By Marcus Uhe
The idea of every original deserving a sequel is a divisive one in the world of film and entertainment.
Attempting to replicate what can be viewed as a perfectly good product and risk sullying the legacy in an effort to recapture the genie in the bottle of a magnificent first viewing is truly a roll of the dice.
When Anthony Hudson rhetorically asked ‘who would have thought the sequel would be just as good as the original?’ when the final siren rung to put a bow in the 2006 AFL grand final, the second West coast v Sydney cliff-hanger in two years, few, if any, had the answers.
2023’s Outer East Football Netball Premier Division football grand final was a day to remember for Wandin, and a day of despair for Narre Warren.
In 2024, the same teams will go fight it out for the crown once again, at the same venue and on the back of strikingly similar paths to qualification, with Wandin hoping history repeats, and Narre Warren wishing to reverse the result.
Narre Warren won both contests against its conqueror in 2024, the first a wire-to-wire win at home and the second a valiant comeback on the tight confides at the Kennel to solidify its status as the best team in the competition.
But Wandin haven’t lost since that chilly day in early August, and ran through its three finals opponents with conviction, with an average winning margin just shy of 50 points.
All roads lead to a belter of an afternoon at Officer.
THE CAST
Despite the renewing of the title, many of the stars on both sides have been recast.
Three of Wandin’s best midfielders from 12 months prior, in Joel Garner, Cody Hirst and Connor Smith, will likely be watching from the sidelines when the first ball is bounced on Saturday afternoon.
Garner and Smith are certainties, having plied their talents elsewhere in 2024, while Hirst is in a race against the clock to prove his fitness as he fights to recover from a knee injury.
Out of their shadows have emerged Chayce Black, Jack Manson and Macauley Beckwith in the on-ball division, with Aaron Mullett, Jordan Jaworski and Todd Garner also working their way into the rotation from time to time.
The same can be said for Narre Warren, whose summer was rife with concerns of their demise following big-name exits, but the black and white did what they so often do, in retooling, tweaking and winning far more often than losing.
Peter Gentile’s return from VFL duties has been an ideal replacement for 2023 Smith Medal winner Tom Miller, Jesse Davies has stepped forward to cover the absence of Jake Richardson, and Hayden Dwyer has been a revelation in the ruck this year, finishing in the top 10 of the Smith-Ramage medal count, more than ably filling the void left by Lachlan Benson.
Limiting Dwyer’s presence will go a long way to stifling the Magpies’ effectiveness in the middle, but Wandin’s makeshift rucking pair will have their hands full.
In round 15 the Magpies moved Jesse Davies into the ruck in the second half and the decision went a long way to the remarkable second half turnaround.
Riley Siwes, Sam Johnson and Corey Bader have become genuine options in the midfield for Steven Kidd to support Brad Scalzo and Kurt Mutimer, and Tom Toner will require some limiting from the Bulldogs.
The biggest weapon on the field, however, remains Mullett.
Mullett was one of the catalysts in the 10 minutes of destruction that spoilt the Narre Warren premiership party 12 months ago and has spent more time in the midfield in the second half of the season, but can find the big sticks from nearly anywhere in the forward half of the ground.
Five goals in the first half of the round 15 epic reminded everyone of his quality but the goalless second half proved that’s not unstoppable if the team locks in to its assignment.
Jacob Mutimer or Josh West may be handed the assignment due to their leg speed, or even Travis Callahan, should he earn a recall in Trent Papworth’s spot, who is leaving no stone unturned to be fit after a calf injury in the second semi final against Woori Yallock.
THE PREAMBLE
The last two seasons have seen these two sides emerge as the benchmarks of the competition, with Wandin unseating Woori Yallock on the podium.
Narre Warren has won four of the last five contests between the two combatants, but Wandin won the game that mattered the most.
In round 14, the Bulldogs looked set to square the 2024 ledger at 1-1, thanks to a 22-point lead at half time in a brilliant display on their home turf, before a stunning turnaround from the Magpies saw them kick seven of the last eight goals to escape 13-point victors.
