Their message came to fruition in Wednesday, with Gold using five run-outs to topple fellow Warrnambool rival Blue in the under 13 country week grand final in Portland.

Wilkinson said his side placed a strong emphasis on being alert in the field and reaped the rewards.

“We said that teams that field well throughout carnivals like country week are often those that give themselves the best chance to win,” he said.

“The boys were really excited to take it out. We spoke about the fact that opportunities like this don’t come along very often.

“The grand final had a little edge in that the other side was from Warrnambool, so the boys knew a few of the kids playing on the other team.

“It was played in really good spirits.”

Gold won by 40 runs after posting a 107-run total.