Border Mail | ALBURY co-coach Chris Hyde says his team won’t realise the enormity of its achievements until the players’ careers are finished.
To get five from seven is just an unbelievable effort
Albury won its fifth flag from its seventh straight grand final in front of 10,022 fans on Sunday, in what was its 20th premiership in total.
Only the Wangaratta Rovers’ golden era in the 1970s compares to Albury’s achievements, when the Hawks won seven flags between 1971 and 1979.
The Rovers played in seven successive grand finals from 1974-80, winning five.
Hyde was one of five Albury players who won their fifth premiership with Sunday’s tough 29-point victory over Lavington.
“I don’t think guys will reflect on it until they’re done,” the 33-year-old said.
“Whenever the guys finish up, and it will be at different stages, they’ll look back on it and think it’s a pretty amazing effort to be involved in all of it, or part of it.”
Had it not been for Yarrawonga, which won back-to-back premierships in 2012 and 2013, Albury could have won seven in a row.
“This one’s pretty special because of where we’ve been and the journey that the club’s been on,” Hyde said.
“To get five from seven is just an unbelievable effort.
“No one’s actually spoken about going back to back and that in itself is a big effort, because a lot of work goes in and to be able to do that is fantastic.”
Albury was made to work hard by the Panthers, but had all the answers when the game was up for grabs in the last quarter.
Lavington was playing in its first grand final since 2008 and Hyde said Albury’s grand final experience helped get it over the line.
“We’ve got good players, good people who react the right way,” he said.
“We’ve been in that situation time and time again and thankfully we’ve got a strong belief within the group.
“We were challenged and I thought the guys stood up when it counted.”
