JUST one zone has achieved a three-peat in the South Australian Country Football Championships since the competition’s inception in 1994.
However, after claiming back-to-back honours in 2016 and 2017, the Murray South East squad is a real chance this weekend when it tackles its respective zones in the state-wide competition at Renmark Football Club.
Southern Districts is the only zone to achieve the desired three-peat in the competition’s history.
However, since the competition was restructured – in 2004 – that feat is yet to be achieved.
Murray South East coach Adam Merrett – who has led the zone to their back-to-back titles – has taken the reins again this year and believes he has the side to achieve the ultimate goal.
Last year, the Murray South East side did make history, its victory marking the first zone to win the championships on their home deck.
While Merrett admits this weekend’s games will be a challenge, he believes he has the side to get over the line.
Merrett will be assisted by Penola’s John Merrett and Robe’s Jack Kelly for the two-day round-robin championships.
After a stellar performance in 2017, which saw him take home the best player award, Kelly is out due to injury this season, but will still share his knowledge from the bench.
Along with Kelly, several footballers are absent from the 2017 championship team, including Brian Fenton, Myles Warmington, Brodie Martin and Brett O’Neil – who all achieved state selection last year.
However, as they say, when one door closes, another opens and this has been the case for the 2018 Murray South East zone side.
Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Football League’s Simon Berkefeld – who will captain the side this weekend – was absent from last year’s team due to injury and will make his welcome return to the high level of football.
It is a similar story for Western Border Football League’s Clint Gallio, who spent majority of last season on the sidelines after sustaining a serious knee injury.
Gallio will also don the Murray South East playing strip, along with the likes of Western Border’s Callum Currie and Tom Hutchesson who are yet to represent the region at this level.
Mount Burr’s Tom Renzi will be a key link in the Murray South East zone’s, despite also playing at this level for the first time.
He will join Zacc Cocks, Matt Willson and Gallio in the leadership group.
Rather than selecting a vice captain, the coaching panel decided to leave the role up the quartet.
“These guys will bring that level of professionalism,” Merrett said.
“They will be good leaders.”
Mount Burr’s Henry Crauford is another new player to the Murray South East side and the Under 21 will start in the ruck, a role Merrett believes the youngster is more than capable of.
“From what I have seen at the local interleague carnival Henry Crauford is a genuine star,” he said.
“He has all the ability in the world and this is his opportunity to show it.
“It is exciting to have someone like him on the team.”
Crauford will be well backed by Matt Altmann, Louis DeMichele and Mark Rumbelow who all have the ability to rotate into the role.
The mixture of both youth and experience in the Murray South East side sees them a force to be reckoned with once again.
There are no passengers in this side, with the footballers coming off the interchange just as capable as the starters.
“We have Ben Simounds who had come back into our league (KNTFL) and played state football last year at full forward,” Merrett said.
“Ben has kicked 66 goals in 10 games for Keith this year, so he is in form.
“Billy Lawrie is a state representative, Ray Jaensch has been in the state mix in the past, Simon Berkefeld has played state, so has Louis DeMichele, Tim McIntyre, Jake McGrice, Scotty Merrett,
Mark Rumbelow, Matt Tonkin and Matt Willson.
“I believe Callum Currie will be in that bracket as well.
“So, despite losing a few, we still have a lot state footballers, it goes pretty deep.”
With ins-and-outs a regular occurrence in football, Merrett remains optimistic about the weekend.
“The team is not looking too bad,” he said.
“We had to make some pretty tough calls on Sunday, there are some pretty handy calibre footballers who have missed out on making the final squad.
“But we are happy with the balance and confident with the power we have got in the side.”
Merrett’s aim is to start well on Saturday morning when Murray South East tackles Centrals and then back it up with a win over Eastern to put the reigning champions in the grand final on Sunday.
“Hopefully we can get a good start on Saturday to put us in good stead for Sunday,” he said.
“Anything is possible, but it just depends on what other sides have on the day and the calibre of players they have coming out of the SANFL.
“That is the biggest unknown.”
No stranger to this level of representative football, Merrett said he looks forward to another challenge as coach.
“I have not coached at club level or interleague level this season, which has allowed me to just play my football, which I enjoy, but now I get to put my coaching hat on and I am pretty excited about that,” he said.
“It is a different type of engagement in football, it gets your brain working overtime and is an exciting level for me.
“I have not really thought about the fact we had won the past two and are looking at number three, I am more just looking at us doing the best we can.
“I just wan the guys to commit, enjoy their football, come away with smiles on their faces and make new friendships out of it.
“I think that is the best this about playing these representative games.
“But it will be good to see what we can produce.”
