In a regular non-COVID world we would be gearing up for football and netball grand finals across the region, with the Murray and Picola and District League scheduled to take place this weekend while the Kyabram District and Goulburn Valley League would take centre stage next weekend.
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While we unfortunately do not have the extensive preview coverage many have grown accustomed to over the years, we hope to fill that sport-shaped hole in our lives by reminiscing over some of the best deciders we have seen since the year 2000.
Beginning today with the Murray League, we have gone back through the archives and highlighted three matches that captivated supporters with the skill, drama and emotion they produced.
Incredibly these three games occurred within three years, marking what was a truly magical time in Murray League football in the mid 2010s.
So although there can be no replacing the anticipation of grand final day, we hope this series will provide a welcome substitute for those readers itching to see premierships awarded again in 2022.
1. Rumbalara claim maiden Murray League flag with memorable comeback win
The 2014 season was nothing short of a fairy-tale for Rumbalara.
After finishing 11th and 12th in the proceeding two years, the acquisition of former Brisbane and Essendon player Damian Cupido as captain-coach and former AFL talents Nathan Lovett-Murray and Bradley Dick would have the Rumba primed for a push at their first Murray League flag.
Putting together an excellent home and away season, Rumbalara would claim the minor premiership and began its finals campaign with a top-of-the-table showdown with Finley in the second semi final.
After a tight start, Rumba would dominate from quarter time onwards to seal their place in the decider - which would end up being a rematch with the Cats after they easily disposed of reigning premier Echuca United in the preliminary final.
Playing in the grand final for the first time since back to back losses in 2004 and 2005 in the now defunct Central Goulburn League, this would be a monumental occasion for Rumbalara as it looked to establish itself as a powerful Murray League club.
Finley on the other hand would be returning to the decider after falling to powerhouse Nathalia by 13 points in what was a high-scoring classic two years earlier.
The stage was set for a thrilling contest as the ball was bounced at Moama Recreation Reserve, and it would be the underdog Cats that got away to the best start imaginable as Jess Koopman put through the games first major within 12 seconds.
From there it would be a blue and white procession as they piled on seven goals to Rumba’s two to hold a significant 33-point advantage at the first change.
Having dominated its way through the season to that point Rumbalara was rightly shell-shocked at quarter time and even more so at the eight-minute mark of the second term when the Cats’ lead pushed out to 40 points.
With their backs against the wall, Rumba would begin to rally in the closing stages of the second term - cutting the margin to an even five goals at the main change.
A team renowned for its flashy style of play and willingness to take the game on, the third quarter would see Rumba truly come to life as they began to run the Cats off their feet and play with the flair that had garnered them much success during the year.
Despite kicking into the wind, they piled on 3.2 to Finley’s 0.4 to trim the margin to 14 points and set up a grand stand finish to season 2014.
With 30 minutes of football separating the two teams from premiership glory it would be the class of captain-coach Cupido that rose to the occasion in the early stages of the final term.
Winning the league goal-kicking award with 82 majors, he would save his best two for last as he willed home an incredible snap from the forward pocket to bring his side within a kick before popping up with a strong mark and converting to level the scores.
Having worked so hard to build a significant lead, the Cats were now tasked with defending the smallest of advantages following a rushed behind at the 21-minute mark.
Rumba on the other hand were playing inspired football, and with just four minutes remaining took their lead of the day.
After being kept quiet for the majority of proceedings by Steve Patten, the class of former Collingwood and West Coast forward Dick would come to the fore when it mattered most as he swooped on a lose ball and proceeded to convert from 35 metres, completing what was a stellar comeback.
Needing one last big effort to steal the lead back, the out-on-their-feet Cats could not conjure up an attack - with the siren sounding with the ball at centre wing as hundreds of Rumba supporters engulfed their jubilant players.
Defender Levi Power, who had returned to Rumba from Canberra halfway through the season, was awarded the VCFL medal as best afield for his role in shutting down dangerous Finley forward Thomas Seccull.
