By KATH GANNAWAY
THE DRJFL turned on a spectacular day of grand finals football at Woori Yallock on Sunday.
The DRJFL premiership teams for 2013 are Under 11 Upwey Tecoma, Under 12 Woori Yallock, Under 13 South Belgrave, Under 14 Wandin and Under 16 Emerald.
Eight clubs were represented with some exciting competition culminating in a hard-fought clash of Emerald and Olinda Ferny Creek in the Under 16s with Emerald fighting back to claim the flag, its third in a row, by an eight-point margin in a game that could have gone either way.
Olinda came out at three-quarter time and pushed two goals through in minutes to take the lead but Emerald responded with a goal from a 50-metre penalty, followed by another snap goal to come back into the game.
Two early points brought the scores level at 47 points before Emerald’s Max Novotny took a screamer and goaled, followed by Olinda’s Lachlan Taylor came back with a goal.
A goal from Emerald’s Harry Lang and a couple of points saw Emerald 8.13 to Olinda 8.5 on the final siren.
Upwey Tecoma’s Under 11s, BOG Rory Sinclair leading the play, put on a great show to start the day ending on a final score of 3.5 (23) to Monbulk’s 1.0 (6).
In the Under 12s Woori Yallock, playing on home turf, fulfilled their potential as the best side all year coming home with a 5.4 (34) win over Wandin’s 1.7 (13).
The Under 13s saw South Belgrave take their third premiership flag in a row 6.5 (41) against a never-say-die Mount Evelyn side 2.3 (15).
Several of the premiership players headed straight back out to join the Under 14s in a super-kid effort at a second flag for the club.
It wasn’t to be – despite the best efforts. Wandin came through in the Under 14s with league best and fairest Joel Garner and runner-up Thomas Merlino heading up a seriously talented side to take the honours 12.11 (83) against South Belgrave 3.3 (21).
It is Wandin’s fourth grand final appearance with three flags and the side set to make their entry into the Under 16s next year.
DRJFL president John Myers congratulated all the clubs on the spirit in which the games were played, making the point there were no losers but some amazing runners-up in what had been a fantastic 2013 grand final series.
