Cobras poised to strike

Justin McCleary, Ryan Gillis and Nathan Muratore were all smiles after their semi-final victory over Kooweerup. Are they in for a repeat in this year’s inaugural EDFL West grand final? 126837

By RUSSELL BENNETT

ELLINBANK AND DISTRICT FOOTBALL LEAGUE
WEST DIVISION GRAND FINAL PREVIEW – SATURDAY AT GARFIELD

HOW do you measure the intangibles – the countless little things that, when added together, can make all the difference?
Kooweerup isn’t supposed to win Saturday’s grand final against a red-hot Cora Lynn. Hell, they weren’t even supposed to make it to the big dance after fading badly in the fourth quarter of their semi-final against the Cobras.
Battered and bruised, they looked like bowing out in straight sets when they were forced to come up against the Garfield buzz-saw in the prelim.
Despite leading basically from wire to wire against the Stars, there still seemed to be a sense of inevitability about another late Demons fade – another heartbreaking finals loss.
But instead – with their backs to the wall – the Demons stood strong with unlikely heroes like teenage utility Andrew Proctor emerging from the ether.
Matt Shorey’s men have lost to the Cobras three times already this season – with their only victory coming in Round 16 at Denhams Road; a gritty 17-point win.
Gritty … it’s a perfect adjective for this side.
Daniel Mullen is now 30. He’d never played a senior final until last year and the midfield hard-nut is entering new terrain again this week. But his attitude, like that of ruckman Matt Cameron, spiritual leader Rhys Morgan and coach Shorey, epitomises why nobody should write these Demons off.
“My asset to the side is going hard, attacking in the centre and providing those one-percenters,” Mullen said.
“If I do that, the majority of the side comes up with me and that’s how we play our best football – when we each play our role as part of the group.
“We’ve shown over the past 12 weeks that it’s how we play our best.
“If we can do it this week, we’ll have a fair crack at it.”
A host of these Demons have already played the prelim like it was their last game – and with a loss it could have been. They’re going to leave every part of themselves out on the Beswick Street turf on Saturday.
“We can’t leave anything to chance now,” Mullen said.
“The whole club has waited 33 years for this opportunity.
“We’ve probably got the best supporters in the competition – they’ve been there when we’ve been flogged by 25 goals by the Garfields and Cora Lynns of the world.
“Now it’s our turn to stand up.
“We don’t want to just leave our season at that (preliminary final) result.
“I’m 30 years old, Rhys is 33 for example – we are that little bit older. We’ll give 110 per cent because guys like Rhys never thought he’d play again.
“He’s a five-time best-and-fairest winner and has been so loyal to the club.
“Now his last game before he moves up north is a grand final.”
The opportunity that mightn’t ever happen again for these boys is here and Shorey knows it.
“We just want to repay the club’s diehard fans like Norma O’Hehir,” he said
“They just want us to win another one, and we’ll definitely be playing to win on Saturday.
“It’s going to be a cracker of a game.”
But this isn’t going to be easy. After leading by just a goal at three-quarter time in the second semi-final, the Cobras stormed away to win by 27. They were fitter, more composed and ruthless.
Ryan Gillis looms as this grand final’s biggest game breaker. Unless a Koowee defence likely still without lynchpin Ben Miller (ankle) can find a way to quell his influence, this clash could be over fast.
A stellar midfield group of Nathan Gillis, Jeremy Monckton, Ricky Clark, Brady White, Sean Marchetti and Jackson Dalton, ruckmen Brad Horaczko and David Main, and rock-solid defenders Jack Allen, Nathan Muratore and skipper Tim Payne can all take hold of a contest single-handedly in their own way, while Matt Runnalls did a stellar run-with role on Demons skipper Luke Walker last time they met.
Like we said, Kooweerup isn’t supposed to win this game and likely won’t. Cora Lynn should get up by five goals – just don’t forget those intangibles.