He said deciding to come back and finish the season at his home club was one of the best decisions he had ever made.
“I had a big decision to make before the clearances cut-off,” he said.
“I was struggling a bit with my body at the time, mainly hamstring tendinitis - I am still not quite 100 per cent, but I decided to come back because Rumba is my home.
“I love the footy club to death and it has worked out brilliantly for us.”
The architect of this incredible premiership winning team, Cupido made this bold statement following the game.
“That is the best win I’ve ever been involved in, better than anything in the AFL,” he said.
“I am just so proud of the boys, the character they showed was outstanding.”
As for match-winner Dick, he only needed one word to describe his heroics.
“Amazing.”
Final Score Rumbalara: 2.0 4.6 7.8 11.11 (77) Finley: 7.3 9.6 9.10 10.12 (72)VCFL Medal: Levi PowerGoals - Rumbalara: D Cupido 4, P Hood 2, B Armstrong, N Terlich, G Weston, D Kerr, B Dick. Finley: J Koopman 4, J Daniel 2, R Crowe 2, T Seccull, L SmallBest- Rumbarala: L Power, D Kerr, T Higgins, D Cupido, A Miller, D Morgan. Finley: T Robertson, S Patten, N Robertson, J Koopman, M Jackson, M Jackson
2. Nathalia hold off Moama in 2015 thriller
Having won 10 premierships since the year 2000, it is safe to say Nathalia has dominated Murray League football in the 21st century.
Sporting a streak of four straight flags from 2005 to 2008 and more recently five in a row from 2015 to 2019, the Purples have been a long-time measuring stick for rival clubs and have often broken their hearts on the big stage in finals.
Their 2015 premiership may, however, be their finest hour.
After missing the finals in 2013 and 2014, the 2015 campaign was a stark reminder of the Purples’ Murray League dominance as they shot up from seventh to finish second on the home-and-away ladder with an impressive record of 13-5.
Suiting up for a second semi final against minor premiers Mulwala, the Jason Limbrick-led squad would pull off a memorable upset win against the Lions to book themselves a place in the decider for the first time since 2012.
Their opponent would come in the form of a sixth-placed Moama team, which after an inconsistent home-and-away season got it together come finals and reeled off three straight victories - including a demolition job of Mulwala in the preliminary final.
Having all four of its football teams competing in grand finals on their Moama Recreation Reserve home deck, the Magpies rode a wave of momentum into the big dance as coach Simon Maddox proclaimed in the lead up that “we feel our form is red hot".
For all their prior form, however, the Purples would come out swinging in the first term, with key forward Brett Vallender the inspiration for a six-goal onslaught in the first 15 minutes.
With a boisterous home crowd behind them the Magpies would rally in the second term, with high-flying forward Angus Grigg inspiring Moama to produce a six-goal quarter of its own to trim the margin to 12 at the main break.
A high-scoring game that already had supporters on the edge of their seats, the Victorian end of the ground was proving to be most fruitful as Nathalia took control and extended the margin beyond five goals - before late majors from Lachlan Schultz and Regan Williams trimmed the margin to 19 at three-quarter time.
Continuing this momentum into the final term, the Magpies would open the scoring with three straight behinds - before majors from Jamarrah Firebrace and Grigg would have the margin sitting at two points with a half a quarter to play.
As players began to hit the wall, the teams would trade goals in what was a pulsating period of football where it seemed that whenever the Purples dealt a knockout blow the battle-weary Magpies would respond to keep the contest alive.
A goal from Schultz in the dying stages would give Moama one last crack at pinching a famous premiership, however, time would ultimately be against them as the final siren blew with the Magpies streaming into attack.
Despite ending up on the losing side, the then 17-year-old Schultz would claim the VCFL as best afield in what was a sign of things to come for the future Fremantle small forward.
Coach Limbrick said after the game he could not have been more proud of his group after withstanding the fast-finishing Magpies.
