ELLINBANK AND DISTRICT FOOTBALL LEAGUE
SENIOR GRAND FINAL – THE BEST ON GROUND
By RUSSELL BENNETT
IT was only fitting that Cora Lynn’s consummate professional won the VCFL medal as the best on ground in the side’s big win over Bunyip on Saturday.
There’s nothing Anthony Giuliano, 28, wouldn’t do for his team mates or his club. One of the most selfless players in the competition, the man affectionately known as ‘Giggz’ sets up goal, after goal, after goal in the most deadly forward line in the competition – and he’s done it for years.
Now a three-time senior premiership player, Giuliano has played over 150 games for the Cobras – not including the consecutive seasons in 2012 and 2013 that he booted 50-plus goals for Mulwala in the Murray Football League.
He was this year named in the Gazette’s EDFL Team of the Year. For some it was a controversial selection, but in reality it was a no-brainer.
His seven-goal haul on Saturday is the second highest in Cora Lynn’s senior grand final history, behind only Ryan Donaldson’s eight against Lang Lang in 2008.
After the weekend’s game against Bunyip, Giuliano was physically spent and hardly had any voice left – he’d given his all for his club, as per usual.
“This has come down to the work rate we’ve had all year and that (training) loading period we had,” he said, two medals draped around his neck.
“More than that, it’s just the belief we have as a side. It’s massive, and I think there’s only three different players from last year’s flag.
“The belief was already there that we could do it. We knew that if we could get off to a fast start we’d put them on the back foot, and we just kept going from there.”
Giuliano’s team-first mentality is echoed amongst his team mates, and it’s one of the main reasons they proved unbeatable in 2015.
“Trav (Marsham) has been telling me all along to just play my role and the footy will come, and this is the reward,” Giuliano said.
“We’ve got as much firepower as any other side is going to have – we’ve got Frysy (Ryan Gillis), and if he’s off Dalts (Jackson Dalton) is on, and if he’s off Boo (Nathan Langley) is on. It just keeps going, and our midfielders kick goals as well. It’s just a collective group, and it’s unbelievable.”
Outgoing Cora Lynn coaching director Aussie Jones praised Giuliano and his significance to the side, adding:
“The amazing thing is that I reckon – without offending anyone – Giggz is the most underrated player in our side. The most,” he said.
“Every week he’s intense. He might finish with one goal but he’ll create six. He’s an absolute freak.
“Trav gets up in front of the group week in and week out and he’s always saying “Giggz is doing this, Giggz is doing that”.
“For him to be able to hit the scoreboard and get that reward today was enormous.”
There was one particular play late in the game where, with his side up 12 goals, Giuliano made a hard, unrewarded push forward from the wing to the forward pocket.
But Jones has a theory about it.
“Just quietly – he might’ve thought there was another goal on the end of it!” he laughed.
“He’s a very unrewarded player, but that one might’ve just been to sneak one more!”
