SWFL: Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault colts coach Ryan MacIntyre pays tribute to entire squad after premiership

Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault colts coach Ryan MacIntyre paid tribute to his entire squad in the wake of his side’s grand final victory over Bunbury on Saturday. The Lions secured back-to-back premierships by again proving far too good for the Bulldogs in the season decider, running out 65-point winners at Hands Oval. In an emotional moment on the dais after the game, MacIntyre called upon Carson Hough — who played 16 games throughout the home and away season but missed out on selection for the grand final — to accept the premiership cup and flag alongside captain Quinten Bell in his place. MacIntyre said the call to leave out Hough was especially “devastating” but his players who did not feature on the day had played just as large a part in their success as any who took to the field. “He’s just the backbone of the team. He talks well with all the boys, he’s pretty well a great father figure for them. He’s just special,” MacIntyre said of Hough. “There were nine blokes to leave out, you feel for all of them.” HBL largely dominated the game’s early exchanges but headed for quarter-time ahead by only seven points after their nine scoring shots in the term brought just two goals. But they then produced a six-goal second term to open up a 45-point half-time lead which only grew as the game wore on. MacIntyre said his message at the first break was one of encouragement where he asked his side to continue doing what they were doing. “We said just to keep peppering away with our inside-50s, making sure the ball went in there and we put them under pressure,” he said. “We thought eventually at some stage, they would get tired and we’d overwork them and then we could lower our eyes, hit our targets and put a few goals on the board.” Several of MacIntyre’s charges will now graduate into HBL’s senior sides but many, including Lynn medallist John Manuel, Kayden Panetta, Beau Freemantle and Ziggy Freemantle, have already made their debuts for the club at league level. MacIntyre said he had taken great delight in seeing the development of his players through the season and winning the premiership was “icing on the cake”. “You want to see their progression, you want to see them play league footy, you want to see them hang around this great football club, and I feel we’ve ticked those boxes, which is great,” he said.