On what turned out to be a perfect day for footy, the Sharks and the Jets lined up for the 09 Grand Final on the sweet surface of Founders Park in Ladera Ranch on Sunday, May 31.

After some great contests between these two sides over the last few years, the Grand Final was always going to be a hard fought game and this was evidenced in the opening minutes of the match. Two hard-nut players, Beachside's Frederik Schulin and OC's Ben Vadasz, collided during a contest, eyes only for the ball. The result was both players leaving the ground bleeding from the head, with Freddie coming off worse for the hit and not returning until after half time. Ben on the other hand was able to stem the bleeding eventually and return to the game, going on to kick 5 goals and win the Best On Ground medal. A couragous performance that inspired the Jets and set the standard.

Another notable performance was from Jets captain, Qemal Shaholli. Given the job on key Sharks playmaker Simon Sweeney, Q set himself for the task and went about destroying Simon's day. The two have had some great battles this season with some split decisions, but this time the game belonged to Q. When Simon did get the ball, he could barely take a step before being wrapped up by the hairy arms of the Jets captain. Q's stellar season was recognized later at the GF party with selection in the SCAFL All Star team, one of 3 Jets to do so.

Another All Star, Vice Captain Kelly Nelson, received a lot of attention from the opposition but rose to the occasion and finished on top as one of OC's best players, receiving 2 votes from the umpire.

The third All Star named was Andy Treanor, rewarded for his dominant ruck work this season. The GF was no exception, with Andy not only winning most of the hit-outs and giving his midfielders every opportunity, but also moving around the ground and providing a big target.

OC veteran/legend KB Nelson had yet another big game, completely dominating the goal square and leading the defensive unit of Seb, Ryno and Hersh. KB's hardness and skills, Seb's tenacity, Ryno's strength and agility, and Hersh's explosive rebound off half back combined to keep the Sharks to only 5 goals for the match. Their lowest score all season, perhaps ever.

The Jets forwards worked well together, and managed a decent score in what was a tight, low scoring game. Brad Wetherall and RJ Meza rotated off the bench to great effect, both had excellent games and provided spark when it was needed most.

The bench, which was pretty deep for a change, gave great support and kept up the pressure on the Sharks. At no point was there a mismatch as players covered for each other in an all-round solid team effort.

And so as we wrap up another successful SCAFL season, special thanks must go to our strapper Hafez, and to all our supporters. Especially our wives and girlfriends who let us play this crazy game. We hope to see you all as we move on to the Bombers season and hopefully more success.

 

Sharks: Q1 - 2.1 Q2 - 4.4 Q3 - 4.8 Q4 - 5.9      TOTAL: 5.9.39



Jets: Q1 - 2.5 Q2 - 3.5 Q3 - 6.7 Q4 - 11.11  TOTAL: 11.11.77





Goals: Ben Vadasz (5), Chris McNeil (4), Kelly Nelson, Brad Wetherall