Above: Daniel Edwards, a consistent performer throughout the year, was named best on ground.By Kath Gannaway
YARRA Junction’s under 18s set a goal at the beginning of the season and never let it slip from sight.
The team’s 53 point drubbing of Emerald in the Division Two Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League (YVMDFL) grand final on Saturday was the reward after a year of total focus and a determination after the disappointment of losing last year’s grand final.
Coach David Irwin said the Eagles, captained by Andrew Hoare and Darcy Kiernan, were primed for a win, which he said was delivered on the back of a consistent team effort across the ground.
“We didn’t have any guys down on form. We had winners across every line on the ground,” Irwin said.
About half the team will move up next season, and Irwin said the positives of going into the senior competition off a grand final win were enormous, although a number of the players had played in the reserves and seniors throughout the year.
Irwin said the players were totally elated.
“With last year’s experience we were more focused to make sure it didn’t happen twice in a row,” Irwin said after the game.
“You could tell how determined they were just by looking in their eyes, and I got that from halfway through the season – they were totally single-minded across the whole group.”
