BEACONSFIELD coach Clint ‘Boof’ Evans was emotionally drained as he spoke to the Gazette’s DAVID NAGEL after Saturday’s grand-final victory over Cranbourne.
Boof, congratulations on the win; it looks convincing in the end but were you confident how things were going during the day?
Seriously, I really didn’t know in the first half, we were nervous, just waiting for things to happen again. We missed a few shots early and they’re pressure was just right up, and knew it would be, but we said it was a marathon, not a sprint, so we just kept on going. The last half of the second quarter I thought our pressure started to go up, and that’s when I thought if we were close enough at half time, we’d be a chance. And the third quarter… well what can you say.
The roles were reversed from previous encounters in the first half; their pressure was amazing wasn’t it?
We said during the week that it would be the first time against these better teams that we were going to be the hunted. We withstood that, and at half time I said to the boys how funny it is that the third quarter is called the premiership quarter, because here it is right now, it’s right in front of us. We just needed to take some risks, because with the week off I thought we might have the run in us, and that’s the way it panned out.
From the start of the year to now, two massive losses in Rounds 1 and 2, to a premiership, that must make it all the more special?
It does, but I always had the belief that we were a good side, but those first two games were a reality check. But I was always confident that with the character of the group we had, plus we started playing kids, then the two Johnston’s (Damien and Daniel) become available, (Thomas) Jok and Whitey (Brandon White), it just all fell into place.
But even as late as Round 11, you get smashed by 114 points by Narre, what happened from there?
I didn’t even see the end of that game, I walked inside, and I asked the boys what was wrong, was it me, because we beat Berwick the week before then put in a performance like that… something’s not right. I just let them go away and have a chat about it, left it to them, they came to me on the Tuesday night and said we needed to tweak a few things and ever since then we haven’t lost. I’m going to repeat myself here, but it’s true, the thing I love the most about this year is that it has been player driven, I’m over the moon as a coach, but the smiles on the players’ faces is what makes it all worthwhile.
What about your leaders today, Daniel Mislicki, Scotty Meyer, Damian Szwaja – they were unbelievable…
In big games they just will themselves, and that’s what makes them such a great group to coach. I love them, they’re very humble, a lot of things have been said about us over the last two weeks, but we know what happened, they’re very close and that’s what has taken us this far.
You’re a premiership player and a coach now, not many get to do that, it’s a pretty good career you’ve put together now isn’t it?
Footy’s been my life since I was a kid, so to play in two flags when I was 20 and 22 and now to do it again 13 years later as a coach, all at Beacy… it’s just a special feeling.
Your dad Rod coached Keysborough to flag back in 1976, what’s it like to join him as a premiership coach?
You’re going to make me tear up here. He’s my idol, I love him to death, and he’s my best mate – just proud – just really proud to share this with him.
