MURRABIT MIGHT
Drought ends at Riverside
(by Ken Cullen)
With on-ballers Matt Hope and Jason McKay in superb form, Murrabit broke a 30-year drought to score a 33-point win over Nullawil in the Golden Rivers League Grand Final played at Riverside Park in Kerang. A record crowd paid $13,000 to watch a quality match played in perfect conditions.
The Blues led at every change and were well generalled by coach Robbie Styles who played a brilliant game in defence. His strong marking was capped off with accurate foot and hand passing. Brother Damien also put in a strong game. Darren Hawkins also played his best game for the season and Josh Bray was always dangerous near goals.
Nullawil was far from disgrace and they battled the match to the end. The younger Murrabit side was simply fitter and faster on the large Riverside Park oval.
FIRST TERM
Styles won the toss and kicked to the town end of the ground. However, there didn't appear to be any wind advantage. Murrabit immediately swung into action from the opening bounce and Matthew Hope let Brad Hein in for a quick goal. Stewie Davies soon added another and the Blues appeared to have jumped the Maroons. A magnificent 60-metre goal by Nathan Henry and the Blues were running hot.
Danny Verbeek suddenly fired up and found Brett Smith for the Maroons' first score, a goal. Verbeek and Watts were getting some leather and Watts found the fast leading Doran who made no mistake.
Hope and Doran each goaled for their respective sides and, at the first change, Murrabit led by 8 points.
Murrabit 4.3
Nullawil 3.1
When Verbeek snapped a great goal off his wrong foot, the Maroons were back and the crowd was poised for a great spectacle.
SECOND TERM
Hawkins was in plenty of action as was Hope while, at the other end of the ground, Rob Styles was keeping the Nullawil forwards under plenty of pressure.
Brett Smith, carrying a painful groin injury, was playing on sheer courage and took some great marks. Nullawil defender, Ricky Sheahan, was also playing a solid game.
Swanee Davies broke loose to find Josh Bray again and the Blues took another eight-point lead in at the main break.
Murrabit 6.5
Nullawil 5.3
It was a fairly low-scoring affair with both defences playing tight, efficient football. Hope, in everything let Bray in for his third goal, but not to be outdone, Brenten Hogan replied with an accurate kick from well out.
THIRD TERM
Chris Hogan was another player winning plenty of the ball. Davies, Bray and Hope all goaled, and the Blues were looking a very confident side. Doran kept Nullawil in touch but another Swanee Davies' reply had the Blues well in control.
Murrabit 11.11
Nullawil 7.4
Leading by thirty-one points and with a strong smell of victory, Murrabit kept up the pressure, but the pace of the game slackened as both sides were feeling the effects of the warm conditions and the spacious surround of Riverside Park.
LAST TERM
The Maroons had clearly run their race and could only manage one behind in the final term. The Murrabit side hung on and were a very elated bunch when the siren sounded to realise a lot of dreams.
Murrabit 11.14
Nullawil 7.5
MURRABIT: J. Bray 4, Alan Davies, M. Hope 2 each, B. Hein, N. Henry, S. Davies 1 each
NULLAWIL: T. Doran 3, B. Smith, B. Hogan, D. Verbeek, R. Sheahan 1 each
Goals
Best
MURRABIT: M. Hope (best on ground), J. McKay, D. Hawkins, R. Styles, D. Styles, J. Bray, A. Davies
NULLAWIL: D. Watts, B. Smith, C. Hogan, R. Sheahan, D. Verbeek, D. Scott
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Community's premiership motivation
BRENDAN'S SPIRIT CARRIES THE BLUES
The spirit of a young man, lost from the community's midst, carried Murrabit on a remarkable wave of emotion to victory in the Golden Rivers Football League final. The Blues' 33-point win over Nullawil was as much a victory for the community as it was for the players and officials. After holding aloft the premiership cup - the club's first senior title in 30 years - jubilant Murrabit coach, Robert Styles, said that the team dedicated its victory to the memory of Brendan Hope, who tragically drowned on February 14. The inspired Blues wore black armbands and each player carried the initials "BH" in black writing on one hand.
Brendan's older brother, Matt, played like a man possessed and earned the umpires' vote for the best player. Emotion was clearly etched on his face as he came forward to receive the medal from GRFL president, Mr Ian Coles, and again when he later received his premiership medallion, then he was embraced by teammates.
Brendan, 21, the third son of Gonn Crossing farmers, Chris and Merilyn Hope, drowned at a Murray River sandbar near his parents' home after going for a swim. Almost the entire Murrabit community was at some stage involved in the search before his body was recovered the following day.
Matt Hope said after the grand final that he knew he had to play well. Serving as both a unique motivational tool and as an epitaph to Brendan's life, Matt said it was something "the whole town wanted. We really worked hard and wanted to win the game. It was just something we wanted to do and if we hadn't won the game it would have been something I would regret for the rest of my life. We mentioned it early in the year and deep down it was not spoken about much during the year. We left it until the end of the year to motivate us for the final".
Matt said the extra personal significance of the game helped spur him on to his best afield performance. "It definitely did help me in my own personal motivation today", he said.
Murrabit president, Mr Darryl Bray, said that the club had decided in the build-up to the grand final that it would dedicate its efforts to Brendan and the Hope family. "Brendan's spirit was definitely with us today. We could feel it", he said.
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VALE - GEORGE VISTARINI - A TRUE BLUE
In 1999, George Vistarini was worried - worried that at 93 years of age he wouldn't live to see another premiership for Murrabit Football Club!
Possibly the club's longest serving player and official, George had been active with the footy club in its various forms for most of his life. He had been a boundary umpire to start, became an accomplished rover and wingman and after retiring as a player, joined the committee, including serving six terms as president during the club's glory years in the 60's with six premierships in seven years and nine Grand Finals in a row.
Murrabit, although getting close on occasions, hadn't been able to win a premiership in the 30 years since!
However, in 1999, to George's great pleasure, Murrabit, under Coach Robbie Styles, won the Golden Rivers Football League Grand Final. The Blues players were still in celebration mode after their emphatic victory but made a special effort to visit George who, while having lived for more than 85 years in Murrabit, was then a resident of Northhaven Hostel for the elderly in Kerang. After being introduced to all the players, George was given the opportunity to hold the premiership cup.
George's contribution to football was recognised with Life Membership of the Murrabit Football Club and the Kerang District Football League and a service medal from the Victorian Country Football League.
George enjoyed three more seasons following the mighty Blues before his death in 2003, aged 97.
Vale - George
