Back to the future

By Brad Kingsbury
CRANBOURNE and Doveton have a rich history of close, intense and at times brutal finals clashes dating back to the 1970s and that rivalry will be renewed when the two sides clash in this Sunday’s preliminary final at the Edwin Flack Reserve.
The Eagles have been the surprise packet of 2009 while, until last weekend, the Doves looked a certainty to play off in the grand final.
Things often change very quickly in sport, and suddenly the Doves are looking down the barrel of a straight sets exit in similar vein to Pakenham last year.
Similarly, Cranbourne supporters have this week rushed to cancel their September holiday bookings in the hope of going one or even two better than Saturday’s classic victory over Narre Warren.
While the Doves were putrid on Sunday, Cranbourne coach Doug Koop is well aware of their potential to bounce back hard.
“I don’t take too much out of Doveton’s game last week. They’ve been the benchmark all season and that wasn’t down to luck,” he said.
“We will go in with our best side who are fit and ready to go.”
“It’s not necessarily just about us playing good football. When we do we’re very dangerous but it’s also about stopping them from doing their good stuff as well.”
Koop’s wariness was underlined by his Doveton counterpart Clint Wilson, who warned that the Doves would be a changed side with a different attitude this weekend.
“There will be a different side next week. We will go for a bit more pace and a couple of players will do jobs, but it’s not hard to find areas of improvement after a performance like that (against Pakenham),” he said.
“We’ve got the second chance and now we have to use it, regroup and earn our spot in the grand final.”
Among those changes will likely be captain Justin Hill who injured a calf on the weekend, together with several others who simply did not get near the contest in the second semi-final.
A key to the Eagles chances will be the availability of ruckman Adam Wright who has battled with week-on, week-off work commitments all season, but Koop’s biggest problem will be fitting all his fit and in-form players in to the final 22.
Doveton will need to mind superstar Marc Holt closely but the Eagles still have players like Matt Fletcher, Brad Coller and exciting 16-year-old Max Gearon to kick a winning score and that is vastly different to the last few seasons at Casey Fields.
At the other end the Doves must rely on ageing veteran Danny Casset together with the mercurial Ryan Hendy as their main avenues to goal, but more will be needed from back-up forwards this weekend.
Doveton handled Cranbourne with some ease in their only meeting at Casey Fields this season in round 10, but things have changed in both camps.
Last year, everyone dismissed preliminary final under dogs Keysborough as any chance at all against Pakenham and the tendency is the same this year in regard to Cranbourne’s challenge to the 2009 minor premiers.
Well, it’s once bitten-twice shy this time, because the absolute dejection and comprehensiveness of last weekend’s loss, coupled with the injury doubts surrounding on-field key Hill might be enough to give the Eagles a sniff of victory.
And, on form, that’s all the Eagles may need to play in a grand final.