Coaching Footy Grand Final Stories

[Michaels]

Hey guys,

Just want to hear from any other coaches out there who made Grand Finals this year, how did you all go? any feel good stories?

I coach Under 16's and we won the flag last Sunday, first Under 16 flag in our clubs history!!

But it didnt come easily. The team i have was meant to be Under 15's, but a few kids were poached away to other clubs early on in pre season (luckily we still managed to keep a really good core group together). Things were looking bleak, and our Under 16's had excess players.

We tried to merge with other struggling clubs around us but everyone was keen to stand on their own, so with 3 weeks left until our first grading game we merged my 15's with the Under 16's who didnt make the div 1 side to form a Under 16's div 2 side.

We worked hard to bond them, and teach them what they needed to know, but with such little time between getting together and the season starting we knew we were going to be a work in progress side.

We ended up finishing second, we played the top team 3 times during the year. lost 2 and won 1. We then played them in the first semi final and we went down by 12 points (one of our guys had to be taken away in an ambulance due to a bad knock to the head and we lost 6 minutes with a 5-6 goal breeze). But even after the loss in the semi we were confident we could beat them if we had to face them in the Grand Final.

We won the Prelim and faced the top side again in the Grand Final. We played a fantastic team game and ended up winning by 12 points. Our last quarter against the wind was amazing. At the 10 minute mark we lost our best player (who still got BOG award) with a late knock to the head, once again ambulance had to be called, but the boys re grouped and got the job done!

Any other good stories out there?

 

[Shane Hird]

great story there micheals..

I coach a U14s side and we are playing in GF on Saturday.

Finished top of ladder....played our GF opponents in rd 4 and beat them by 10 goals- but they had a few good players out on the day. Played them again in a semi two weeks ago and lost by 2 goals. 40 knot wind howling across the ground, scores level at 3qrt time...close game.

Played a brutal preliminary final yesterday and beat the 3rd place side by 10 points to make the GF.

Massive chance we can win GF. Boys are full of confidence and everyone is 100% fit.

Any particular words you said to your boys before or during the game you want to share?

 

[Michaels]

great story there micheals..

I coach a U14s side and we are playing in GF on Saturday.

Finished top of ladder....played our GF opponents in rd 4 and beat them by 10 goals- but they had a few good players out on the day. Played them again in a semi two weeks ago and lost by 2 goals. 40 knot wind howling across the ground, scores level at 3qrt time...close game.

Played a brutal preliminary final yesterday and beat the 3rd place side by 10 points to make the GF.

Massive chance we can win GF. Boys are full of confidence and everyone is 100% fit.

Any particular words you said to your boys before or during the game you want to share?

Some may disagree with this, but sometimes its better not having the week off in junior footy finals. Having a tough game like you did will hold you in good stead i reckon. Best of luck!

I just told the guys that all they need to remember is that we only need to win the 1 game that counts, the other matches during the year mean nothing now. also told them that there will be no loose men behind the ball, we are backing them in to go head to head with them. play your role, and win your position. if 13-15 of us do that, we win the game.

i also broke the game down into 4 mini games, making sure we beat them in each game (quarter) and reminded them that this is the last game for the year, everything we have worked on, all of the external fitness sessions, all the skill sessions are all leading to this moment.

I put a big focus on defensive efforts (have all year) and we set tackle targets each week. our average for the year was around 55 but i asked them to get me 70 tackles, ended up with a massive 85!

good luck to you mate, make sure you come back and post the result, hopefully a win!

 

[Michaels]

Also, we had 2 players out due to injury. So I got them to write those two players initials on one hand. Then on the other hand I got them to pick a person in their life they wouldn't want to let down and they wrote that name on the other hand. And I told them that if they feel like they are struggling out there to look at their hands and draw inspiration / motivation from those on their hand.

 

[Dirty Bird]

Angle Vale vs Ingle Farm on the weekend. SAAFL Division 7.
I don't coach, I don't play, I wasn't even there, but I know a few people who were there.

Game had 2 goals in it at 3/4 time. The team down got the first 2 goals to make it close. Then Ingle Farm kicked away to be 7 goals up with 3 minutes to go.

A neutral fan (From Smithfield who had been booted from the league for crowd violence earlier that season) ran around the outer and with another 10-20 Smithfield mates (Dressed as Angle Vale fans) started an unprovoked fight with Ingle Farm fans (Who was the other team involved earlier in the season with crowd violence). The fight grew to 100 or so people I the outer, involving chairs and tables being thrown around. Women and children went onto the oval to avoid the fighting. The umpires don't let play resume and let the clock run off, then with 1 minutes left, the siren blew early.

The game started with 3 police cars and undercover police at the venue. They called for backup and by the time the people I knew were able to leave the venue, that number had grown to 26 police cars.

 

[Shane Hird]

Also, we had 2 players out due to injury. So I got them to write those two players initials on one hand. Then on the other hand I got them to pick a person in their life they wouldn't want to let down and they wrote that name on the other hand. And I told them that if they feel like they are struggling out there to look at their hands and draw inspiration / motivation from those on their hand.

yeah I've got one out with colarbone he broke in the final h&a game..tough small mid.

3 star players as we speak are off school feeling crook..hoping they come good by saturday.

the stress of it all..lol

 

[Shane Hird]

well playing 3 finals in row while the other mob had the rest before the GF backfired on us massively. 9.30am game...poured rain all night (Perth) and at the bounce the rain stopped and the sun acually came out for 20mins. Tough 1st qrt, scores even, 50/50 share of the ball between both teams.

Then the rain came down.

Down by 2 goals at 3qrt time and the rain continued..couldnt get goals kicked, time ran out and they kicked a sealer. 17 pt loss.

Boys got over it pretty quick...which surprised me.

Always next year........