Three-peat for Doves

By Brad Kingsbury
DOVETON achieved the extraordinary feat of three consecutive reserves’ premierships with an all-the-way 24-point victory over Beaconsfield in the curtain-raiser to Saturday’s senior grand final.
The Doves reversed the second semi-final result that saw the Eagles upset the minor premiers and it was a different side that took the field on the weekend.
The signs were ominous when Doveton veteran Matt Miller swung out of congestion and slammed the ball through for the first goal with the aid of a steady breeze only two minutes into the game and the Eagles day only got worse after that.
Miller, Michael Davies and Michael Rodriquez controlled the play and the tempo of the opening term that saw the Doves boot seven goals to one and lead by 37 points at the first break in play.
The Eagles had trouble breaking through the Doveton defence early in the second quarter, but coach Scott Mather, together with youngsters Ryan Olsson and Vinny Sanzaro, helped Beaconsfield hit back just before half-time, reducing the lead to 21 points at the break.
The game petered out as a contest in the second half when it began to rain and then became obvious that the gap was too great for Beaconsfield to bridge.
The gap at the final change was out to 33 points and, despite the Eagles battling the game out manfully, it was veteran Doveton coach and defender Mark Mott who held the premiership cup in the end.
Mott, who turns 37 next month, said the enormity of the side’s effort had not sunk in and he was just thrilled for the players.
“To come back from that second semi-final (loss) I thought would be a hard effort, but this was the best side we could field and it was an unbelievable effort by the boys,” he said. “As a coach, when you’re playing you just have to keep going and stick to basics, but the message to the boys after we did lose that semi was to stay strong. They did and I believe that kick in the pants we got was the key to this premiership.
“No matter what people say, when Doveton has its backs against the wall we play our best footy and are at our most dangerous.”
Mather, who was presented with the Bill Williamson Medal as the league’s best-and-fairest player after the game, said the better side was the victor on the day.
“They were the better side. I think the first quarter just let us down and they were more organised and kept to their game plan really well,” he said. “We just got lost. When you give a side a six-goal start in a grand final, well you’re always going to struggle to come back.
“Our average age is only 19 or 20, so it sets it up well for the next few years. Hopefully these guys can stick together. They’ve had a taste of finals now.”
Dove Michael Davies was awarded the MPNFL Medal for best on the ground.