LSWFL: Deanmill claim first premiership in a decade with 38-point grand final victory over Southerners

For the first time in a decade, Deanmill are the premiers of the Lower South West Football League. In a wet grand final at Manjimup Recreation Ground on Saturday, the Hawks overcame an early challenge from a spirited Southerners outfit to secure the club’s first flag since 2015 — and 18th overall — with a 38-point win. Ahead by 19 points at half-time, the winners stacked on seven of the second half’s first nine goals to make a certainty of a 15.14 (104) to 10.6 (66) victory. The Harvey Giblett Medal for the game’s best player was awarded to Deanmill’s Archie Hall, who dominated whichever opponent he came up against in the ruck from the first siren until the last. Hall consistently gave Sparks brothers Harley — the vice-captain of West Coast’s WAFL side who also made enough appearances for his hometown club to qualify for the finals — and Cooper first use of the ball, ensuring their side emerged on top in the all-important midfield battle. Despite spearhead Jordan Strahan being kept to one goal to three-quarter-time in suboptimal conditions for the key forwards, the Hawks had no trouble kicking a winning score, with Jared Edgar (three goals) leading the way early among 10 individual goal kickers. Strahan managed to add three majors in the final term as any doubt over the result faded, taking his tally for the year to 84 from 14 appearances. The loss brought an end to a brilliant Southerners finals run in which the Pemberton-based outfit won their way through to the season decider from the last place in the top four. Among their best were player-coach Alex Cabassi, captain Seaton Thompson and young key forward Hamish Omodei, who backed up from their victorious colts grand final to show considerable promise in a three-goal performance. Badging the third term as the “premiership quarter” is one of football’s oldest cliches but the Hawks gave it yet more credence with their blistering start to the second half. Despite the game’s first shower tumbling down and the surface sporting plenty of mud, Deanmill executed as if conditions were perfect, with their first five set shots of the term finding the major opening. Both sides’ big names were at the heart of the second half’s first goal, when Harely Sparks pinned Alex Cabassi holding the ball and produce a perfectly executed finish from deep in the pocket. Despite Omodei doing what he could to keep Southerners in touch with two goals in the quarter, two from Edgar to go with majors from captain Blake East and Strahan ensured the Hawks held a 33-point advantage at the final interval. Only minutes into the last term, Deanmill veteran Josh Reeve started the party among their supporters by kicking his first goal of the season, which Strahan quickly followed up on to erase any semblance of doubt it would be their day. In a breezy fourth quarter the sides split nine goals, including one after the siren from Southerners’ Taj Barnsby which came despite the Hawks’ faithful beginning to storm on to the other side of the field. Earlier, the Sparks brothers combined to give Deanmill the game’s first goal, with Cooper claiming a perfect pass from Harley as he streamed into attack before finishing on the run. Edgar’s snap after the ball fortuitously landed in his lap from a contest in the goal square gave the Hawks two goals inside the first five minutes but Southerners steadied through Trent Fox, who received a free kick deep in attack to kick their first goal of the game before acting quickest on a tumbling Tayten Smith effort on goal to claim a mark and slot their second. Having been well held by Tom Collins in the opening term, Strahan was able to claim a pair of marks on the lead at the start of the second but pushed both of his set shots wide, typifying an inaccurate Deanmill start to the contest where only three of their first 12 scoring shots found the major opening. The Hawks threatened to break away when they finally came up with their fourth goal through Brock Tempra, extending the margin to 20 points. But Omodei slotted a set shot from near the 50m arc to provide an all-important response before Alex Cabassi capped off a brilliant individual first half by adding another from a similar spot as the clock ticked into time-on. Only minutes before the main break, Kallum East capitalised on both defenders in a two-on-two contest being drawn to Strahan to finish from the goal square and ensure Deanmill remained ahead by 13 points.