Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
READ MORE - SELECTION NIGHT - weekend finals football teams
MITIAMO co-coach Andy Grant said it in the build-up to the season and reiterated it again this week leading into the Loddon Valley league grand final - there's no excuses for the Superoos.
The Superoos take on Pyramid Hill in Saturday's grand final at Calivil.
The Superoos have lost three of the past four grand finals - including by 44 points to Newbridge last year - but when you go out and top up with the likes of co-coach Tyrone Downie, Doug Thomas, Tim Brooks and Brent Downie, with it comes an expectation of success.
Grant hasn't shied away from that expectation and says his side will confront it head-on on Saturday in what's another crack at Mitiamo winning its first premiership since 2009.
"There will be no excuses whatsoever from our end," Grant said on Friday.
"We've got there in good shape, so everything has fallen into place in that regard... we know though that Pyramid Hill isn't going to just hand it to us. They are a quality side and we're expecting a tight game."
Such is the available list Mitiamo has at its disposal, if hard-nut James Rozynski takes his place in the side after being named in the centre on Thursday night the Superoos will go into the grand final at full strength.
Rozynski hasn't played since injuring a knee in April, but it's understood the Superoos are going to give him every chance of proving his fitness.
If Rozynski does play, he will add to an already tough, experienced on-ball brigade.
"That midfield group has been fantastic this year. You look at guys like Luke Scott, who won our best and fairest a couple of years ago, Dougie Thomas, Bomber (Terry Reeves), Lucas Matthews and Aaron McKean... they all have big-game experience and I think that's what is going to help us on Saturday," Grant said.
"A lot of our players have been there before, so I think we're in pretty good shape in that regard."
From last year's team that lost the grand final to Newbridge, the Superoos have 15 players lining up for a shot at redemption - Ash Benbow, Luke Lougoon, Max Simpson, co-captain Jarryd Wiegard, Dylan Clohesy, McKean, Kyle Patten, Ryan Wellington, Scott, Tom Grant, Rozynski (if he plays), Michael I'Anson, co-captain Reeves, Matthews and Matt Grant.
"I don't think you could get a group that's more hungry than this one... the desire is really burning with most of them having lost a grand final previously," Grant said.
"It has been at the forefront of everyone all year to make sure we get back here to give ourselves another chance at winning it.
"But it's not just the playing group, it's really important for the club."
I don't think you could get a group that's more hungry than this one... the desire is really burning with most of them having lost a grand final previously
- Andy Grant - Mitiamo co-coach
Those three grand finals the Superoos lost in 2015 and 2016 to Bridgewater and to Newbridge in 2018 were against dominant teams that combined had win-loss records of 51-3, highlighting just how up against it Mitiamo was each time - not to mention having had to win their way through from the elimination final in each of those years.
This build-up though has been far less taxing, with a pair of wins over Bears Lagoon-Serpentine (49 points in the qualifying final) and Pyramid Hill (22 points in the second semi-final) before a freshen up last week.
The Superoos have beaten the Bulldogs in two of their three meetings in 2019 and share a common trait with Pyramid Hill - their significant boost to scoring power this year.
After averaging 83 points per game last year, the Superoos have elevated their offensive output to 99 points per game this season - the additions of former coach Justin Maddern (44 goals) and Downie (40 goals) alongside Wellington (33) and Clohesy (28) giving Mitiamo an imposing front half.
"Our forward line has been versatile and we've got a lot of firepower down there... we've certainly got a lot more key options to goal this year, which we felt we needed," Grant said.
While the firepower speaks for itself, the Superoos have had a tendency to squander opportunities, having only kicked more goals than behinds twice in their past eight games, including 11.22 in the second semi-final against the Bulldogs a fortnight ago.
The flipside to that though is that while the Superoos may have converted at just 44 per cent (107.136) through their past eight matches, they generated an average of 30 scoring shots per game.
The forward power and star-studded midfield group has garnered plenty of attention this year, but Grant believes it's his defensive unit that has been pivotal in the side's 15-3 run to the grand final.
"It's a very tight unit we've got down there and we've only had seven or eight players who have been part of our backline," Grant said.
"They are a little team within a team and just go about their business. Backmen are bred to know they don't get any accolades and they are there to do their job.
"There's no doubt though that they have been the backbone of our side."
The Superoos' average score against of just 57 is the lowest in the competition, narrowly edging out Pyramid Hill's 58.
Mitiamo's defensive unit has revolved around Bacon, Simpson, Patten, Benbow, Lachlan Woodward, Lougoon and Brooks.
Meanwhile, co-captain Reeves already has one accolade under his belt this year having last week won the Harding Medal with 23 votes.
Reeves' victory came after he finished runner-up last year, with the Superoos now hoping they can do the same - second in 2018 to No.1 in 2019.
"Bomber has had a super year... he generally gets a tag and eventually wears the tagger down or finds a way to still get enough of the footy," Grant said.
As well as the senior football, Mitiamo also has the opportunity to win the A Grade netball premiership in what would be a mighty achievement if it can complete the double in its 130th anniversary year.
MITIAMO GRAND FINAL TEAM:
BACKS:
27 - BEN BACON
Games: 17 Goals: 2
44 - MAX SIMPSON
Games: 17 Goals: 0
21 - KYLE PATTEN
Games: 17 Goals: 0
............................................
HALF-BACKS:
1 - ASH BENBOW
Games: 10 Goals: 2
26 - LACHLAN
WOODWARD
Games: 16 Goals: 0
23 - LUKE LOUGOON
Games: 18 Goals: 5
............................................
CENTRES:
31 - MATT GRANT
Games: 17 Goals: 0
13 - JAMES ROZYNSKI
Games: 4 Goals: 3
9 - JARRYD WIEGARD (C)
Games: 18 Goals: 5
............................................
HALF-FORWARDS:
3 - DYLAN CLOHESY
Games: 16 Goals: 28
18 - RYAN WELLINGTON
Games: 16 Goals: 33
32 - LUCAS MATTHEWS
Games: 12 Goals: 10
............................................
FORWARDS:
11 - BRENT DOWNIE
Games: 18 Goals: 10
12 - JUSTIN MADDERN
Games: 10 Goals: 44
8 - TYRONE DOWNIE
Games: 14 Goals: 40
............................................
FOLLOWERS:
10 - MICHAEL I'ANSON
Games: 15 Goals: 6
5 - TERRY REEVES (C)
Games: 18 Goals: 2
7 - DOUG THOMAS
Games: 16 Goals: 12
............................................
INTERCHANGE:
FROM:
15 - TIM BROOKS
Games: 13 Goals: 15
4 - TOM GRANT
Games: 9 Goals: 3
2 - AARON McKEAN
Games: 13 Goals: 3
16 - LUKE SCOTT
Games: 14 Goals: 13
29 - BILLY WHITE
Games: 5 Goals: 1
............................................
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.
