to 9.9 (63) to earn another crack at Collegians in this weekend’s grand final.

Mitchell Brown (four goals) and Billy Kanakis (three) bankrolled the win while Lachlan Sullivan and Nicholas Wood joined Brown as the SKOBs’ best,

Sam Joyce, Thomas Mason and Alex Polidoros kicked two-apiece for Old Trinity while veteran Brendan Iezzi, Jack Hunt and Harry Thompson were gallant in defeat

St Kevins 8.4 11.5 16.9 19.12 (126)

Old Trinity 4.0 6.2 8.5 9.9 (63)

ST KEVINS Goal Kickers: M. Brown 4, B. Kanakis 3, N. Wood 2, L. Sullivan 2, N. Reeves 2, J. Corboy, C. Matheson, S. Kennedy, S. Barnett, H. Lagastes, J. Strauss Best Players: M. Brown, L. Sullivan, N. Wood, C. Hodges, A. Lynch, E. Phillips

OLD TRINITY GRAMMARIANS Goal Kickers: S. Joyce 2, A. Polidoros 2, T. Mason 2, A. Larkey, E. Weatherson, A. Kyriacopoulos Best Players: B. Iezzi, J. Hunt, H. Thompson, S. Joyce, E. Weatherson, L. Whelan

HAWKS FALL JUST SHORT

Hawthorn stumbled at the final hurdle when beaten by favourites Glen Eira 10.12 (72) to 8.9 (57) in the Division 3 grand final at the Trevor Barker Oval on Sunday.

The Hawks led by 14 points at halftime before Glen Eira booted five goals in the third term to edge in front

Thomas Bowler kicked two goals for Hawthorn while Brodie Johnston, Cameron Allum and Darcy Johnston did best on the biggest day of the year.

Despite the loss, Hawthorn will step up to Division 2 next season.

Glen Eira 2.1 3.4 8.6 10.12 (72)

Hawthorn 2.4 5.6 7.9 8.9 (57)

GLEN EIRA Goal Kickers: A. Barrett 5, B. Connelly 2, L. Pound, M. Wilkins, A. Rowe Best Players: A. Barrett, C. Hirschman, T. Richardson, M. Fletcher, A. Carey, M. Harris

HAWTHORN Goal Kickers: T. Bowler 2, R. Ogge, S. Wintle, C. Bilton-Gough, C. Travaglia, J. Ridley, N. Raiti Best Players: B. Johnston, C. Allum, D. Johnston, J. Perks, J. Raiti, N. Raiti

Old Geelong coach Nick Bourke calls the shots Picture: James Ross