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BENALLA’S search for an elusive drought-breaking premiership stretches into another season after Shepparton Swans snapped an even longer run without a flag in the Goulburn Valley league grand final yesterday.
The Saints were unable to reel in a 10-point deficit at three-quarter-time to go under by three points at Deakin Reserve.
Benalla will spend the summer ruing poor kicking after booting 5.15 (45) to 7.6 (48) with the anguish running even deeper with eight shots going out of bounds on the full.
A strong northerly wind blew across the ground for the whole game and made scoring difficult at both ends.
The Saints still haven’t won a flag since 1973 when they played in the Ovens and Murray league.
But their conquerors hadn’t tasted premiership success since 1970 when the club was called Lemnos.
The Swans survived a late shot from Will Sullivan which landed in the goal square, but bounced through for a point.
Benalla had the first three goals of the game on the board and led by 21 points before the Swans rallied late to trim the margin to eight at the first change.
One of the key plays of the game was when Wilf Cox medallist Tyson Sidebottom swooped on a loose ball at half-forward, spun onto his left boot and drilled a pass to Brodie A’Vard.
He converted the second of two goals in the time-on period to stay in touch with Benalla.
The Swans kicked the only three goals of the second term to snatch an eight-point lead at half-time.
Jamason Daniels, Josh Chapman and Tom Preece were cool in a crisis down back with Daniels drifting forward and booting a running goal from inside the centre square.
The Saints lifted in the third and Alistair Jacka mastered the windy conditions to kick his team’s first goal since the 18-minute mark of the first term.
But Swans big man Mitch Bell marked a high ball in the goal square soon after to out them back in front.
The Saints defence was under siege in the third term, but time and again key defender Lachlan Smith turned the Swans away.
Paul Fry bobbed up with a rare touch to snap another goal to give the Swans some breathing space at last change.
Seven minutes elapsed in a pressure-packed final term before Jacka calmly slotted his second from a set shot to put the Saints on the brink of a flag.
Swans coach Brett Warburton began coaching the club four years ago and bows out a premiership coach.
“It was an opportunity after 44 years to break that drought,” he said.
“Our preparation was perfect.
“But we had to do it the hard way and that was fine.
“I couldn’t have written the script any better.”
The GV league player of the finals series went to Swans livewire BJ Squire and the VCFL medal for best player went to Daniels.