It’s certainly all been happening for Lancaster coach Tom Davies.
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Davies and his team defied the critics to upset Murchison-Toolamba in a memorable Kyabram Football League grand final triumph and is currently enjoying a big week of celebrations which will climax on Friday when he holds his bucks party.
No surprise that he has also been reappointed coach for next season.
Davies also declared after Saturday’s game that he had never played in worse conditions.
‘‘I spent five years playing in Darwin in their wet season, but it never rained up there like it did here on Saturday,’’ Davies said.
Just follow the signs
They are extremely passionate about their footy at Lancaster and a drive to Mooroopna via the Lancaster and Echuca Mooroopna roads on Saturday was very evident of this.
The club and supporters went to the trouble of posting the names and numbers of every player on Lancaster coloured placards on posts and trees all the way to Mooroopna.
Players travelling that route would have been in a great frame of mind when arriving at Mooroopna and they duly delivered in spades, with the seniors and reserves winning flags and the under-18s putting up a commendable losing performance.
Mooroopna lights up
Despite the grim day weather-wise there was one constant beacon of bright light throughout the game.
The scoreboard stood out like granny’s tooth in the gloomy conditions.
It was so dull the lights had to be turned on at quarter-time.
Ironically, just as the game ended, the weather cleared for a while and the sun made a rare but welcome appearance for a short time.
Unrecognisable players
And the weather certainly didn’t help supporters distinguish players.
Murchison-Toolamba wore green shorts and Lancaster black shorts and both sides had jumpers with a sash.
But because of the dirty weather, they became almost indistinguishable as the game wore on. Even if one of the sides had worn white shorts it wouldn’t have mattered much.
Grasshoppers support
It was noticeable in the quarter-time huddles Murchison-Toolamba had a larger supporter base than Lancaster.
But the Wombats were certainly more focused on winning and duly delivered with a fanatical display of wet weather football.
Iorianni retires
Murchison-Toolamba coach Nick Iorianni won’t be coaching the Grasshoppers next season.
Iorianni told the club some time ago he was stepping down regardless of the outcome of the grand final.
Despite his team’s loss, Iorianna can hold his head up high in what he has achieved at the club which has had feelers out for his replacement for some time, even making an approach to a KDL and GVL legendary coach.
Yellow ball called in
There was a swap of footballs at quarter-time, with a yellow ball replacing the usual standard coloured ball.
It’s reportedly more waterproof than the standard coloured footy and obviously a lot easier to see when conditions were like they were for this contest, so it made a lot of sense, although Lancaster coach Tom Davies said he was not informed there was going to be a switch.
Goal of the day
Goal of the day came in the last quarter when Rikki Busch got the ball to the goal square from the forward flank.
But it landed in a puddle and stopped dead — begging to be kicked through the goals.
The quick thinking Zac Cerrone obliged with a soccer-type goal which virtually sealed the game for the Wombats.
And Busch, one of two players — Brad Orr was the other — who played in Lancaster’s last premiership side in 2011, told coach Tom Davies after the game it was the best win he had been associated with in his long association with the club.
One loss for season
How often does it happen?
A team goes through the season undefeated — until grand final day.
That’s what happened to Avenel reserves on Saturday, falling to Lancaster at the last hurdle.
Like its senior side, Lancaster rose to the occasion and never looked like losing to start a memorable day for the club.
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor