By DAVID NAGEL
CASEY CARDINIA FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE
GRAND FINAL REVIEW – SENIORS
BEACONSFIELD – the irresistible force of the Casey Cardinia Football League – has been crowned champions of 2014 after a second-half blitz of a gallant Cranbourne at Edwin Flack Reserve.
In a game that basically mirror-imaged its season, Beaconsfield started slowly – worked its backside off to stay in contention – then drew on its unwavering belief to gain some unstoppable momentum. The result was an 11-goal-to-one second half, with each goal seeming to release a year of frustration as Clint Evans and his side ended the club’s 10-year wait for success with its 10th consecutive victory.
Cranbourne started the better; an early goal to Beacy skipper Daniel Mislicki was answered quickly with two to Michael Theodoridis, who was looking dangerous on Brandon White. Cranny skipper Marc Holt then kicked the first of the second quarter before Beacy dug its heels in for a fight.
Two minutes of brilliance, first from Taylor Joyce, who floated into a pack, marked, then played on before driving a penetrating kick through the big sticks, and then from Mislicki, who gave the drinkers a thrill when he launched from long range, in front of the beer tent, from 45 metres out, and gave Beacy back the lead.
A great mark and kick from Holt saw Cranbourne take a four-point lead into half time.
Beaconsfield then came out breathing fire in the third quarter, the premiership quarter as history would have it… and it lived up to its billing.
Beacy ticked off the years – one by one – since its last premiership success in 2004.
Damian Szwaja removed the pain of 2005 with a running goal at the four minute mark, 2006 was then scratched from the memory with a huge 65-metre bomb from a now dominant Scott Meyer, before Troy McDermott kicked his side 14 points clear, and sent 2007 to the cleaners with a set shot from 35 metres out.
Beacy was right on top now, Mislicki – like salt and pepper – was in everything, while Meyer was the driving force behind a dominant centre clearance count in the third quarter.
White had tightened up on Theodoridis, Daniel Battaglin was well on top of a clearly hampered Holt, while the run-down of a rampaging Leigh Holt by a determined Cleyton Bertoncello was a third-quarter highlight.
But Beacy weren’t content and it rolled on relentlessly.
Mislicki continued his inspiring performance, booting two captain’s goals to kick his side 26-points clear, before using quick hands to set up Nick McPherson to complete a dominant third stanza.
Mislicki had left the frustration of ’08 and ’09 behind, with McPherson’s goal removing the most painful of all memories, a 2010 loss to Narre Warren in that year’s grand final.
Evans’ three-quarter time speech said it all with his side holding a 32-point lead.
“Remember what we said, it’s going to be a marathon, we said that, but we know what they’re about, we know they will come.
“We spoke about it at half time, and what happened, our pressure, no-one applies pressure like we do, it took a quarter and a half for everyone to get involved, (“It’s contagious boys”)… exactly right it’s contagious, everyone’s doing it and then we start running. One on one we’ve been terrific, but now it’s about the process, don’t worry about the result, that will take care of itself, all you’ve got to worry about is playing your role. The chain… the chain we’ve spoken about for the last nine weeks, no-one breaks it, don’t get ahead of yourself, you’ve done stuff-all yet, you’ve done absolutely nothing. The best thing you’ve given yourself is an opportunity, you’ve given yourself an opportunity and that’s what we wanted.
“Don’t let it slip, don’t let it slip, the first 10 or 15 minutes, you know they’re going to come. Remember I wrote it on Monday, and I asked why, then we talked about it on Thursday, I asked… ‘why are we different to the other three sides?’
“Now it’s come to fruition, now it’s come, now put yourself back in that position, and ask why, why aren’t we going to let them back in, you know the answer, and that’s what it’s going to take now for the next 30 minutes. This could be the best 30 minutes of your life… but listen… do not go away from what you did in that quarter.
“We know we’ve got the legs; we know we’ve got the run, take that risk and run them off their legs. They’re gone, if we score the first goal then we’re up and about, we want to make it a fight, if we do that, you are going to have the best feeling you’ve ever had… it’s up to you.”
Meyer taps to Ben Kerrigan at the first bounce of the last quarter, a quick kick down to Kris Fletcher, the veteran cool, calm and collected as he converts, 2011 gone after a goal inside 30 seconds. Cranbourne respond through Max Gearon before key misses to Theodoridis, and a close call to Curtis Barker, condemns Cranbourne… cruelly… to its third grand-final loss on the trot.
Tyson Mitchem and Szwaja then swat 2012 and ’13 away with a flourish before, fittingly; Mislicki puts the Beaconsfield stamp on 2014 with his fifth major for the afternoon.
And for the Beaconsfield faithful… it just doesn’t get any better than that.
