DAVID HOBBS – HDFNL – Grand Final

THREE flags in a row for Harrow Balmoral Southern Roos, nine for the club in 27 completed seasons and five players becoming five-time Harrow Balmoral premiership players go into the record books, after the Roos rolled the Noradjuha Quantong Bombers again.

In almost a carbon copy of the second semi-final, Harrow Balmoral struggled to get on top in the first half, then came out and blitzed the Bombers with another six-goal third quarter to have their hands on the cup at the last change.

It was thought the wide Natimuk ground might help Noradjuha Quantong’s run and spread and the Roos’ pressure and tackling might be diminished by the space the Bombers could make and Noradjuha Quantong certainly looked the better side early.

But they could not capitalise; despite out-marking and outrunning the Roos, they led by only seven points at the first break, continued to miss chances and at half time they had just one goal and half a dozen points, Harrow Balmoral had not done much better, but had a couple of goals and were starting to stick their tackles and cause turnovers and control the ball to lead at half time.

If the third quarter is the premiership quarter, Simon Close showed why he is a premier forward, two goals from 40 metres out on tight angle were game changers, the Noradjuha Quantong Jack-in-a-box, Jye Walter, took one of many tremendous marks, 15 metres out, kicked it like he was trying to push a stubborn old ewe into a catching pen, barely got a point.

And amongst all this, Archer Cameron kicked a booming goal after starting not far from half back, goals to Cody Deutscher, Mitch Grant and another snap from a smart Pete Staude knock-on to Simon Close and the Bombers were broken.

At the end of the day, the Noradjuha Quantong side that was meant to be better than last year’s side that went down by 13 points to the Roos and finished the home-and-away season with a percentage of more than 300%, kicked two goals and 11 points on a beautiful day on a perfect ground and went down by 44 points.

Losing the second semi-final and playing the preliminary, meant Noradjuha Quantong looked sore and tired at the end of the game, they also looked pretty deflated.

In about nine or 10 attempts they have not won a final against the Southern Roos, have now lost three grand finals and won just three times from around 50-odd matches in the 28 years since each club amalgamated to play in 1997.

The Roos’ five five-time premiership players, Simon Close, Anthony Close, Peter Staude, Will Plush and bustling back pocket, Dalton Burns, were all as good as ever.

Four-time premiership players are Clint Robinson, Michael Close and Cody Deutscher and the retired former coach and now runner, Nick Pekin.

And across the three-peat, Will Plush, Michael Close, Anthony Close, Matt Jones, Mitch Grant, Noah Hildebrand, Ethan Appleton, Dalton Burns, Pete Staude, Will Burbury and the man who has led it all, Coach Jai Thompson, have been in all three premiership sides and 32 different players have got medals at some stage.

The grand final win was a team effort, in fact a total club effort across a whole season interrupted by injury and unavailabilities, but the club mix and matched its sides to get lots of narrow wins, got second spot, won the qualifying and second-semis and go into the grand final, fit and fresh.

The Reserves missed finals but many of them stepped-up to fill vacancies to help the Seniors; across the season Lachie Craig, Alex Rees, Stewart McFarlane, Maddox Blake and the Hair brothers played lots of seniors and significant roles for the Roos

First time premiership players, Charlie Johnston, Connor Deutscher, Archer Cameron, Brock Summerhayse and Fergus Roberts, all added lots to the Roos side in the finals, giving lots of run and tenacity.

Across the grand final, Peter Staude got the medal for BOG, another outstanding premiership performance, strong marking, tough ball winning, long kicks and a couple of tumble punts add to the aura of this old-fashioned footballer.

Noah Hildebrand has grown into a dominant ruckman, he softens the opposition rucks up and takes a lot of battering and never flinches; the hard work is done when Anthony Close comes into the ruck to use his smarts.

The Roos’ defence has been outstanding in finals, Dalton Burns, Clint Robinson, Connor Deutscher, Matt Jones Michael Close and Archer Cameron are a great unit complementing each other.

Good wingmen are never more important than at Natimuk; Josh Grant and Brock Summerhayes were both brilliant and busy, the onballers rolling through the middle, Jai Thompson, Pete Staude, Will Plush, Charlie Johnston and Will Burbury got right on top as the game went on.

The tall forwards started taking marks as the game settled and the crumbing forwards Ethan Appleton, Mitch Grant and Ferguson Roberts held the ball in and were always a threat.

2025 has been the toughest season of the three-peat for Harrow Balmoral and yet it turned into the easiest grand final victory.

The coaches’ theme for the season was BREAKING BRICK WALLS.

In the end, Harrow Balmoral smashed them.