AT the start of the Hampden league season, The Standard’s sports journalists JUSTINE McCULLAGH-BEASY and SEAN HARDEMAN looked into the crystal ball and predicted how they thought the 2018 campaign would pan out. The evenness of the football competition – one of the biggest talking points – meant predictions were hit and miss, while the netball expectations were closer to the mark.
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FOOTBALL
Prediction: Koroit premier with Port Fairy runner-up.
Predicted ladder: Koroit, Port Fairy, Terang Mortlake, Cobden, South Warrnambool, Warrnambool, North Warrnambool Eagles, Hamilton Kangaroos, Camperdown, Portland.
Result: Koroit won a record fifth flag in a row with Camperdown rising from sixth 12 months ago to make the grand final.
Final ladder: Koroit, Port Fairy, Camperdown, South Warrnambool, Warrnambool, Terang Mortlake, Hamilton Kangaroos, Cobden, Portland, North Warrnambool Eagles.
On reflection: Justine’s tipping proved a mixed bag. She was spot on with Koroit as premier and Port Fairy as second after the home and away season.
She had three of the five top-five teams – the Saints, Seagulls and South Warrnambool – and had Warrnambool, which finished fifth, in sixth spot.
Terang Mortlake and Cobden failed to make the finals after much hype in the pre-season following their recruiting.
Justine was close to the mark with Portland (tipped last and finished ninth) and Hamilton Kangaroos (tipped eighth and finished seventh) but undersold Camperdown (tipped ninth and finished runner-up).
Phil Carse’s team proved the biggest surprise packet of the season, coming within 11 points of a premiership.
The Magpies’ story captured neutral supporters’ attention.
They lost key players, including key forward Jordan Bain and key defender Daniel Seehusen, in the off-season.
The Pies snuck under the radar during pre-season but accquired some home-grown talent in Luke Mahony, who returned from Southern Mallee Giants, Fraser Lucas after a stint with Myrtleford, and Nick Bateman from a sabatical at Woorndoo-Mortlake.
Camperdown made a statement early, winning eight of its first nine games.
A mid-season lull had people questioning the Magpies’ flag credentials but they finished strongly, smashing Port Fairy in the final round before knocking it off by 40 points in the qualifying final.
Their second semi-final win over Koroit was a major scalp.
NETBALL
Prediction: Koroit to go back-to-back with Cobden runner-up.
Predicted ladder: Koroit, Cobden, Port Fairy, Hamilton Kangaroos, North Warrnambool Eagles, South Warrnambool, Camperdown, Terang Mortlake, Portland, Warrnambool.
Result: Koroit stormed home and won its 10th premiership with Cobden falling short of its maiden flag.
Final ladder: Cobden, Koroit, North Warrnambool Eagles, Port Fairy, South Warrnambool, Camperdown, Warrnambool, Hamilton Kangaroos, Terang Mortlake, Portland.
On reflection: Sean’s predictions were close to the mark.
He backed Koroit’s experience to help it win the premiership and expected Cobden, which had a strong off-season recruiting drive, to meet it in the grand final.
He expected the Saints to win the minor premiership but the Bombers held top spot for most of the season and took that honour.
Koroit had Cobden’s measure in the finals series, winning both the second semi-final and grand final.
Sean tipped four of the five finalists – the Saints, Bombers, Seagulls and North Warrnambool Eagles – but was off the mark with Hamilton Kangaroos.
He expected the Roos to finish fourth but they struggled and ended in eighth spot.
Warrnambool, which he predicted to claim the wooden spoon, managed a seventh-place result under first-year coach Raewyn Poumako.
Porltand, which Sean predicted to finish ninth, slipped to 10th in the final round after falling to Terang Mortlake, which jumped above it to avoid the wooden spoon after the two sides met in round 18.
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