By Paul Daffey
Wedderburn, one of the hard-luck clubs of Victorian country football, goes into today’s North Central Football League grand final with its best chance of winning a premiership in recent years.
In 2000 and 2001 the Redbacks were favoured to break a three-decade premiership drought only to lose both grand finals. In 2005 they finished the home-and-away rounds on top of the ladder but went out of the finals in straight sets.
Redbacks secretary Tom Nisbet said this year’s team, which won the minor premiership by two games, is better equipped than those teams to become the first Wedderburn side to win a North Central flag since 1970. “This is the best side we’ve had.”
Dean Lockhart, a 37-year-old defender, is in his second year of coaching his hometown club. Lockhart’s brother Tim is the Redbacks’ president and will play today in the reserves.
Today marks the first time since 1951 that Wedderburn have had seniors and reserves in grand finals together.
Redbacks officials are hoping to entice former ruckman Doug McHugh to Donald for today’s games. McHugh played in Wedderburn’s senior premiership in 1951. His grandson Rohan McHugh has been a shining light for the Redbacks since returning this season from VFL club North Ballarat.
Wedderburn full-forward Dean Stenhouse kicked three goals in the second semi-final victory over Birchip-Watchem to bring his total to 100.
The Redbacks entered the North central league in 1950 and have won three senior premierships, in 1951, ’68 and ’70.
Maffra champion Adrian Burgiel goes into today’s West Gippsland Latrobe league grand final against arch rival Sale with a rare chance of topping 30 goals in a finals series.
Burgiel, whose brother Hayden is the Eagles’ playing coach, kicked seven goals in the qualifying-final victory over Garfield and six in the second semi-final loss to Sale. His 11 goals in last week’s victory over Garfield was a league record for a preliminary final and brought his finals tally to 24.
Burgiel has been a forward and midfielder and only this year has settled at full-forward. He kicked 64 during the home-and-away rounds to win the league goalkicking award.
He will need to be in top form today to give the Eagles a chance of knocking over Sale, which is trying to win its first premiership in 21 years. The Magpies’ team includes 1996 North Melbourne premiership defender Stuart Anderson and former Adelaide player Jacob Schuback.
Maffra has won four premierships in the past five years, from 2002-04 and again last year. In 2005 it was undefeated before losing the grand final to Traralgon in the biggest upset of the country football season.
Maffra this year has been boosted by the inclusion of rover Nick Hider, who transferred to Gippsland through his work as a production supervisor at Murray Goulburn.
Hider made his senior debut with Hampden league club Camperdown when he was 16, in 1987. Twelve years later he was an assistant coach to Ken Hinkley in the Camperdown team that went through the season undefeated.
Hider played in losing grand final teams at rival Hampden league clubs Koroit and Warrnambool. In 1995 he played two senior games at Collingwood.
The 36-year-old’s brilliant first season with Maffra last week was rewarded with victory in the league best-and-fairest count. “If we can play our best footy in the grand final, we’ll give it a good shake,” he said.
Ardmona’s chances of upsetting Stanhope in today’s Kyabram District league grand final were boosted during the week when full-back Daniel Freeman escaped penalty for a charge arising from last week’s preliminary final victory over Tallygaroopna.
Freeman was found not guilty of engaging in rough conduct. Today he has the job of quelling Stanhope full-forward Aaron James, the former AFL player, who’s kicked a total of 37 goals (10, 10, eight and nine) in his four games with the Lions.
James was recruited to Stanhope after serving a 16-game suspension as a result of abusing and threatening an umpire during last year’s first semi-final in the Riddell District league, where he played for Sunbury Kangaroos.
The 30-year-old gives Stanhope a strong chance of overturning its luck in the past two grand finals, which it has lost by one point (Tallygaroopna) and two points (Ardmona).
Article first appeared: The Age 22 September 2007
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