Navarre’s Senior footballers and A grade netballers earned a place in Sunday’s MCDFNL grand final. Both teams will be defending their title and trying to make Club history by being the first teams to wins four premierships in a row.
The Senior footballers faced Royal Park in their preliminary final. Many believed that this could be the team to halt Navarre’s run as they had taken the points in their home and away clash. Royal Park kicked the first goal of the game, but Navarre was able to answer. Jesse Hannett, Daniel Reading, Daniel Parkin and Louis Hannett were in everything for the Grasshoppers. Royal Park scored another major, but again Navarre answered. Matt Newton, Brent Flood, Danny Grellet, Josh Monaghan, Luke Brown and Jayden Fowkes were made to work very hard in the back half as Royal Park really applied the pressure. As the first term ended, Royal Park goaled on the siren and they took in a 2 goal lead.
A key change for Navarre occurred at the start of the second quarter as League Best and Fairest, Josh Fowkes, was moved from centre half forward into the ruck. This freed up Navarre’s ball movement and kicking with a slight breeze, they exploded away from their opponents kicking 6 goals for the quarter and keeping Royal Park to one goal.
The all-important third quarter see-sawed between half forward lines, but eventually it was Navarre who capitalised kicking a further four goals. The back six were extremely impressive as a defensive unit and any of them could have been named in Navarre’s best. At the last change, Navarre had a solid lead, and Royal Park needed to score the first goal quickly if they were to have any chance. The game, however, was put beyond reach when Sam Kaye kicked a miraculous goal from the boundary line pocket. When Cody Driscoll kicked his fifth for the game, any doubts were erased. Royal Park battled the game out, but the Navarre boys were too good on the day and will now take on Carisbrook for the 2016 title.
This will be the fourth time these two teams have met in the MCDFNL grand final since Navarre joined the league in 2011. Carisbrook took out their first meeting, but Navarre has taken the last two grand finals. Given the form of Carisbrook leading into the finals, and the experience of Navarre, supporters are in for a great final.
Navarre 15.10.100 defeated Royal Park 7.6.48
Goals: Cody Driscoll 5; Ben Martin 2; Ben Scott, Lachlan Slorach, Sam Kaye, Riley Bibby, Louis Hannett, Nick Murphy, Daniel Parkin, Rhett Murphy
Best: Daniel Reading, Danny Grellet, Jesse Hannett, Jayden Fowkes, Cody Driscoll, Brent Flood
Last Modified on 16/09/2016 15:24