Two Blues VAFA Division 1 premiers 2024

PREMIERSHIPS are hard to win, and never was there a better example than Prahran’s VAFA Division 1 14 point triumph over Parkside on Saturday.

Rain, hail, wind, sunshine, you name it and the weather elements were all on show at Martin Reserve, Hadfield, which turned the show piece game of the season into trench warfare.

The Two Blues went into the game red hot favourite seeking their 14th successive win but Parkside, achieving the ‘triple jump’ from Division 3 to now Premier C Grade were never going to be a pushover.

The scoreline was 5-6 (36) to 2-10 (22) but the game seemed much closer that that.

In stark contrast to the second semi-final 60 point romp over Parkside this was a Prahran win to savour for different reasons.

Skills were at a premium with Parkside stretching the Two Blues to the limit.

But try as the Devils might they could not make the Two Blues buckle.

In retrospect Prahran's two first quarter goals kicking with the breeze proved pivotal.

The first came after 19 minutes from the soccer skills of Taylor Bamford and then Shaun Chapman.

The second came courtesy of a Tim Maya set shot from a free kick which Matthew Clifford soccered through on the goal line.

As coach Craige Milward told his troops at quarter-time "it's hot isn't.''

Parkside's pressure game never wavered and for 26 minutes stoppage upon stoppage during a hail storm resulted in no score in the second quarter until against the run of play Chapman found Ethan Plaza who marked and goaled from 35m out to confirm his rating as the best set shot for goal in the competition.

The fact the Two Blues were then kept goalless until 19 minutes into the last term emphasised how invaluable that goal was.

By contrast Parkside had a free kick on the siren and from 35m out could only score a point.

Parkside dominated general play in the third term adding 1-3 including a poster while Prahran's solitary score, a rushed point, came in the final seconds.

With a slender eight point lead going against the breeze in the last quarter the momentum was with Parkside.

Sensing the occasion James Musster rallied supporters at the three quarter-time huddle to lift the Two Blues.

In a game of inches set shots from Chapman and Jon Simonetta fell agonisingly short while Parkside had another 'poster.'

The dead lock ended when Manton Medallist for best afield Chapman goaled from 40m after a free kick for a ruck infringement.

But when Parkside swept down the outer wing for the goal of the match it was game on again.

Then Jesse Waters, industrious all day, marked and converted from 35m out on the boundary line to ice the game.

This was an amazing transformation from the team humbled by 65 points by USH-VU in round 6 on the occasion of Jayden Williams' 100th senior match.

Behind closed doors players were asked what happened that day.

Williams declared: "I'm sick of being a comfortable club finishing third or fourth.''

How those words resonated is hard to equate but The Two Blues did not lose another match for the rest of the season.

You often hear coaches say a win was a team effort, well this can be truly said of the Prahran premiership 22.

Every player did a little something at a crucial time against a fierce foe while the best defence in the competition proved as frugal as ever.

While it was indeed a team effort two players joined a select Prahran triple premiership 'club' - James Musster and Tim Maya played in 2011, 2017 and now 2024 premierships to join Prahran Team Of The Century centre half-back Dick Culpin who played in the 1966, 1970 and 1973 flags. 

First season coach Milward ambitiously declared in his first address to his players in pre season at East Malvern clubrooms on November 25, 'we are here to win the premiership.'

Ten months later mission achieved.

PRAHRAN 2-3 3-3 3-4 5-6 (36)

PARKSIDE 0-1 0-5 1-8 2-10 (22)

Goals. Chapman 2, Plaza, Clifford, Waters.

Best. Shaun Chapman, Mackenzie Mayne, James Musster, Joey Bell, Joel Hume, Rory Brodie.