Herald Sun Shield live stream: Demons AFL premiership duo go in to bat for grand final schools
Defences dominated and goals were hard to come by as ACC schools continued their recent domination of the Herald Sun Shield. RELIVE all the action from our LIVESTREAM.
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Whitefriars College made it five Herald Sun Shields in a row to ACC schools after defeating St Patrick’s College Ballarat by seven-points in a low scoring affair at Box Hill Oval on Wednesday.
On a windy day, Whitefriars fired out of the gates to gain a game high 20-point lead at quarter-time which they managed to hold onto and win 2.9 (21) to 4.4 (28).
WATCH THE FULL REPLAY OF THE SHIELD FINAL ABOVE
After a fiery first half with passion being shown on all fronts, Whitfriars held a 15-point lead heading into the final quarter with the breeze giving St Pat’s a chance of a comeback.
The victors were able to continue the trend of a scrappy game however, holding St Pat’s to one goal in the final quarter to get over the line in front of a large Whitefriars crowd.
Whitefriars captain Lochie Reidy led the way for his side earning the best on ground medal from Richmond’s Tom Lynch in the post-game presentations.
The win marks Whitefriars first premiership since 2004 when it won under Marc Murphy as skipper.
Best on ground performer Reidy was stoked after the win.
“It’s unreal, we have been building for this all year and for it to finally pay off is just amazing,” Reidy said.
“It’s great because it is the last game we’re going to play together and to win the ultimate game, we couldn’t ask for anything better.”
The 18-year-old who plays for Eastern Ranges in the NAB League, said his side focused on ensuring the game remained scrappy in the final quarter as it looked to hold onto a 15-point lead.
“We knew when the team’s were going with the wind, we just had to lock it down, stoppage after stoppage and to just jump on the ball really,” he said.
“It’s probably what got us the win in the end.”
Whitefriars coach Kristan Height thanked the Whitefriars school community.
“And of course to the Whitefriars community coming out and supporting in great numbers to get around the boys,” Height said in the post-match presentations.
“They played so well today in difficult conditions, so well done boys, you’ve earnt this and you deserved this and you’ve just made a memory that will last forever.”
Height also complimented St Pat’s who played in their 12th consecutive Grand Final today.
“Well done St Pat’s, we look up to you guys,” he said.
“You have the best football program in the country, always competing for this prestigious trophy so congratulations again for getting all the way through.
“We do look forward to our ACC rivalry continuing into the future when you come into the ACC next year.”
St Pat’s coach Gavin Webb said Whitefriars were the better team on the day.
“We probably had some chances but you took your chances more than us,” Webb said in the post-game presentation.
“We met earlier in the year in Ballarat so for us moving into the ACC, no doubt that this rivalry will just continue so congratulations Whitefriars.”
Webb credited his side’s effort including football director Howard Clark and captain James Clark.
“To our boys, couldn’t fault your effort, we made some errors but again credit to the opposition for the pressure you put on.”
REPLAY: St Patrick’s capitalise on Parade mistakes in Shield decider
St Patrick’s College Ballarat held strong against a powerful Parade outfit to pip them in the late stages of the game and take home the intermediate Herald Sun Shield.
The victors found its first lead of the game late in the final quarter while Parade College were let down by their inaccuracy as the finals scores stood, 7.9 (51) to 5.17 (47).
Down by eight-points at three-quarter time, St Pat’s managed to come over the top of Parade helped by a 50-metre penalty in the dying stages which gave them the lead.
In breezy conditions, St Pat’s vic-captain Ned Renfree stood up to receive the best of the ground medal from Hawthorn footballer Changkuoth Jiath in the post-game presentations.
Ned Bennett also provided a spark as one of the best players alongside his vice-captain Strahan Robinson who kicked two goals.
The Shield victory marked St Pat’s first in the intermediate division after years where they had fallen short in semi-finals.
Best on ground performer Renfree was proud of his side’s ability to come back and win.
