WRFL 2018: Yarraville-Seddon suffers third grand final loss in a row

Coach Vinnie Turcinovich has denied his players were hampered by Yarraville-Seddon’s status as a red-hot flag favourite after the WRFL club’s premiership dream evaporated.

Yarraville-Seddon skipper Lachie Longmire after his side's WRFL grand final loss to Point Cook. Picture: Local Legends Photography

Coach Vinnie Turcinovich has denied his players were hampered by Yarraville-Seddon’s status as a red-hot flag favourite after the Western Region Football League club’s premiership dream evaporated.

The Eagles were undefeated during the regular season and earned a direct passage through to the decider after they knocked off Point Cook in the major semi-final.

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But they failed to find their best in Sunday’s Division 2 grand final at Werribee’s Avalon Airport Oval as they went down by seven points, 9.14 (68) to 8.13 (61), marking Yarraville-Seddon’s third consecutive defeat in the final match of the year.

“I don’t think it was the pressure,” first-year mentor Turcinovich said.

“After quarter-time, all that nervousness and pressure sort of goes out the door and you relax and play footy.

“As much as Point Cook were more determined, I think we only played 15 minutes of footy and that was in that second quarter.

“That’s what I took out of it. Fifteen minutes of footy and still lost by seven points. It was really disappointing.

“Credit to them and their talls. They stood up and took more marks around the ground and we weren’t able to bring it to ground.”

Point Cook celebrates its Division 2 premiership triumph. Picture: Supplied

The Eagles started slowly and trailed by 15 points at quarter-time.

By halftime the margin has been reduced to 10 points.

Conventional wisdom suggested the competition’s leading side since April would blow its opposition away with a second-half burst.

But Point Cook held firm to secure the ultimate prize in its first season in the WRFL since crossing from the VAFA.

“You’re always disappointed,” Turcinovich said.

“Winning every game and not sort of being challenged, and that was the downfall I guess at the end.

“Jesse (Varsamakis) went down early but kept playing. Blake Green copped a heavy knock, but we just didn’t come to play.

“Credit to Point Cook, they wanted it more and worked harder than us. That’s what it came down to.

“We just weren’t prepared to run and hurt like they were.”

Michael Tsaloukis, Connor Smillie, Matthew Wright, Mason Angrove, Nicholas Tsaloukis and Tyler Raymond were named Yarraville-Seddon’s best, but Turcinovich conceded it was “hard to pick winners” from his side.

Star midfielder and skipper Lachie Longmire, who has been a member of all three grand final defeats, cut a dejected figure after the siren.

“I couldn’t talk to him after the game,” Turcinovich said.

“He was probably hurting more than everyone else.

“I guess he’s lucky he’s played in three grand finals but not a winning one.”

While they have been a strong team in recent seasons, the Eagles fielded a revamped line-up in 2018 and have plenty to look forward to.

Nine players — Longmire, Nicholas Tsaloukis, Jacob Connors, Jordan Robinson, Jack Hargreaves, Brandon Lester, Corey Salvador, Lachlan Huell and Varsamakis — were named in the Team of the Year.

“When you’ve got a whole bunch of new boys coming through, it’s exciting for the club, exciting for them and exciting for me as coach,” Turcinovich said.

“There’s plenty of positives throughout the year and that’s all we’re going to hone in on.

“Top up with a couple of other players and hopefully we’ll go again.”

Turcinovich said the club was confident of retaining its core group of players.