Hahndorf toasts its third straight Hills Football League premiership with a 13-point win over Lobethal in grand final

A hot barbecue, cold beer, fold-up chairs and another Hahndorf premiership. In an unusual season in an extraordinary year, some things haven’t changed after all. Full coverage of the Hills Football League grand final here. But in such an unusual season in an extraordinary year where footy fans had to sit down to drink their beer and bump elbows instead of shake hands, it took another Hahndorf victory to show that some things haven’t changed at all. The Magpies won their third Hills Football League grand final in a row and fifth flag from the past six years with a 13-point win over their latest challenger Lobethal, 11.10 (76) to 9.9 (63), and as winning captain and best-on-ground medallist Dylan Matsen put it post match: “It just gets better and better every year.” The Covid-shortened season only began in June and fans were banned from standing around their team huddle at the breaks that were patrolled by marshalls in bright orange vests. But it was all the other little things like balloons tied to street signs on the way to Echunga Oval, the smell of the barbecue, thermos flasks and camping chairs around the boundary and even a handful of Crows players in the back of a ute cheering on some of their old teammates that told you country footy was very much alive and well. “By the time you get to this stage of the year you’ve played your eight or nine home-and-away games and the finals series is normal, so it’s not at the front of your mind that April, May and June (we barely played),” Hahndorf coach Matt Golding said. “So I think it means as much and maybe a bit more with what everyone has gone through across everywhere not just in Adelaide and in footy, so we’re really pleased.” Lobethal was playing in its first grand final since 2002 but showed no signs of stage fright. With Norwood premiership bookends Brady Dawe and Alex Georgious patrolling either end of the ground, Matt Fuller combining with Aidan Riley in the middle and Jack Osborn and Braydn Fisher providing a threat inside 50, they made Hahndorf earn it. But the Magpies weren’t going to let it slip after getting their wake-up call two weeks ago when Lobethal beat them in the first final which ended their 43-game winning streak. “If anything it was a good thing, just to understand that we’re not bulletproof and if we don’t bring our best, we’re vulnerable,” Golding said. “It was definitely a reality check and I thought we were really good last week (in the preliminary final) and obviously had moments today.” Hahndorf lost Kyle Cheney to a leg injury in the first quarter and trailed by two goals at half-time but rallied with a six goal to two third term, and although the Tigers never went away, Michael Handby secured victory with a set-shot goal in time-on of the last. “I thought the brand that Lobethal play and way they try to move the footy, Matty Fuller has had a really big impact on their footy club, it’s very similar to what we try to do,” Golding said. “But I’ve got to pay tribute to Dylan Matsen’s game in the midfield because without him in there I’m not sure we hang in there in that second and third quarter.” Hahndorf also won the B Grade grand final, defeating Echunga 4.10 (34) to 4.2 (26). CAN LOBETHAL SLAY THE GIANT? IT’S country footy’s David versus Goliath grand final in a season that almost didn’t happen. Lobethal, the tiny hills town hit hard by bushfire last year and which hasn’t been in a grand final since 2002, up against the might of Hahndorf which is gunning for a fifth premiership from a sixth straight decider. Adding extra spice to the game was that until two weeks ago, Hahndorf was on a 43-game winning streak when Lobethal produced a stunning upset in the second semi-final to march straight into the big dance. The AFL season might be momentarily paused with a pre-finals bye, but all roads in the Adelaide Hills lead to Echunga on Saturday for what promises to be a grand final for the ages. “We’re a small community and it’s been a long time,” said Lobethal president Randall Weeks. “We’re basically Lobethal, Charleston and Lenswood and everyone knows everyone. “The footy club is part of the recreation ground with netball, cricket and tennis and we all work together which creates a bit of a community. “The bushfires last year affected some people a lot, some people a bit and a lot of businesses were impacted. “So it’s (footy season) been a bit of a good news story even for those not involved with the football club, there’s a good vibe around the place.” The season didn’t start until July because of the Covid-19 pandemic and while many leagues and clubs across the state put a line through 2020 altogether, the Hills league staged a nine-round season with teams playing each other once. Hahndorf beat Lobethal by 102 points in their Round 4 clash, before the Tigers turned the tables on the Magpies to win by 22 in their second semi-final, forcing Hahndorf to beat Blackwood in the preliminary final. The Tigers haven’t made a grand final since 2002 when they were last crowned premier. “Since then we’ve made a couple of prelims but that’s it,” Weeks said. “But our younger players now have 40 or 50 senior games into them and we added a few key players to our list this year.” Those recruits included former Crows Aidan Riley and Jack Osborn, and former Norwood pair Brady Dawe and Alex Georgiou who is a Lobethal junior and played AFL with Melbourne. Their premiership teammate at Norwood Matt Fuller is another Lobethal junior who took over as coach late last season and has helped guide the resurgence from eighth to second this year. Hahndorf’s team includes former Crows Matthew Jaensch and Kyle Cheney, as well as former SANFL players Michael Handby, Dan Roberts and their captain Dylan Matsen. But they had to do without their prolific goal-kicker Darcy Hourigan who joined Nairne this season. “The secret (to the sustained success) is none of my good work,” Hahndorf coach Matt Golding said. “We just have a really strong junior program which develops players from a young age. “Some of our kids have been playing in grand finals every year since they started, and one of our guys played in 10 grand finals in nine years because one season he played in two age groups, so success breeds success. “These young guys now have 40 A Grade games under their belt and understand what’s required to win finals.” Golding described the recent semi-final loss to Lobethal as a “wake-up call”. “Lobethal played really strong footy, competed harder than us, we missed tackles and in the second and third quarters we got it handed to us good and proper,” he said. “It was the first time since I’ve been at the club that we weren’t up to the standard. “But our preliminary final was really strong and I’d like to think we’ve had our wake-up call and we play some better footy on Saturday.” Weeks is adamant that despite their semi-final win, Lobethal are very much underdogs this weekend. “Absolutely, they’ve (Hahndforf) been the benchmark team for the last four years and we’ve poked the bear now,” he said. “They will be out for some revenge and we will need to play like we did last time.” With the crowd at Echunga capped at just 2000 people because of SA’s Covid-19 restrictions, tickets to the game have been selling online this week and what’s left will be available at the gate. The game will be live streamed online and Lobethal is setting up a big screen at its clubrooms for supporters who can’t get into the game at Echunga. reece.homfray@news.com.au