A GRADE
Hatherleigh 10.15 def. Robe 7.9
Hatherleigh players put their grand final phobia behind them and defeated a gallant Robe by 24 points in the Mid South East Football League (MSEFL) grand final at Kongorong on Saturday.
Spectators got full value for their admission fee with quality footy being played despite the blustery cross-wind.
In essence, the first half belonged to Robe and for the fourth time this season they headed the minor premiers at the long break but then succumbed.
After the long break in the grand final, Hatherleigh took the lead and never surrendered it.
A bit of luck had helped the seasiders to be in a good position at half time as their skipper and reigning Mail Medallist Henry Lawrie won the toss for the third consecutive match.
Lawrie had no hesitation in having his team to kick to the southern (school) end as this wind-assisted location had received most of the goals kicked during the three curtain raisers.
Robe booted just two goals in the opening term with Lawrie, teenage defender George Dutton and ruckman Tom Wachtel to the fore.
Hatherleigh coach Tom Hutchesson was the standout for his team in this period and the Eagles were unsettled and unable to post a goal.
With a handy quarter time lead of 12 points, the Robe ascendency continued into the second term with their forwards booting a further three goals to stretch their lead out to 30 points.
The seasiders missed a couple of other opportunities to register six-pointers as the ball twice hit the post.
Hatherleigh’s scoreline read a lame 0.7 before clever play on the goal line by Brad Mitchell brought up the first major for the Eagles.
Another followed soon after from Paddy Chay to give Hatherleigh some momentum at the half-way mark of the so-called big dance.
Facing a deficit of 18 points, the Hatherleigh fightback began in the third term with two goals within four minutes.
In all, the Eagles added 6.3 in the third term while not conceding a score.
As the footy folklore goes, it would appear the teams had swapped jumpers at the long break.
The run and skilled ball movement previously shown by Robe was now being executed to near perfection by Hatherleigh.
Hutchesson was at his brilliant best and teammates Mitchell, Louis Brown, Mikey Telford and Mitch Pulmer came into the contest.
Seaside defender Jordan Pettit was yellow-carded in unusual circumstances in the third term and his 15-minute absence from the playing arena was critical.
Watching from the sidelines, umpires director Neil Webber and reserve umpire Chris Brooks saw Pettit commit what they judged to be rough play involving Telford.
Brooks ran on to the oval to inform the player and the umpires.
Trailing by 21 points at the last change, the Roosters could not match the fresher legs of their opponents and their better use of the ball.
The honours were shared in the final term as the blue and golds ensured they would be successful in their first-ever grand final clash with Robe.
Within minutes of the final siren, the victorious skipper Will Chay got to hold aloft the Wilf Sprengel Premiership Shield to the delight of hundreds of Hatherleigh supporters.
It was their sixth flag in the MSEFL and their first since 2013.
After losing the 2017, 2022 and 2023 grand finals, there were many in the crowd who thought that Hatherleigh may have been spooked by their situation.
Having dropped just one match in all of 2024, some are stating that this is the best-ever Hatherleigh side since the club began in 1947.
There was a lot of pressure on field umpires Matt Cockrum, Brett Waton and Adam Gilbert and they rose admirably to the occasion.
Another who will cherish the day is Pulmer who was awarded the Stan Jones Memorial Meal as best on ground.
However, it was otherwise a bitter sweet moment for the Hatherleigh sporting community as they are still mourning the death of a number of prominent sporting identifies in 2024.
The Roosters were certainly not disgraced but the extra week’s rest for Hatherleigh during the major round was obvious in that crucial third term.
Played beneath grey skies, Saturday’s crowd paid $38,495 at the gate and this was slightly below the league record.
There was an obvious decrease in gate takings on account of the AFL decision to play a preliminary twilight final and screen it on free to air television.
The gross takings for the four finals came to around $80,000.
Kongorong had all catering and staging tasks well in hand and the oval playing surface was never better thanks to the team of voluntary groundsmen, and appropriate rainfall.
Among the faces in the crowd was former Millicent and Tantanoola player Mason Redman who has played more than 100 games with Essendon in the AFL.
Another was Glencoe Football Club past president and multiple premiership player Max Childs who has attended every MSEFL grand final since 1948.
Adding to the festive mood of the season decider was the cheery hosting by master of ceremonies Trevor Rayson and a stirring rendition of the National Anthem by Mel Whitty.
Planning for the 2025 season is now under way with MSEFL president Peter Mitchell indicating the program has to take into account the timing of Easter and the Gather Round.
B Grade
Robe 15.11 def. Hatherleigh 4.1
For the sixth year in a row, Hatherleigh played in the B Grade grand final but it was defeated for the second consecutive season decider.
The Eagles B Grade team had won four of the past five premierships but Robe had come through the season undefeated.
The seasiders had won by margins of 22, 54 and 42 points in their previous meetings in 2024.
Such a scenario promised a battle royale but it was not to be.
The result was locked away by the mid-point of the third term.
The minor premiers had gone to the first change with an eight-point lead.
The Roosters then added 6.3 in the second term while not conceding a score.
By game’s end the scoreboard showed a massive 76-point win to Robe.
They had restricted Hatherleigh’s two-pronged attack of Tom Bell and Tim Merrett.
At the other end of the oval, former A Grade skipper Jaryd Dawson replicated his second semi final performance with another seven-goal haul.
Dubbed “the wizard”, injury had sidelined Dawson late in the season.
The SE Voice trophy for best on ground was presented to Robe midfielder Tom Miller by MSEFL life member and journalist Fred Smith.
Winning the JL Dwyer Shield for just the third time was no mean feat.
The previous successes had come in 2005 and 1981.
It is rare in country footy circles for B Graders to train twice-weekly but that was the case at Robe and it paid the ultimate dividend.
Field umpires Tim Biggins, Barry Nilsson and Scott Chuck did well.
