Romsey makes for undefeated season with grand final victory over Diggers Rest in RDFL

ROMSEY made for an undefeated 2014 season as it took out the Riddell District Football League premiership with victory over Diggers Rest in Sunday’s grand final.

Footy Romsey v Diggers Rest.Romsey winners.

ROMSEY made no secret of its ambitions for 2014.

A day after the Redbacks chalked up their 10th straight win to start the season against Rupertswood in June, coach Dean Helmers declared to the Leader: “I want to go through ­undefeated and win the premiership.”

It may have seemed a bold statement at the time, but on Sunday Romsey did just that as they completed a faultless campaign to take out this year’s Riddell District Football League premiership.

The best side all year, Romsey also proved the best side on the big stage on grand final day as it held off a Diggers Rest team which had won three knockout ­finals to triumph 9.17 (71) to 7.12 (54).

The Redbacks clearly had belief — as they had all ­season — as they achieved that goal Helmers had put on the table in June.

“I knew I had a good list of players,” the coach said.

“It was just a matter of it’s a long season, can we keep winning all that time? It probably surprised a lot of people that we actually did achieve that goal but if you don’t have goals, you can’t achieve them.”

The grand final itself was not always pretty.

Given the wide open ­spaces of Romsey Park, it was a surprisingly contested struggle between two sides who did not want to give the other an inch.

The pressure was right on Romsey early after Diggers Rest recorded the only two goals of the opening term.

But after kicking seven ­behinds to start the match, the home side finally found the big sticks through Ben Way at the 14-minute-mark of the second quarter and got going from there, taking a six-point lead at the main break before breaking away in the third quarter on their way to victory.

Diggers Rest took away one thing from the match though — it never gave up.

Even with what turned out to be just a couple of ­minutes left on the clock, Helmers still thought it was “game on” after three ­consecutive goals from the Burras.

But an upset come-from-behind win was not to be as Romsey held on to record the 26th premiership in its history and its third title since 2003. Defender Ayden Tessari, who received the Doug McIntyre Medal as best on ground, was one of many players experiencing a mix of excitement and shock after the game.

“It’s still sinking in, to be honest. But the boys played well,” he said. “I haven’t played in a grand final ­before but undefeated just tops everything off.”

Bradley Mitchell, Travis Mills (two goals) and ­Anthony Trigg were among the other standouts for ­Romsey in the win.

Diggers Rest co-captain John Ryan after his side’s loss. Photo: Carmelo Bazzano