There ain’t no second prize

Pleasure or pain? Narre Warren coach Heath Black, left, and Berwick’s Stewart Kemperman have prepared their teams for the ultimate showdown in football. 172977 Picture: ROB CAREW

By David Nagel

The fine line between pleasure and pain – it’s only one sleep away for Berwick coach Stewart Kemperman and his Narre Warren counterpart Heath Black after both completed their final preparations for tomorrow’s SEFNL grand final at Holm Park Reserve.
Kemperman, in his first year at the helm, is just one step away from leading his side to the perfect season, with a 17-0 record heading into the big dance.
He has tasted premiership success as a player, but is fully aware that the rarest opportunity in football is also the most difficult to grasp. One slip up…and all that hard work goes to waste!
“There are no tomorrows and that’s what puts you on edge, it’s the ultimate end of the season, no planning for the next game, nothing like that…it’s all about executing on the day,” Kemperman said.
“(Thursday night) Selection was robust and intense, as you would expect at this time of year, and it’s all about starting again now, and matching it early with a team that is playing its best brand of footy at the right time of year.”
The former Noble Park star has an inner belief that his side will get the job done on the big day.
“I’m confident our best footy will hold up, but that will only happen if our effort and application is there, and we’re prepared to sacrifice and put our bodies in harm’s way,” he said.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for the group, because you never know when the next one will come about. We’re confident, but there’s such a small margin for error on grand final day.”
The Wickers take on a Magpies’ outfit sure to be on a high, having dismantled two different breeds of the Eagle – Beaconsfield and Cranbourne – in a breathtaking fortnight of football.
And now, according to Black, they have a free swing at the competition trendsetters.
“The players have a real eagerness to take on a terrific football team, nobody expects us to win, there’s no pressure on us at all,” Black said on grand final eve.
“Let’s be honest, all the pressure is on them and they have to deal with it. They may be good enough to deal with it, but we have plans in place that we think will make it very difficult for them to do so.”
Black said selection went smoothly on Thursday night.
“For our senior coaching group it was the easiest selection night of the year,” Black said.
“Whispy’ (Reserves coach Paul Hamilton) had some tough decisions to make, with six players missing out on the big day, but that’s footy at this time of year, some tough decisions need to be made.”
The former St Kilda and Fremantle star said past experiences had him well prepared for the massive clash.
“I’ve been reflecting a bit on 2010, when I was coach of Harvey Brunswick Leschenault (HBL) and we came from fifth to beat South Bunbury, who were very much like Berwick are this year,” Black explained.
“I had a lot of anxiety in the lead up back then but that experience has prepared me well for what we can expect tomorrow. I wouldn’t say I’m over-relaxed, but I’m calm and at ease that we’re in a great position as a club – having nine of 14 teams playing in grand finals.”
And his final message to his players on Thursday night?
“To just enjoy every single moment of this week, we know what finals footy is all about and we want this group to create its own slice of history,” Black said.
“We’ve played 88 players over the last two years and it’s all been building to this, really it’s been a fantastic effort from every single member of the club. We’ve got six-time premiership players in this team, and then others like Tom Miller, Joel Zietsman, Ryan Quirk and Dean Kelly who are keen to put their imprint on this club.”
The opening bounce in the first-ever grand final between the two clubs takes place at Beaconsfield’s Holm Park Reserve at 2.35pm.