AFTER grabbing its first flag as a merged club, Glenthompson-Dunkeld is hoping to start a new chapter of Mininera and District Football League.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Rams want to build a collection of premiership cups.
Coach Simon Hatherell said the club that his side defeated in Saturday’s grand final at Lake Bolac would act as motivation.
Glenthompson-Dunkeld forced its way into the history books with a 13.8 (86) to 4.13 (37) victory over league powerhouse Tatyoon.
“They’ve been (in the grand final) six times in a row,” he said of the Hawks.
“We want to try and emulate what they have done, be there year after year after year.
“We want to stay up there.”
The Rams’ premiership campaign started at the end of the 2009 season, when departures were minimal.
“We basically only lost a couple of players and we recruited well,” Hatherell said.
“I think (the group will stick together again).
“We’ve really looked after each other this season, both on and off the field.”
The Rams got off to the best start on the field on Saturday, slotting the first three goals to take a 15-point lead into quarter-time.
“We started really well,” Hatherell said.
“The second quarter we had the first 10 minutes, then they had the next 15.
“They just started running the footy, picking it up from half-back and carrying it.
“They really came back at us but they missed a couple of chances.”
The Hawks went into the rooms with a 14-point deficit to make up but the buffer stretched out to 21 points at the last change.
“The third quarter was pretty much a slog,” Hatherell said.“We were confident (going into the last term) without being over confident.
“We knew we didn’t have it won.
“We knew we had to finish it off.”
The Rams piled on five majors while Tatyoon failed to boot a goal, instead kicking 0.5.
Hatherell was not comfortable until about 30 seconds before the siren, when he congratulated a couple of players on the bench.
Both he and assistant coach Guy Sevior were sidelined on Saturday due to knee injuries.
“It’s obviously disappointing . . . but our job was to coach and I think we did that all right,” he said.
Hatherell highlighted the efforts of ruckman Paul Phillips and rover Michael Uebergang, who constantly combined effectively.
The coach also believed the efforts from the Rams’ key forwards Scott Day (two goals) and Tim Covey (three goals) were crucial.
He is yet to sit down with the club to determine whether he will be reappointed but said he would do so in the coming weeks, after the premiership celebrations.
They continued yesterday with a family day at the Glenthompson rooms.
Hatherell was pleased to be part of the history-making victory, which was also the first time the 33-year-old has been involved in a senior flag.
“I think it’s a great thing for the two communities after they merged in 2003,” he said.
“The last one Glenthompson won was 1985 and Dunkeld’s was 1976.
“It had been a long time for both.”
Day claimed the best-on-ground VCFL and J. A. Knight medals.
League president David Watson was pleased to announce a record gate of $18,140.
It was up $1800 on 2009.
Watson said the league had kept its grand final admission the same for the past four years.
