Ovens and Murray: Lavington’s Darryn McKimmie goal after siren seals premiership

The Ovens and Murray grand final this weekend returns to the scene of one of the most talked-about premiership deciders in the league’s history.

Lavington’s Darryn McKimmie is forever remembered for a goal after the siren that clinched a premiership, and broke the hearts of a success-starved rival.

For a fleeting moment a 35-year premiership drought appeared ready to end for Myrtleford.

After trailing for most of the 2005 Ovens and Murray grand final, Myrtleford hit the front late in the final quarter. The bulk of the 15,000-plus crowd, who were willing the sentimental favourites over the line, sensed a tortuous period might be over.

Lavington, which had beaten Myrtleford in a grand final four years earlier, trailed by five points and had time for one final charge.

Everything had to go right and it did.

Lavington 2005 premiership hero and Upper Murray farmer Darryn McKimmie with sons Brax, 6, and Lachy, 10. Picture: Supplied

Playing in his 200th match, but partly wounded from a “friendly fire” corked thigh from a teammate in the first term, McKimmie was on the end of a “coast to coast” chain of precision possessions, 35m out from goal.

Oblivious to McKimmie, as he started his approach to goal, the final siren had sounded and the premiership hinged on the Upper Murray farmer’s last kick.

“I didn’t hear it because the pro-Myrtleford crowd was going crazy,” he said.

“It might sound silly, but I was one of those kids who spent endless hours in the backyard imagining situations ‘five points down, siren’s gone’.

“So, in a sense, I guess I was prepared.

“The kick felt good off the boot and sailed through.

“It’s not very often you get groups of grown men that will hug, cry, cheer, and yahoo together for hours, but September seems to be the month.”

Ovens and Murray 2005 premiers Lavington.

Lavington won by a point and another dagger plunged into the hearts of Myrtleford, which would lose another grand final 12 months later and still remains in search of its second O&M premiership.

Craig Millar was the league’s leading goal-kicker in 2005 playing for Myrtleford and said the loss was “devastating”.

“I had just come back on and the siren went basically,” he said.

“But you couldn’t hear it because there were 15,000 to 16,000 people screaming their heads off.

“The town had been starved of success since 1970.

“The disappointment wasn’t just felt by the players, but the whole town.

“Lavington had ripped their hearts out again after they did the same in 2001.”

On Sunday, Millar will be back at the scene of the 2005 loss in his role as O&M general manager.

Lavington 2005 premiership coach Tim Sanson.

Despite losing the lead late, Lavington coach Tim Sanson said his team “never thought we weren’t able to get it done”.

“We got our chance and (McKimmie) took it,” he said.

“It probably helped that he didn’t hear the siren, but none of us did.”

Lavington was forced to take the long path to the grand final after losing the qualifying final before thrashing Wodonga in the first semi-final.

But the win was costly, star midfielder Luke Schilg badly injured his knee and missed the rest of finals series.

Lavington won the preliminary final to set up the second grand final match-up with Myrtleford.

“The last time they had seen us that year was when they beat us by 90 points,” he said.

“It was an ambush on grand final day.

“They didn’t think we were a danger because they had smacked us.

“We just had to get in the game and as it turned out it could have been game over at quarter time.

“We knew we had a decent team, but the challenge was getting it all together.”

Lavington had overcome an earlier injury setback to Ganmain recruit Chris Kelly, who went down in round six with a serious injury.

But a handy replacement Peter Doherty, one of the era’s best ruckmen, returned from Coffs Harbour where he had been working about the same time Kelly went down.

As every sliding-door moment went Lavington’s way, Myrtleford’s fortunes began to nose-dive from second semi-final day.

Myrtleford won the match, but its troubles were only beginning.

Myrtleford’s Brad Murray. Picture: Aaron Cook

Star player Brad Murray was booked for striking Wangaratta’s Jake Bridges and was suspended for one match - the grand final.

An already huge story became bigger when Murray won the league’s best and fairest on the Monday night before the grand final.

Three days later he was in Melbourne facing a VCFL appeal board in a last roll of the dice to play in the grand final.

Players advocate Iain Findlay was hired by Myrtleford to ensure Brad Murray played in the grand final.

Myrtelford engaged AFL advocate Iain Findlay for the appeal, which proved a masterstroke as Murray was freed to play.

But flying under the radar was a further setback to another star player, Andrew Carey, who had a broken thumb.

MATCH DETAILS

LAVINGTON 2.6 6.8 9.10 10.12 (72)

MYRTLEFORD 0.1 5.2 9.3 11.5 (71)

Goals: LAVINGTON: A. Mathews 3, P. Sanson 2, T. Brown, N. Holman, T. Sanson, D. McKimmie, B. Sanson. MYRTLEFORD: C. Millar 3, C. Rigoni 2, M. Cavedon 2, B. Jones, S. Peters, B. McPherson, R. Fitzpatrick.

Best: LAVINGTON: C. Brown, P. Doherty, B. Mathews, L. Carroll, A. Butler, T. Brown, P.

Sanson, K. Stevens, A. Mathews. MYRTLEFORD: B. Jones, S. Peters, M. Cavedon, R. Fitzpatrick, T. Hodgson, N. Purss, S. Nightingale.