Epping produced its best football of the season to seal a second successive Northern Football League division 3 grand final appearance.
Having been a bit up and down in the second half, the Pingers recaptured some of their early season form against Watsonia on Saturday.
They led at every break, and were able to extend the margin each quarter, winning 13.13 (91)-9.0 (54).
Pingers’ coach Greg Whitcroft said their run had been
timed to perfection after they changed a few things from their previous encounter with the Saints, when they were beaten easily.
“We played really well … it’s the best we have played all year,” he said. “The last half of year has not been as good due to injury and poor form, but the last couple of weeks, we’ve started to turn it around a bit.
“They had a bad day and didn’t play their best football.”
It was a low-scoring first quarter on Saturday before the Pingers started to find the scoreboard. Four goals to two in the second quarter opened up the margin to four goals, and the Saints couldn’t bridge the gap.
Leigh Judd and Aaron Willitts kicked three goals each for the Pingers, while Michael Robertson was best on ground.
Whitcroft, in his first year as coach, said he thought last year’s grand final disappointment played on the minds of players.
“I wasn’t there, but you would maybe think it had a bit to play in it,” he said.
“If you lose a grand final like they did last year, it gives you motivation for the next year.”
Despite winning straight through to the grand final, the Pingers won’t be taking anything for granted in the lead-up to the biggest day of the season.
“All the sides are so even, so they could come out and do what we did to Watsonia to us.
“I’ve never been involved with a competition that is so even.
“We won five or six games by under a goal, so we could have quite easily missed out on playing finals,” Whitcroft said.
“We can beat anyone, but they can just as easily beat us.”
He said they believe they have the right mix of young players and experience to take it all the way.
“Young kids like Jordan Wilkins, who is 16, and Dallyce Taylor, who is 17 years old, and they’re playing good football.
“There’s a few blokes who could still be playing under-19s.
“And there’s a few players at the other end as well.”
Whitcroft said they will have a solid week of training this week, before a lighter grand final week, to ensure everyone is right to play.
“It’s always hard to win … we’ve got to hope that we can play our best football on grand final day.”
