IN a stunning display of football, Murray South East (MSE) claimed back-to-back South Australian Country Championship titles on Sunday at Murray Bridge, with a comfortable victory over Southern Districts.
The weekend competition saw a dominant display by MSE, which made history by being the first host zone to claim the title.
The weekend also saw Robe’s Jack Kelly announced player of the carnival.
Seven players from the side also made state selection, including Meningie’s Brian Fenton, Myles Warmington and Brodie Martin, South Gambier’s Brett O’Neil, East Gambier’s Mark Rumbelow and Penola’s Scott Merrett, along with Kelly.
It was also back-to-back titles for coach Adam Merrett, who was awarded coach of the carnival for his efforts.
Merrett praised the work of his players Sunday night.
“We had a cracking tournament,” he said.
“It was a very unselfish side.
“They ran the ball well and flicked the handballs out.
“All weekend it was all about the best result for the team, not individual efforts.”
Merrett said that attitude started from Friday night when the team came together and continued throughout the weekend, on and off the field.
“It was a really good group of blokes who gelled together really quick,” he said.
“On Friday night I told them to get the maximum reward for the weekend, you have to forget about yourself and do the best for each other.
“They just hung together for the whole weekend and I couldn’t fault them.
“It was a professional unit, the way they prepared themselves.
“They were just really committed to each other.”
The weekend started with a stunning 56-point defeat of Central on Saturday, where South East Zone players Kelly, Tim McIntyre, Brad Wight, Brad Mitchell and Rumbelow all featured on the scoreboard, while O’Neil, Rumbelow and McIntyre were named in the best.
River Murray league players Warmington, Dylan Barry and Fenton also contributed on the scoreboard, while Fenton, Tony Gibson and Warmington were among the best.
The MSE side followed up with a 32-point win over Western, where South East players Kelly, Wight, McIntyre, Rumbelow, Zacc Cocks, Matt Willson and Cameron Sandercock all contributed with major scores, along with River Murray’s Martin and Barry.
South East’s Scott Merrett, O’Neil, Rumbelow and Kelly, along with River Murray’s Martin and Fenton were named in the best.
“After playing so well on Saturday, I hoped the boys could do it again on Sunday,” Merrett said.
“We blew them out of the water.”
The grand final result saw a 40-point victory over Southern, where South East’s Declan Carmody, Cocks, Rumbelow and Sandercock contributed majors, along with River Murray’s Warmington, Fenton and Martin.
South East’s Kelly, O’Neil and Scott Merrett were among the best, with River Murray’s Fenton, Warmington and Thomas Phelps also named.
The weekend’s success came from a well-constructed game plan that saw heavy use of the handball, providing space and time in the forward line to lead into.
The run came off a dominant back six, with the running players then allowed to back themselves in.
“The pressure we put on was evident for the whole three games,” Merrett said.
“Every time there was a ball in dispute we were harder, faster and hungrier to get possession.
“I gave the guys a three-strike rule – if you mess up twice maybe try to change what you are doing – but I gave them a licence to run and back themselves in.
“Matt Willson, Brock Egan and Brad Close on the wing, they were just so quick when they got the ball.
“Jack Kelly deserved all the accolades he got after the carnival he had.
“In a tight pack situation he was getting that hard ball and releasing it to the runners so much.
“Him and Brian Fenton were fantastic and selfless, not trying to take it all on themselves.”
Merrett said one stand-out for the weekend was the courage displayed by O’Neil, who appeared to pop his shoulder out in the second quarter of the grand final, pull it back in, then continue to play out the game.
He praised the likes of Kelly and Wight, along with Jervois player Dylan Barry, who he said was a real impact player.
Scott Merrett had a stand-out competition in his defensive role, while Adam Merrett said the North Gambier trio of Egan, Close and Declan Carmody were outstanding.
While Carmody had limited time on Saturday, Merrett said Sunday he proved his worth in the side, with six shots on goal in the windy conditions for two majors.
He said East Gambier’s Jayden Eldridge was unlucky after sustaining a knee injury within the first few minutes of the tournament.
With injuries to Matt Scanlon, Simon Berkefeld and Clint Gallio prior to the selection process, Merrett said it simply proved the depth of the competition here in the region.
“You want players with that experience out there, but you have to go with what you’ve got,” he said.
“Those blokes would be great to have out there on the field, but the guys we had coming in and available to pick from, over the carnival they all validated their position in the side.
“I had a lot of people come up over the weekend and say it was some of the best football they had seen at country level, the way we played, the style we played.
“It is a credit to the guys who came along and committed to the cause.
“They will have fantastic memories now for life.”
After his second year at the helm, Merrett said it was also a weekend he would not forget.
“I doubt myself sometimes as a coach – I think everyone does,” he said.
“I’m only there to try to guide them.
“When you get to this level and have footballers who should know what they are doing, the hardest thing is making sure they follow a structure and they are all there for the right reasons.
“Last year they were and this year they lifted to another level.
“I am lucky I get to coach at this level.
“I have an enormous amount of respect for the players.”
