Murchison-Toolamba claims Kyabram District League reserves premiership with a 42-point victory over Stanhope

On a day tailor-made for the combine favourite, Murchison-Toolamba ripped through the starting gates and maintained its dazzling opening effort to spoil Stanhope’s party, much to the delight of coach Fred Andronaco.

“We were undefeated all year, we prepared well, we were fresh,” he said.

“The boys did came to play today to try and reward ourselves – we were undefeated during the year – and to try and win that flag was the goal obviously and we were able to achieve that.

“The boys played well as a team, it was good.”

Good, at least in the case of the Hoppers’ first term, was an understatement.

Murchison-Toolamba had the early ascendancy as Michael Coad’s crafty mark and shot from the pocket rifled home.

Despite a cagey first 10 minutes, a sprinkling of stardust from Triphet Phetsuwan tore the game’s seams apart as he went from 0-60 in a split second and slung an arrow from 50 on the run.

Before it had really started, the game was soon slipping through Stanhope’s grasp as a point blank free kick was nailed by Mason Sleeth, the Hoppers up 19-0 without the Lions even firing a shot.

A grunty contested grab by Jaidyn Bathman was classic, and the conversion even more so as his left-footed effort swung through followed by a near-goal of the day contender by Coad as his full volley from a ball up was grazed by a finger on the way through.

Ahead by 27-0 at quarter time, Murchison-Toolamba was coasting.

Shane Kay oozed class out of half back, and at the other end Jamie Jones was handed a gimme after a 50m penalty as he basically walked it over the line for the Hoppers’ fifth.

In an uncanny link-up, however, Stanhope was finally on the board.

Brad Canny bombed one to the goalsquare, and after a ping pong sequence, Josh Canny executed a crumbing snap to register the Lions’ first major.

Tensions boiled over as Layne Baker was brandished a yellow card with two minutes to go in the second quarter for a minor scuffle, and with 29 points to make up at half time, the Lions were in hot water.

Heavy third term winds favoured Murchison-Toolamba as a fleeting Hoppers’ move had Jones knock home his second with a run and gun finish.

Two minutes later, Jones went bang once more with a high snap over the shoulder.

The play of the match arrived with five minutes left in the term, Kay running onto a forward kick on the wing, shrugging off a high tackle and pinpointing a pass with GPS precision into Sleeth, who marked and kicked a hair’s breadth inside the right post through for a goal.

Stanhope was simply not direct enough in its approach, taking the scenic route from coast to coast when the right road was up the middle.

Instead, the boards were banging to Thomas McCormick’s tune in the last quarter as he stabbed through a major from a tough angle in the pocket.

Dark clouds swirled overhead, and the silver lining for the Lions was a Baker effort that was initially judged to have been marked on the line but was given as a goal following a short review.

When all was said and done, Murchison-Toolamba lifted the premiership cup with a happy Andronaco doting on the turnaround from 12 months ago.

“After we lost last year, we all made that commitment and said we’ll be back next year and we’re going to win it,” he said.

“That was certainly on the mind, a bit of redemption for the boys, that we were going to hit back.

“A few new faces have come into the side since last year, but they all gelled and in the end, premiers and champions, I couldn’t have asked any more from the boys.

“The pressure of the game didn’t get to any of us – sometimes you can go into a final being undefeated and the little man on the shoulder is talking.

“But the boys stood up firm, they definitely came to play today - amazing effort.”

Luke Cecchin was awarded the Ian Shiner Medal for the best player on-ground, while Dylan Baker’s rucking efforts were lauded alongside Jones (three goals) and Sleeth (two).

For Stanhope, Ryan Cooper excelled despite the result while Josh Canny finished as the Lions’ only man to double up on the day.