Morwell produced the upset of the year on the Gippsland League’s biggest stage to hammer Sale by 81 points and claim its first senior premiership in close to two decades.
“I didn’t know it would be so soon, I never would have picked this result, even if I dreamt it,” Tigers coach Harmit Singh said.
The 26 year-old Gippsland League coach of the year became a premiership winner in his first year at the Tigers after beating the reigning premier and flag favourite by a landslide 17.15 (117) to 5.6 (36) yesterday at Moe.
Prior to the grand final Sale had lost just one match in 30.
“It was unbelievable. We knew how we wanted to play but Sale just won’t let you, they are that good,” Singh said.
“I actually signed (for Morwell) this day a year ago and that day Sale played so well and I was jealous at how they were in that position celebrating and they had played that well… we got lucky maybe they didn’t bring out their best.”
The euphoric feeling for the coach was amplified for the Tigers who have been there longest.
“It’s brilliant. It’s probably the biggest day of my life and I think it’s probably one of the biggest days the club has had,” premiership player and Morwell junior Jeff Ryan said.
“We have got one of the biggest supporter bases and we just can’t wait to celebrate it.”
“It’s a pretty good core, there would only be three or four that haven’t been there all along… one thing that we have always been good at is having a good time and we are all really good mates. I think this finally shows that we are really good on the field as well as off the field.”
Morwell’s first since 1996, the premiership is the result of a re-building phase which started at the club in 2006.
“I’m lucky to have those boys. I can’t believe it. Sale are such a good team. The reason this competition is getting better and better is because of Ferg (Matt Ferguson) and the way he runs his club, and Stuey Anderson and all their support staff,” Singh said.
After being de-listed by Richmond, Dean MacDonald’s decision to come home to Morwell paid off.
“I can’t describe it. It’s what we have worked for all year. I’m absolutely rapt,” he said.
Former Collingwood player Tarkyn Lockyer, who missed selection for the Magpies’ 2010 premiership, could not wipe the smile off his face.
“Awesome win. It feels amazing. It doesn’t matter what level of footy you play. The bond and the feeling when you know you have the game in the bag, it’s a great feeling, one you never forget,” Lockyer said.
The Australian Football League star signed with Morwell to play alongside Collingwood colleague Singh, and the pair have been instrumental in the club’s success in 2013.
“He’s (Singh) brought with him a real sense of professionalism. There’s a real bond between these guys and they have worked really hard, made some big inroads. We came up today against a side that has been pretty good all year but grand finals, you just need to be better on the day,” Lockyer said.
“Premierships are won on defence. The better you can defend the footy. That was the best defence game you’ll see in a long time.”
A grand final win seemed unlikely after Morwell suffered consecutive losses to Sale and Maffra in the final week of the home and away season and the opening round of the finals respectively.
“I was really flat after that game but it gave us all a wakeup call and we knew we had to lift our intensity,” Ryan said.
Both sides went into the decider unchanged from their respective first semi and preliminary final wins over Maffra.
Sale got on the board early courtesy of a coach’s goal from Ferguson at the five minute mark of the first term.
From then on the improbable occurred.
It was all Morwell as the underdog slammed on 12 unanswered goals before half-time.
Four of them came in the opening term through two each to Boyd Bailey and captain Joel Soutar.
With Morwell’s margin out to 26 points at the first change, Ferguson urged his side to apply more pressure.
“There is no pressure, that is not Sale footy. We have had flat quarters before we know we can do it,” Ferguson said.
“We can let this happen for the rest of the game or we can fix it right now… All we plan to do is get it back to a neutral ground at half-time because we thrive in that situation don’t we? Because we know that we are going to stand up… All we want to do is surge it forward and get a couple of goals.”
Despite Ferguson’s plea, Morwell ran amok in a match-winning second quarter.
The Tigers opened the scoring through Ryan Tatterson and followed up with majors from MacDonald, Daniel Hutchison, Mannon Johnston and Boyd Bailey.
The quarter was marred by an affray which saw Hutchison controversially handed a yellow card, but being a man down did nothing to stop Morwell taking a 69-point lead to the main change.
As Ferguson addressed Sale behind closed doors, Singh used the break to remind his players that the match was far from over.
“Is that the standard? Do we know we can do it? It’s a half. Don’t celebrate yet. It’s not over,” he said.
“We keep fighting and fighting like our life depends on it. It’s as simple as this… if we win this quarter boys, that’s it we will be home.”
The start of the third brought with it Sale’s first major since the opening minutes of the match off the boot of Jacob Schuback.
Tom Crosby responded for Morwell before Kane Martin kicked the Magpies’ second of the term to put his side back within 65 points.
Morwell stamped out any chance of a miraculous comeback through goals to Adam Bailey and Soutar as the rampant Tigers extended the lead to 77 at the final change.
Just 30 minutes away from a premiership, Singh urged his side to show respect.
“We love playing footy with each other, we respect each other, we care for each other, this is where we play the 30 minutes out. No one carries on, no one does their own thing,” he said.
Across in the Sale camp, Ferguson urged his boys to salvage some respect of their own.
“It’s all about respect now boys. We have got to have a crack. This next quarter we have got to talk about it for a long time; it’s a long pre-season. Do you want to go into another finals series thinking that we just layed down in a massive game?” Ferguson said.
Martin started the last term as he did the third with a Magpie goal, but the Tigers were again quick to hit back, courtesy of Soutar.
A major from Hutchison followed, before Tatterson sealed the deal after being awarded a 50-metre penalty.
The dying minutes saw Ryan become the second Tiger to be sent off, but it did not matter as Morwell claimed a long awaited the premiership.
Gracious in defeat, Ferguson thanked the opposition.
“Full credit to Singhy. Mate the amount of k’s (kilometres) you have travelled this year and the level of professionalism you have brought to this club… the intensity that you came out with it absolutely shocked us and we take pride in ourselves to start games like that… so you deserve it – well done on a great season,” he said.
He said while the loss would be hard to take, his side would be back bigger and better in 2013.
“We have been up for a long time. It’s been a great season, but just completely out-mastered today. We have got to go back and get into pre-season and go again… it’s going to be hard to swallow because we had such a good year but we will come back stronger next year,” Ferguson said.
After a dream season with the Tigers, Singh said he hoped to return in 2014.
“If the footy club will have me back, I’ll be keen to be back,” he said.
That despite tens of thousands of kilometres of travel that went in to it this year.
“I started at 35,000. I’m at 82,000 now but it’s worth it. Regardless of whether we won or lost today,” he said.
