Old rivals in flag face-off

By Gavin Staindl
IN 1986 Gembrook beat Woori Yallock to claim the Yarra Valley Mountain Districts Division One grand final.
Twenty four years later Gembrook-Cockatoo will challenge Woori Yallock again on Saturday hoping to reclaim the title that has deserted it all these years.
The battle-hardened Woori Yallock will play its fourth grand final in five years and it enters the grand final conceding only two losses during the home-and-away season.
On the other hand, Gembrook is coming off a weekend break after beating Woori Yallock in the semi-final.
Gembrook leads this season’s head-to-head match-ups 2-1 but in all three matches the home team has proven too strong for the visitor.
With the game scheduled at the Woori Yallock football ground, Gembrook coach Travis Marsham reckons his side will go in as underdog.
“There are not a lot of things that are going in our favour … we’re up against it,” Marsham said.
“I think the home crowd advantage is a big thing but my message to the team has been it is not as big it would normally be.
“In a grand final the game is lifted up a level again and the conditions are different for both teams.
“You have four of five thousand people watching… and it can override (the home ground advantage),” Marsham said.
Woori Yallock has played in four of the last five grand finals while Gembrook has not played in a Division 1 grand final since losing consecutive finals in 1987 and 1988.
Marsham, who helped coach Narre Warren to flags in 2006 and 2007, is acutely aware that premiership experience is valuable but believes the enthusiasm in his young side could be counteractive.
“It is a bit of a funny one, but sometimes hunger with the younger players can balance it out.
“If we play to the potential we’ve got and we make them accountable then we’ll be hoping to do enough to win it,” Marsham said.
According to Marsham, the game could fall down to who wins the key one-on-one battles.
Gembrook’s Craig Clarke will have his hands full when he takes on ex-Collingwood ruckman Damian Monkhurst while the battle up forward between Gembrook full-forward Lee Clarke and Woori Yallock full-back opponent Dallas Spencer could also be a turning point.