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CUDGEWA is celebrating a drought-breaking premiership after capturing the club’s first flag since 2000 following a 31-point win over Corryong in Saturday’s Upper Murray grand final at Cudegewa.
The raging flag favourites shot out to a 19-point lead at the first break and were never seriously challenged to eventually run out 16.12 (108) to 12.5 (77) winners and finally deliver a flag to their success-starved supporters.
The Blues were contesting their third decider in the past four years with the convincing victory helping erase memories of recent grand final heartache.
After 2000, Cudgewa went over a decade without making a grand final but the 2010 appointment of coach Bill Deery sparked a major turnaround in their fortunes.
Deery led the Blues to successive grand finals in 2011-12 before stepping down last season.
He returned to the helm this year and was able to land several prized recruits including Dane Arthur, Greg Wheeler, Ben Hall, Matt Jarvis, Michael Voigt, Dylan Ward and Brendan McEvoy.
The recruits, alongside a crop of local talent, have seen the Blues transform into the premier side in the competition.
While both sides made nervous starts in front of a bumper crowd of 2500, Cudgewa settled first when giant ruckman Jim Cleven pulled down a strong mark and converted from 40 metres out before the Demons got the quick reply through Tom Renshaw.
The Blues attacked feverishly for most of the quarter to open up a handy 19-point buffer at the first break with their three-pronged attack of Deery, McEvoy and Hall all lively.
Deery in particular was damaging with two goals for the term while ruckman Allan Cleven also dragged down several strong marks around the ground.
Corryong coach Andrew Reid swung the changes at the first break with Troy Cooper moving from a back pocket into the midfield and Evan Nicholas from the midfield to across half-back.
The move worked a treat as the Demons kicked three of the first four goals to get within seven points midway through the quarter.
The Demons’ fab four of James Paton, Nicholas, Adrian Rijnbeek and Shannon Gilson were clearly on top of their direct opponents and instrumental in the fightback.
A late hit on Blues forward Brad Steele in the goal square late in the quarter sparked a melee which was quickly defused.
It was the only fireworks for the day as both sides remained disciplined.
Deery slotted two late goals to take his tally to four before Rijnbeek kicked his third to cut the deficit to 20 points at the main break.
Ben Aalbers was sharp in the midfield and damaging with his clinical kicking, working in tandem with ruckman Allan Cleven who was the dominate big man on the ground.
Reid made two major changes at half-time and swung Cooper forward, with Russell Anderson moving onto Deery, and it only took minutes for the results to show.
Cooper set up a goal for Nicholas in the opening minutes of the third quarter to slash the margin to 13 points.
But the Blues once again answered the challenge through unheralded forward Jake McPherson, who slotted two quick goals and, when Ben Hall kicked his fourth late in the term, the Blues were once again out to a 20-point buffer.
If the Demons were to have any chance of overrunning the Blues, they desperately need the first goal of the final term.
But it was McPherson who bobbed up with his third to give the Blues some breathing space.
The Demons tried valiantly to bridge the gap but to no avail.
When VCFL medal winner Voigt, who provided plenty of rebound from defence, snuck forward to kick the final goal it was time for delirious Blue fans to celebrate.