Brad Kingsbury
LANGWARRIN completed the remarkable feat of a bottomtotop finish in 12 months with a barnstorming sevenpoint victory in the Nepean League grand final on Saturday.
Hot flag favourites Frankston led from the start until the last 10 minutes of an exciting final term, when the Kangaroos booted the fourth of five lastquarter goals to snatch the lead before adding another to steal an historic win.
Both competing clubs transferred to the lowerstandard competition from the old Peninsula Division (now CaseyCardinia League) last year, with Langwarrin finishing last on the 2004 ladder, winning two games for the season.
An aggressive recruiting campaign, centred around new coach Gavin Artico and his former Frankston YCW teammate Brad Wakeling, saw the Kangaroos’ stocks rise significantly and catapulted them into the top three after the homeandaway season.
However most pundits tipped the Bombers to win after they defeated Langwarrin by 79 points in the second semifinal two weeks ago and the 86point turnaround was a major upset.
Burly Kangaroos’ fullforward Ricky Ramsdale booted six of his team’s 13 goals, while his teammate Mark Baguley was awarded the VCFL medal for best afield.
Frankston YCW upset favourites Chelsea to take out the Peninsula League preliminary final and earn a crack at Mt Eliza in the grand final at Frankston Park next Sunday.
The Stonecats led Chelsea by two points at threequarter time in a seesawing match, but put paid to the Seagulls in the last quarter when they took advantage of a strong breeze and kicked away to win by 13 points.
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