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READ MORE - LVFNL GRAND FINALIST - Pyramid Hill

READ MORE - LVFNL GRAND FINALIST - Mitiamo

WHEN the final siren blows at Calivil some time around 5pm on Saturday, the exhilaration and euphoria of winning the Loddon Valley league premiership is likely to be met with an equal sense of relief for either Pyramid Hill or Mitiamo.

On one hand there's Pyramid Hill that is enduring one of the longest premiership droughts in country Victoria.

So long in fact that there's only one surviving member left from Pyramid Hill's last premiership team of a distant 1950 - John Carroll.

Carroll was just 16 when he played in that 1950 flag against Mitiamo. He's now 85 and will be there cheering his Bulldogs on Saturday.

And on the other hand is Mitiamo - a club that has been forced three times in the past four years to watch on as their opposition basked in sweet premiership glory at their expense.

The Superoos lost grand finals to Bridgewater in 2015 and 2016 as part of the Mean Machine's flag seven-peat, and again last year to Newbridge.

The margins in those three grand final losses were 44, 50 and 56 points - comprehensive defeats on the big stage after the Superoos had taken the toughest of routes to get there from the elimination final each time.

The combination of having to win three cut-throat finals just to get to the grand final, along with Bridgewater of 2015 (17-1) and 2016 (18-0) and Newbridge (16-2) last year being a clear cut above the rest, has made for more than their fair share of grand final heartache in recent years for the Superoos.

This time, though, there's no excuses for the Superoos, who head into the grand final near-on full strength (will they or won't they roll the dice on hard-nut midfielder James Rozynski, who was named in the centre, but hasn't played since April because of a knee injury).

And there has been no playing for their season three weeks in a row to get to the grand final. They beat Bears Lagoon-Serpentine by 49 points in the qualifying final and Pyramid Hill by 22 points in the second semi-final and then had last week off. They are fresh.

They've got an envious array of forward power headed by co-coach Tyrone Downie, Justin Maddern and Ryan Wellington, a midfield that bats deep and a tightknit defence that has also been a constant source of attack, with Luke Lougoon and Ash Benbow immediately springing to mind.

What a big year it has been for Mitiamo gun midfielder Terry Reeves.

Reeves has already won the Harding Medal after polling 23 votes and come Saturday afternoon could also be a premiership co-captain to cap off 2019.

If the Superoos do prevail on Saturday Reeves will join Bridgewater's Adam Parry (2013, 2014), Andrew Collins (2015) and Zeb Broadbent (2016) and Calivil United's Ben Knight (2017) as yet another player to complete the Harding Medal-premiership double since 2013.

And for those Mitiamo fans looking for an omen on Saturday, perhaps the year - 2019 - is as good as any.

Years that end in 9 have tended to be good for the Superoos - their last three flags were won in 2009, 1999 and 1979. They also made a grand final in 1989, but were belted by Marong.

Bill Grant coached the 2009 flag - a 58-point demolition of Calivil United when Ryan Haythorpe (eight) and Alex Chapman (seven) combined for 15 goals - and his co-coaching son, Andy, has the chance on Saturday to emulate the feat of his dad a decade ago.

Looking back on that 2009 grand final, the Mitiamo better players featured Kyle Patten, Aaron McKean and Tom Grant - all of whom will be out there again on Saturday chasing another flag.

As for Pyramid Hill, those who have been around Mitchell Park long enough will attest that they've already been able to get over one hurdle - just getting through to the grand final.

Since they were last on the big stage in 2011 the Bulldogs have lost three preliminary finals in 2012, 2013 and 2014, as well as disappointing straight sets exits in 2015 and 2018.

But under first-year coach Adrian McErvale - no stranger to premiership success having played in three flags at Golden Square - the Bulldogs are through to the big dance with not only their senior team in, but their reserves and under-18s too, as well as their 15-under and 13-under netball sides.

Spoke to Pyramid Hill football operations manager Leigh Forster during the week, who described his feelings ahead of grand final day as "guarded excitement".

What a monkey it would be to get off the back of the Bulldogs if they could get the job done and cut loose the baggage that comes with 69 years without a premiership and re-write the narrative around the club's sustained lack of senior success.

The fact it has been almost seven decades since the club last won a flag and is referenced so often when talking about Pyramid Hill - especially when it gets to September - overshadows the Bulldogs' capacity to have remained as competitive as they have for so long without bottoming out.

The Bulldogs have played in 15 of the past 16 finals series back to 2004 - their only miss when they finished sixth in 2017 - and have made it to the last three 10 times through that period.

Albeit without that elusive flag, to have been as prominent in September as what the Bulldogs have since 2004 (during which they have played 38 finals) is a record fellow Loddon Valley clubs outside of Bridgewater, Calivil United, Mitiamo and Newbridge, who all have savoured premierships through that period, wouldn't mind a piece of.

Forster believes given its geographical local, the biggest selling point to potential recruits is the club's constant finals appearances.

"We're obligated to stay up... we can't drop down because of our geography. The only attraction we really have is playing finals regularly and we've got to maintain that," Forster says.

They've been somewhat stiff, the Bulldogs, given through the majority of the time they've been contending they have been up against two of the greatest dynasties in Loddon Valley - the Calivil United team that won six flags in a row between 2003 and 2008 and the Bridgewater juggernaut that won seven on the trot between 2010 and 2016.

Sometimes timing can be everything - just look at Newbridge last year as the Maroons were able to pounce on an opportunity when there was no Bridgewater or Calivil United lauding over the competition to win a flag and then tumbled down to second-last this season.

Perhaps after 69 long years - and more than 25,000 days since the triumph of 1950 - the timing just might finally be right for Pyramid Hill on Saturday.

MITIAMO v. PYRAMID HILL

Mitiamo

B: K. Patten, M. Simpson, B. Bacon

HB: L. Lougoon, L. Woodward, A. Benbow

C: M. Grant, J. Rozynski, J. Wiegard

HF: D. Clohesy, R. Wellington, L. Matthews

F: B. Downie, J. Maddern, T. Downie

R: M. I'Anson, T. Reeves, D. Thomas

Int: A. McKean, B. White, T. Grant, T. Brooks, L. Scott

In: J. Rozynski

Pyramid Hill

B: M. Bateman, B. Driscoll, D. Morison

HB: M. Klein-Breteler, D. Tonkin, A. Dobby

C: A. McErvale, S. Mann, B. Goodwin

HF: S. Gunther, L. O'Toole, B. George

F: J. Willcocks, B. Dickens, J. Sala

R: A. Holland, G. James, B. Micevski

Int: S. Mewett, J. Woodward, E. Dorrington, B. Dalton

In: B. Dalton, S. Mewett

Out: J. Hickmott, A. Murphy

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