In round three, it was a 12-goal second-half that saw the Magpies fly away with the four points, the only time Wandin conceded more than 100 points in a game this year.
Some may put more stock in the first contest of the season, given the similarities between the ground dimensions of Kalora Park and Rob Porter Recreation Reserve, but the ability to slow the Bulldogs down was stunning, and a definite ace up the Magpies’ wing.
THE PLOT
The Magpies found great success with some positional moves and in taking away the open spaces that Wandin thrive in back in round 15, and slowed the game to a crawl, with Wandin looking bereft of a plan B.
In open play, Wandin’s lethal ball users – Mullett, Black, Patrick Bruzzese, Damien Furey, Harrison van Duuren – love to showcase their footskills and slice through forward presses like surgeons.
The Magpies, too, relish open space, and have made a living out of turning opposition turnovers into scores.
When Hamish West, Riley Siwes, Daniel Toner and Mitchell Tonna are afforded space, their intimate knowledge of each other’s tendencies and patterns sees scoring chances present more often than not for Davies and Will Howe, or one-another.
Narre Warren’s back six will have its hands full given the Wandin forward half arsenal, but the Magpies’ forwards will need to utilise their leg speed to keep Tom Hinds and John Lander on their toes.
Howe, meanwhile, has a nemesis in Leiwyn Jones, who has given him trouble in recent contests.
THE COACHES VIEWS
Steven Kidd (Narre Warren) – “(Wandin) have got a ruthless winning attitude and win-at-all-costs attitude.
“The question isn’t about motivation because that’s there and we lost last year.
“We don’t have to play too much different, but we have to play at our best.
“It is a different game, we definitely have to be pretty physical and put the pressure on them.
“As far as our game style goes, we just have to adhere to what we’ve trained.
“We feel like we’ve done everything we can as far as our training goes, it’s just going to come down to if we’re going to be good enough on the day.
“(Winning is) certainly something that would mean a lot to me if I could achieve that goal, but at this stage I know that it’s more important to concentrate on what may happen on the day and what different things or magnets we’ll have to throw around as the game wears on.”
Nick Adam (Wandin) – (Narre Warren) has been outstanding since the moment they’ve walked into the competition; I know they’ve had a really proud history in the South East, but they’ve been the ones since the merger.
“We were able to get the job done last year but I would have felt like they’re only using it as motivation.
“I felt like they couldn’t cope with us in the second quarter at Clegg Road [in round 15], but they went into half time and were able to get some stuff really right that took all the speed out of the game, and I felt like that got it back on their terms.
“I’d be surprised if (Kidd’s) not looking at that and going ‘this is what we were able to do to manufacture that’, and we need to be able to counter it.
“The plan we have for Narre Warren is very different to what we have for Woori Yallock that we want to put in place, and I’m confident that we can get the job done.”
THE PREDICTION
In many ways, this game will be a case of winner takes all, with Narre Warren hoping for a third OEFN premiership flag to take on its impending venture to the Southern Football Netball League.
Three wins from four completed seasons would be make them the undisputed yardstick from the competition’s formative years, while a second for Wandin would square the ledger at two each.
Wandin blew Narre Warren’s quest for back-to-back premierships in 2023 to smithereens, and now Narre Warren is hoping to do the same.
Will the quest for vengeance outweigh the pursuit of greatness? Only time will tell.
The six-day turnaround Wandin faces adds another challenge to the equation, but their firepower across the ground gives them a slight edge.
Tip: Wandin by 15 points, with Jordan Jaworski named best on ground.
VENUE: Rob Porter Recreation Reserve will be walk-in venue, as it was for the preliminary final on Sunday and grand final day last season.
With Officer and Pakenham playing in the morning’s first football game, parking spots are set to be hot property from as soon as the gates open.
Extra parking will be available at the Officer Civic Centre car park, on Siding Avenue, and on McMullen Road, while those who can take the train to Officer station should consider whether that option suits them.