“I was really proud of how we set the game up early,” he said.
“The fresh legs coming from the week off were going to count for a lot - we jumped them early, but knew they were going to keep coming and we were lucky to hang on.”
Final Score Nathalia: 6.2 8.4 11.8 13.9 (87) Moama: 0.1 6.4 8.7 12.12 (84)VCFL Medal: Lachlan Schultz Goals - Nathalia: B Ross 3, B Vallender 3, C Marx 2, M Davies 2, B Bell, M Croxford, M Barnes Moama: J Firebrace 3, L Schultz 3, A Grigg 3, T Jones 2, R WilliamsBest- Nathalia: J Maskell, A Corry, H Cobbledick, A Quinn, B Smith, C MarxMoama: L Schultz, R Archard, A Grigg, B Welch, T Jones, C Boxtel
3. Last-gasp heroics seal back-to-back flags for Nathalia
If the 2015 Grand Final was Nathalia’s finest hour, then its triumph over Finley some 12 months later may have overtaken that mantle.
Riding a high after prevailing in one of the Murray League’s greatest deciders, there would be no premiership hangover for the Purples in 2016 as they cruised to a home and away season record of 15-2.
Once again finding themselves in second position behind an inspired Finley outfit, history would repeat itself in the second semi final as Nathalia utilised its finals experience to outlast the Cats by 10 points and book themselves a spot in another grand final.
Unlike 2015, however, the Purples would see Finley again in the decider after the Cats easily accounted for a Moama team eager to avenge the heartbreak of last season.
A match which pitted the league’s two best teams against each other, many found this one near impossible to pick as the ball was bounced at the Moama Recreation Reserve.
Looking to break a 28-year premiership drought, the Cats would fire the opening shots as they utilised a strong breeze to open by a 25 point advantage at the first change - with three opening-quarter majors to live-wire Jed Brain having the blue and white crowd in raptures.
One quarter of football would not be enough to put away a champion team like Nathalia, however, and the Purples hit back hard courtesy of a Ross-inspired barrage of four goals in seven minutes to have the scores level at 51 a piece at the main change.
After a quiet first half, former Sydney Swan and Western Bulldog Ed Barlow would impose himself on the game to start the third term kicking consecutive goals to help Finley open up a 19-point advantage, which would be trimmed to 14 by Matt Davies in the shadows of three-quarter time.
Similarly to 12 months prior, the final quarter was a complete roller coaster as the Purples mustered up a late charge to pinch another famous victory.
Beginning with a big mark and conversion from Limbrick, Nathalia was a team full of running in the last as a Liam Evans major brought the margin to within a kick with more than 10 minutes of game time remaining.
What would ensue was a mad scramble as the Cats defended with their lives to hang on, while the Purples continued an endless barrage of attacking forays.
With only minutes remaining, it would be none other than Ross to stand up for the reigning premiers, taking a crucial mark and converting to give Nathalia just its second lead of the day and etching his name into Murray League folklore.
As the final siren sounded, pandemonium would ensue as supporters donned in Purple rushed the field to celebrate with their beloved team.
“I hadn’t kicked one for a while (since the second term) so I was a bit rusty,” Ross said of his match-winning goal immediately after the game.
“But yeah I hit it pretty sweet, I knew it was going through as soon as it hit the boot.”
Final Score Nathalia: 2.2 7.9 8.10 11.11 (77) Finley: 6.3 8.3 11.6 11.8 (74)VCFL Medal: Brett VallenderGoals - Nathalia: B Ross 4, L Evans 2, A Quinn, B Smith, J Limbrick, C Marx, M Davies Finley: J Brain 3, E Barlow 2, J Daniel 2, A Robertson, Z Brain, S Kable, E LowerBest- Nathalia: B Vallender, R Barnes, B Ross, N Oakes, T Nihill, B SmithFinley: T Robertson, S Patten, N Robertson, J Koopman, M Jackson, M Jackson
MMG sports reporter