ALBURY coach Paul Spargo believes his side deserves its place among the great Ovens and Murray teams after smashing a shell-shocked Yarrawonga by 77 points at Lavington Panthers Oval yesterday.
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Spargo was left in awe of the Tigers’ ruthlessness as they blew the grand final apart with 14 of the first 15 goals, going on to become just the fourth team in league history to go through a season undefeated.
“We’ve got a magnificent group from the No.1 to No. 45 or 50,” a jubilant Spargo said.
“I’m just proud of all the guys.
“A lot of people said we couldn’t improve after the first half of the season, but we always had improvement in us and it’s the strongest, fittest country club I have ever seen.
“Our firsts and seconds are undefeated and I’m not sure if that’s ever been done before.”
Spargo praised the Tigers’ ability to soak up the pressure after 19 successive wins to join Wangaratta Rovers (1994), Wangaratta (1925) and St Patrick’s (1923) in going through a season without a loss.
The club’s favourite son is confident of keeping the bulk of the Tigers’ list together next season as they embark on the task of claiming back-to-back flags.
The 1995 and 1996
premiership coach said he hadn’t coached a better side in his time at the Albury Sportsground.
“It’s hard to compare them, but if there’s a better one than this, find me it,” Spargo said.
“We knew Yarrawonga would come out hard and we had to absorb that.
“I think they were tired today after a torrid last eight or nine games, but we respected them and Craig Ednie because he’s such a great player and leader and we didn’t lose our focus.
“It’s a reward for everyone.”
Albury’s reserves highlighted the club’s depth of talent earlier in the day with a crushing 50-point win against Wodonga.
Under coach Jeremy Masterson, the reserve side also went through the season without a blemish.
Midfielder Joel Mackie was the hero of the victory despite being surprisingly shaded by teammate Chris Hyde for the Did Simpson Medal.
Mackie, a member of Jindera’s premiership last year after playing in two losing grand finals with North Albury, etched his mark on the match with three goals in the opening term and refused to look back as he tore the Pigeons to shreds.
“It’s something special and I just can’t describe it at the moment,” Mackie said.
“It’s a lot of effort to win a grand final at O?and?M level and to finally win it and do it in the style we have is unbelievable.
“It will sink in a bit later but right now I’m relieved and it’s unbelievable.
“We spoke about our starts and how we could put them under pressure early, and we could really get on top and set ourselves up for a big win and it paid off I suppose.”
Mackie has battled an ankle injury since late July and admitted it had taken its toll in the second-half of the season.
“It’s been a tough run, it’s been pretty sore and I haven’t been able to do much training,” he said.
“I’ve just been trying to get through the games.
“I was meant to get a scan on it but I didn’t end up getting that done and I’ve sort of been playing it by ear.”