WDFNL grand final: Nirranda wins back-to-back premierships

The small farming community club is built to win premierships, forged by an insatiable desire and hunger at all costs.

It doesn't take luck, in fact it's the complete opposite.

Winning is ingrained in the club's ethos and culture both on and off the field. It's learnt through example, standards and hard work.

The Blues prevailed again, crowned kings of the Warrnambool and District league to win back-to-back senior football flags, defeating Merrivale in the wet at Reid Oval to win 9.8 (62) to 6.5 (41).

It's the club's third premiership in the past four completed seasons, continuing a staggering run of success.

It was a win built on pressure, dominance through the middle, a defensive unit which put their bodies on the line and a forward line which proved too hot to handle.

Much like the second semi-final win against the Tigers a few weeks ago, the Blues got the early jump, kicking the first two majors through Jeremy Stacey and a dynamic Jackson Couch, before controlling the majority of the contest thereafter.

Despite the Tigers having patches of eye-catching footy, particularly late in the third and early in the fourth quarter, it was a game of catch-up and every time Josh Sobey's group mounted a challenge, the Blues responded.

Whether it be through a timely clearance from John Paulin or Danny Craven, a contested mark up the line from ruck Hugh Giblin or some frenetic pressure up forward, the Blues won those little moments that mattered.

Nirranda coach Nick Couch praised his group for delivering on the big stage, highlighting his defensive unit for setting the tone.

"I've said it a couple of times, I know I'm on the bench but you've got leaders all over the ground who just know how to flick that switch in big finals," he said.

"Our defence, pretty much all of our back six who are leaders at the club, made it hard to penetrate their forward line and score and our back line was switched on and nullified them, so our cards were all right."

Star full-back Luke Weel's job on Tigers spearhead Dylan Weir proved pivotal while fellow defender Mathew Lloyd marked everything in his path to cut off a number of forward forays.

Couch said the forward line, led by Jackson Couch (four goals), Jason Lee (three) and Jeremy Stacey (two) played their role perfectly, complimenting a midfield which outgunned the Tigers and got the ball into dangerous spots.

"I put it right on them straight after the Merrivale game (second semi-final), I thought our movement forward of the footy probably wasn't up to scratch to what we liked, but we caused some havoc, got some free kicks," he said.

"If you give these guys a sniff they'll do damage and if you give someone like Jackson Couch a metre, you can't catch him and you saw that with some of his set-shots."

Fresh from winning the J.A Esam Medal, midfielder John Paulin was supreme, winning the ball at will both inside and outside the contest to be awarded the best on ground medal, while 2022 premiership coach and star half-back Brayden Harkness was awarded the Scotty Stewart Memorial Trophy for a typically composed and brave performance.

A disappointed Merrivale coach Josh Sobey said his group would learn from the experience and endeavour to be back next season

"We'll take a lot out of this..(Nirranda) were too good on the day," he said post-match.

"We'll come back next year, bigger and better and learn from this. We'll soak this one in and we'll come back."

Tigers skipper Jack Gleeson battled hard all day while midfielder Tate Porter did all he could.

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