“I thought Parade played really well,” Renfree said.
“We struggled in the back half in the first half of the game but I think we pulled together as a team at the end of the game.
“It was a real team effort which was really good to see from the boys that we could come back like that.”
Parade coach Ben Shelton complimented St Pat’s success in the Herald Sun Shield.
“I mean this with all due respect, I have had a gut full of hearing about how good you guys (St Pat’s) are at footy but you absolutely are,” Shelton said.
“I mean that out of envy and jealousy, you are a football powerhouse.
“One that sets the bar that everyone thrives to try and go past.”
PREVIEW: Premiership winners put school pride on the line for Shield decider
It is not just spots in the Melbourne forward line that Tom McDonald and Sam Weideman are fighting for, on Wednesday they will barrack for their old schools as they face off in the Herald Sun Shield Grand Final.
McDonald’s St Patrick’s College Ballarat will face Weideman’s Whitefriars College in a final which has history on the line.
The Herald Sun Shield grand finals will be exclusively live streamed by KommunityTV from 11am, Wednesday.
St Pat’s have proven to be the dominant force in the school competition this century having won eight Shields in 15 years which was sparked by McDonald who won the first of six-straight titles in 2010.
In their 2012 Shield win, they had 12 players in the side who went on to join AFL lists, including Brad Couch, Matt Crouch, Liam Duggan and Dan Butler.
Before the six-peat, they won the Shield in 2000 led by Drew Petrie with a best on ground performance and in 2005 with Shaun Grigg.
While St Pat’s have continued their success in reaching 12 consecutive Shield grand finals in recent times, it’s been the Associated Catholic Colleges who have had the cherry on top.
Since 2017, ACC schools have won the title.
A trend that ACC school Whitefriars would like to continue on Wednesday afternoon.
“Eight years ago we played them (St Pat’s) and they probably beat us purely off their reputation at this level,” Whitefriars captain Lochie Reidy said.
“I think the last few times, ACC teams have actually gone on to win so we’re going to continue that and make it five in a row.”
St Pat’s director of football Howard Clark, who coached the school for 19 years from 2001 said there was no pressure on the boys to end the trend.
“It’s certainly no monkey off your back but you just hope that the boys enjoy the experience and hopefully come away with the win,” he said.
The last time Whitefriars won the Shield was in 2004 with Marc Murphy as captain.
The Shield finals have often featured schools that have been a breeding ground for players to develop their games and impress recruiters on matchdays.
Tom McDonald moved from a small country town called Edenhope to Ballarat in his final year of school so he could pursue his football career.
The move to St Pat’s as a boarder cut the one-way three hour travel he previously made from his country home to North Ballarat Rebels training.
“It was just becoming too much travel,” McDonald said.
“The only opportunity to keep progressing my footy was to go to boarding school at St Pat’s.”
McDonald said he loved school footy in comparison to pathway competitions.
“The atmosphere and the team style of the footy there was a breath of fresh air,” he said.
“When you play in the NAB League, it’s a little bit like everyone is there for themselves in a way, you’re trying to get drafted, even if you’re a coach you’re trying to coach at the next level.
“I just didn’t like it, I never felt comfortable and I didn’t play my best footy but school footy, I really think I strived, I loved our coach Howard Clark, he was amazing.
“We still get along well to this day, talk to each other most weeks and it helped me become an AFL player just because I loved playing there so much.
“I think I got drafted off my school footy rather than my TAC Cup footy form.”
McDonald’s teammate and Whitefriars alumni Sam Weideman said he remembers the Herald Sun Shield being an important milestone for the school footy team.
“Throughout my school journey, I knew it was a really big occasion and we had a pretty heavy focus on it because with such a close group of mates, we always wanted to win something like that,” he said.
“It’s a pretty prestigious award and occasion.”
Weideman was injured for the Shield semi-final they made it to in 2013 but he recalls watching teammate Christian Petracca picking up “almost 50 touches” for Whitefriars and looking like “a man amongst boys.”
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