Glencoe secure Grand final spot after explosive second semi-final performance

Pfitzner Parish  TBW Newsgroup

GLENCOE has taken the direct route to the Mid South East Football League grand final at Mount Burr on September 21 following its impressive 62-point win over minor premiers Hatherleigh in the second semi-final at Port MacDonnell last Saturday.

The Murphies had more players in good form, a superior game plan, better team work and a greater desire to win.

On the other hand, the Eagles had players down on form and lacked cohesion and confidence.

Mid-game injuries to Joe Ferguson-Lane and Ben Parish did not help their cause.

As some measure of the way the minor premiers played, the club hierarchy named just four players on the list of the team’s best.

Sam Telfer was the stand-out for Hatherleigh with six of his team’s eight goals.

Given a three-goal breeze favoured the clubrooms end, it was a good toss for Glencoe skipper Clay Von Duve to win.

His side took a 22-point lead into quarter time, which was trimmed back to 17 points at the long break.

Glencoe was terrific in the third term as it booted 3.5 while not conceding a score.

Hatherleigh managed a meagre goal in the last term while Glencoe put on five into the breeze.

As he has done on so many occasions this year, Brodie Foster was the stand-out for the victors with four goals.

A number of his team mates also had some golden moments of their own in front of goals.

For example, defender Trent Hawke booted the opening goal of the contest and added another in this term for good measure.

His team had been the warmest of pre-match favourites on account of their 49-point victory over Hatherleigh in the final minor round match on August 24.

After three years in the footy wilderness, the Murphies triumphed in their comeback to major round action.

They are now poised to end their second-longest premiership drought in the club’s 109-year history.

Glencoe players have not sung their victory song in a grand final for 12 years.

It was a personal triumph for favourite son Zacc Cocks who was elevated to the coaching role at the end of the 2016 season after his home club had finished second-to-bottom.

Cocks was named as the MSEFL senior coach of the year at the Mail Medal function in Millicent the following day.

With winning form at the business end of the season and the benefit of an extra week’s break, the odds of a Glencoe premiership are shortening.

The previous longest drought for the Murphies had been the 17 seasons between 1968 and 1985.

When it broke, then Millicent mayor Ern Altschwager OAM hosted a civic reception at the supper room of the Millicent War Memorial Civic and Arts Centre.

On present form, Wattle Range Mayor Des Noll OAM can just about put the bubbly on ice and book the same venue as he is likely to honour the triumphant Murphies of 2019.

On the other hand, the Eagles now have to face up to a revived Kalangadoo in the cut-throat preliminary final on the Mount Burr Oval on Saturday.

Magpies coach Chris Mules and many of his team were in the crowd and he will play in this cut-throat contest as his calf injury has healed.