As you may well be aware, the mighty Snakes from Richmond Central will be playing in the D4 Grand Final this Saturday. After an up and down first half of the season, the Senior’s new players have jelled, and are heading into the big show on a six game winning streak.
Led by the proud captain, Sean ‘Irish’ O’Connor, the snakes have overcome the many obsticles in their path in the latter half of the season, including a close win over a resurgent South Mornington, who they beat away from home. That match, and the bus trip that enveloped it, may have been the catalyst for the momentum that has carried them to the Grand Final.
Over the previous two weeks, the Snakes have faced elimination finals against sides that, at some point in the season, had beaten them by over ten goals. Two weeks ago, against a strong and well coached Eley Park team, the seniors lifted their game to a new level. After a close first quarter where scores remained level, the boys dominated the play both on the ground and in the air. Many of the new recruits shone: Ben ‘Mash’ Ryan, Sam ‘Haircut’ Brown, Seb ‘Dolf’ Angus, Eamon ‘Ace’ Sullivan and Dain ‘Pistol’ Firman were sensational. In the end they ran out comforatable winners. Unfortunately, we lost one of our players to a broken leg in the third quarter. Good luck to Josh Sharpe on his recovery.
Richmond suffered another setback on the following Thursday night training, losing ‘Pistol’ for the remainder of the season with a broken finger. The Snakes slotted in a match fit veteran, Sam ‘Puffing Billy’ Hibbins, to take his place against the Swinburne Razorbacks this past Saturday. In that game, the boys were dominant from the first bouce. They kicked against a strong breeze and came out on top after the first quarter. From then on the game was never in doubt, and the Centrals ran out winners by over ten goals. It was difficult to decide on best players from the game, as the team had never put together such an even display. Dan Pike was solid as a rock all day in defence.
That victory ensured that the Richmond Central Amateur Football Club would be promoted to Division 3 for the first time in ten years. Yay.
So, with two finals opponents out of the way, the Snakes face their biggest challenge of the season this Saturday against St Francis Xavier Old Collegians. The club is at fever pitch, with all of the committee and players excited at the prospect of singing the song one last time in 2011, the clubs 25th anniversary season. The team is ready, the coaches are ready, and the committee has done its job. The only left is to bring as many supporters as we can to the ground on Saturday.
The club needs your support, on this one wintery day in September more than ever before. We need your support to give the players that little extra energy to drive them on against their rivals.
So please, bring your spirit, your Richmond colours and your friends and family out to Oakleigh this weekend to support the team. We also invite everyone to our end of season celebrations this weekend, win, lose or draw.
Our post match celebrations (please, everyone is encouraged to attend all of them) will be held at:
The Glenferrie Hotel, Burwood Rd, Hawthorn from 6:00pm Saturday. Meals available.
On Sunday, we’ll be hosting a season wrap at the club rooms at Kevin Bartlett Reserve, Richmond. The bar will be open from 11:30am, and there will be lunch and snacks available from the canteen all afternoon. We’ll have a marquee set up, and will have speeches, raffles and photos throughout the day.
The Grand Final details are:
W.A. Scammell Reserve
2:15pm, Saturday 10th September
Cnr North and Guest Rd’s Oakleigh.
I thank you personally for the support you have already given the team this season, and hope that you’re all back on board when we try to climb the lofty hights of the D3 ladder in 2012.
Good luck to everyone, and Go Snakes!
Warwick Bracken
President.