Tara Murray
Westmeadows is thinking what might have been after falling short in the Essendon District Football League division 2 grand final on Saturday.
The Tigers were the fairytale story heading into the game after two come from behind wins to win through to the grand final.
It was the club’s first senior grand final since 2000 and the club was going for its first senior premiership since their only one in 1984.
Standing in the Tigers way was Taylors Lakes, the minor premiers and the best side all season.
For most of the game, the Tigers were in the contest.
A patch in the second quarter proved the difference, before the Tigers ran out of legs in the 8.14 (62)-5.13 (43) loss.
After two slow starts in their other finals, it was a better start this time round.
They led by two points at quarter time.
It was a real arm wrestle in the second quarter before three goals in 90 seconds to Raafat Rachrache turned it in the favour of the Lions.
Tigers coach Ash Flavel said they had thought they had stuck with the Lions for long enough but couldn’t get it done.
“It was a tale of two ends,” he said. “They got a couple of junk goals in the end and that was it.”
Outside of that 90 seconds in the second quarter, the Tigers were left to rue the third quarter when they had complete control.
They kicked 1.5 for the quarter to one point, to still trail at three quarter time.
Goalkicking had proven to be an issue all finals for the Tigers, kicking more points than goals in all three matches.
“We probably should have kicked three or four and I thought it probably would have put us probably two or three goals off at three quarter time to get that momentum,” Flavel “We didn’t put them away and then we just couldn’t get going in the last quarter.
“It was the story of our lives. We kick those four really give mes, we are right in it. That is the game.”
Flavel admits the toll of coming from behind the last two weeks had also shown through late in the game with the Lions looking fresher.
A hamstring injury to Korey Flavel-Wood, who tried to play through it, also didn’t help their cause.
Jarrod Petersen, Riley Hearne and Rex Hickman were named the Tigers best.
While disappointed, Flavel knows how far the club has come in 12 months.
They got relegated from division 1 last season.
Flavel said he is proud of what they’ve been able to achieve.
“Watching Taylors Lakes get their medals, I just hope that just sticks in their memory heading into next year,” he said.
“It’s not gonna be a guarantee we’re going to be here next year, it’s going to a lot of hard work.
“I think the side that we got I think a lot of blokes are going to stay on and we’re already speaking to half a dozen guys already to build our list.
“We’ve actually put the club back on the map now making the grand final.”
