Above: Warburton-Millgrove’s Under 18s By Bob Foletta
SILVAN has gone back-to-back premiers and undefeated in season 2008 in First Division of the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League after defeating Upwey-Tecoma in a tough and uncompromising grand final at Gembrook.
Silvan 19.12.126 deafeated Upwey-Tecoma 13.10.88.
In the reserves, Healesville went down to a much stronger Upwey-Tecoma, while Warburton-Millgrove took out the 2008 flag in the Under 18s against Silvan.
Heading into the main game of the day there was always going to be that extra pressure of going through the season undefeated for Silvan. All year they had taken on all comers and won convincingly, but grand final day has a habit of throwing up the unexpected.
During the first quarter, that’s what everyone would have been thinking. Upwey jumped out of the blocks and took the game right up to their more fancied opponents and at quarter-time went in with an 11-point lead in tough conditions at Gembrook.
Silvan coach Ben Haynes had some stern words for his boys and that seemed to fire them up as they took on the challenge laid down to them by Upwey. Brett Hartman was proving dangerous on the spacious surroundings of Gembrook as Upwey were keeping Gary Moorcroft in check.
As the second quarter went on, Silvan looked like they were gaining the ascendancy in the match. At halftime, the Cats had kicked five goals to two in the second quarter to take a slender five-point lead.
Even though Silvan had outscored Upwey in the second quarter, the match was still in the balance. As always the third quarter was going to prove pivotal. It looked like it was going to be a shootout and during the home and away season Silvan had showed they were more than capable of mixing it in this fashion.
Six goals to four had put Silvan in a commanding position as they headed in the final break with a 17-point advantage.
Upwey never gave up trying but keeping a hold on all of the talent in the Silvan side was starting to take its toll. As the last quarter got under way, Silvan asserted themselves over Upwey and looked like the premiership flag was heading to Silvan once again.
A five goal to two last quarter sealed the game for Silvan and when the final siren went for season 2008, the Cats had become back to back premiers and had also gone through the season undefeated. A 38-point win was a deserving result as Upwey never once gave up the fight and that was how much better Silvan was than the rest of the competition.
Silvan was best served by David Gillespie, Marc Bullen, Jake Straighair and David Bissells.
Up forward, Brett Hartman kicked four goals while Ben Haynes, three, Marc Bullen, three, Travis Cox, Owen Weatherly and Gary Moorcroft, two each, all proved valuable avenues to goal.
Upwey was best served by Steve Brotja, Shaun Jones, Tom Hedge and Tim Hansen while up forward Michael Charles, three goals and Tom Hedge and Simon Mitchell, two each, were the main goal scorers for Upwey.
Upwey should be congratulated as a significant part of their pride emanates from the fact that 18 players of their senior side and 18 players of their reserve side are ‘home grown’ players, having all played junior and under 18 footy at Upwey.
In other grand finals on the day, Upwey Tecoma defeated Healesville in the reserves, 6.7.43 to 2.7.19, while in the Under 18s Warburton-Millgrove defeated Silvan, 3.5.23 to 2.7.19.
