AFL Outer East football: Narre Warren claims flag against Berwick

Narre Warren has claimed the inaugural AFL Outer East league’s Premier division flag in stunning fashion, beating rival Berwick by nine points.

NARRE Warren has claimed the inaugural AFL Outer East league’s Premier division flag in stunning fashion, beating rival Berwick by nine points.

Narre Warren had lost its past six clashes with Berwick, including last year’s semi and grand finals in the South East league, and this year’s semi-final. Berwick had also come out on top in the 2017 South East grand final.

But Narre Warren was not to be outdone on Friday, winning 5.6 (36) to 4.3 (27) in wet conditions on the AFL Grand Final holiday.

“It was a pleasant surprise. We’d hoped that we would be competitive, but the game was fantastic,” Narre Warren club president Stuart Stephenson said.

He also believed the poor weather helped Narre Warren, with a qualifying final against Beaconsfield in similar conditions preparing the team for a wet game.

“We set up to play good wet-weather footy and we kept our game plan fairly simple, and I think we adapted to the conditions pretty quickly,” Stephenson said.

This was the first year of the new competition, which brought together clubs from the former South East and Yarra Ranges leagues into three divisions, which allowed for promotion and relegation between divisions after each season.

AFL Outer East administrators have already released its proposed composition of the Premier, Division 1 and Division 2 competitions next year.

If those plans are not altered, there would be 10 teams in the Premier division next year (with Doveton and Pakenham promoted from Division 1) and nine teams each in Division 1 and Division 2.

The proposal includes the additions of former junior club Berwick Springs into Division 1, and Riddell District club Broadford into Division 2, if its application to join the league is approved.

Berwick was also included, even though the club applied to move to the Eastern Football League next season. That application was knocked back by the Eastern league clubs last week.

Next year movement into or out of Division 2 would be by application, rather than automatic based on results.

Stephenson was positive about the first season in the new competition.

“We feel like we have been welcomed by the Yarra Ranges clubs,” he said.

“Certainly a league that has football and netball together is something we want to be a part of.

“I’m not sure how long-term it is, but certainly we’ll be comfortable there for the next couple of years. The senior standard of footy is good, but (we) hope that the seconds and thirds improve, and if it was our long-term home that would be good but it’s a bit hard to know.”

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