RELATED: A win for the stalwarts
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GLENROWAN was on its last legs two years ago.
Winless in 2012 with an average losing margin of more than 200 points, it was hard to see how the Kelly Tigers could survive, let alone thrive.
How the wheel has turned.
Glenrowan appointed Casey McPhail as president, signed Nigel Robinson and Rory Cunningham as co-coaches and the rest is history.
After a fairytale run to last year’s grand final fell a step short, the Kelly Tigers overpowered Milawa by 41 points at Wangaratta’s W.J. Findlay Oval on Saturday to snap a 33-year premiership drought with their first O and K flag.
But it wasn’t easy. The Demons flew out of the blocks with a couple of surprise moves paying dividends.
Nathan Hooper (four goals) started at full-forward and kicked three first-term goals, Scott Pell gained space on a wing and Brandon Ryan controlled the middle as Milawa built a 13-point lead at quarter-time.
It should have been more, but a couple of errors cost goals and Glenrowan took full advantage.
Small forward Mathew Duffy landed two opportunistic snaps on his way to a five-goal haul, and when Matt Grantham set up two more, the Kelly Tigers had kicked five goals to one for an 11-point gap at half-time.
Robinson took control at half-forward in a best-on-ground display, Max Scott, Luke Fox and Cunningham were outstanding across half back, Chris Sussyer dominated the hitouts and Joel Bihun linked up well on the wing.
But Milawa refused to go away and closed to within four points late in the third term as Sam Holgate and Jack Stamp led the way with brilliant performances and Brayden Clarke won plenty of the ball.
Two goals in a minute from Nick Lawrence gave Glenrowan some breathing space at three quarter-time, and when star midfielder Karl Norman, who received the VCFL Medal, produced three centre-breaks to set up goals for Duffy, Mitchell Potts and Scott Bradley in the first four minutes of the final term, it was time to start the party the Kelly Tigers had been yearning for a generation.
Robinson said he was worried at quarter-time — “we set ourselves in the first quarter and worked on our structure, got it right and were able to attack in the last quarter”.
“We beat them every time this year on a fast start, so I was a bit worried, but the good leaders at the club settled me down.
“We knew our structure was right. We just had to chip away at it. To come out and get back in front in that second quarter was good.
“You know when a football team is in a good position and, at three quarter time, I just knew the boys were going to come out and deliver in that last quarter.”
Milawa coach Luke O’Keefe was happy with his team’s start, but praised Glenrowan for overcoming it.
“All of our talk pre-match was about starting well and being in touch at quarter-time and half-time — we were able to achieve that,” he said.
“But they came out in the third quarter and got a run-on and when they kicked those three goals, it was a long way back.
“Don’t take anything away from how good Glenrowan was. We had to play the perfect game.
“We were in it, but the second half was disappointing.”
Milawa ended King Valley’s run from sixth with a 60-point win in the reserves, while the Alpine Eagles proved too strong for the Londrigan Bulls in the thirds.