Timboon spirits away WDFNL flag

ONE host of Demons were celebrated and another exorcised at the Reid Oval on Saturday.The Timboon Demons won the Warrnambool and District Football Netball League premiership with a fighting nine-point victory over Kolora-Noorat.The win avenged two defeats to the Power during the season and clinched the club's first pennant since joining the league in 2003.But there was an added impetus for the post-match delirium - the dark forces which had haunted the Timboon camp since last year's faltering loss to South Rovers, when a six-goal lead was sacrificed, were banished into history.Under a clear spring sky an evenly-divided crowd of 5000 people savoured a see-sawing encounter in which the lead changed nine times, Timboon eventually triumphant 18.12 (120) to 17.9 (111).The final siren signalled the start of near-hysteria among the blue and red faithful, who had waited 12 months for another chance at grand final glory.The gallant Power players, meanwhile, were in their own kind of hell.Timboon rover Andy Rylance won the VCFL Medal and teammate Nick Thompson the Scotty Stewart Memorial Award as the best players on the ground.In the WDFNL A grade netball final, Merrivale made it successive premierships by defeating Dennington 40-36.League president Justin Balmer said the four football and six netball grand finals were blessed with sensational weather. ``It was just a great day for our competition,'' he said. ``The perfect way to end the season.''