By Lance Jenkinson
Point Cook Centrals have snapped up their first senior premiership in the Western Region Football League.
The Sharks have faced some uncertain times in their six years as a senior club, undergoing a name change in the off season to better reflect their geographic base.
But the struggles were proven worth it when they secured a first flag with a 25-point win over Wyndham Suns in a brutal division 3 grand final at a rain-swept Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday.
Sharks coach Darren Findlay was as elated as anyone at the club, but confessed to feeling “a bit of relief”.
“Really happy for the club to come from where we’ve come from – this is one for our club in general,” he said.
It was all Point Cook Centrals in the first quarter. Only errant kicking for goal – 2.6 for the quarter – stopped the Sharks from opening up an unassailable quarter-time lead.
Staring a 17-point deficit in the face at quarter-time, the Michael Boothey-coached Wyndham Suns upped the ante in the second quarter and nearly had the game on level terms at half-time, trailing by four points.
Daniel Hovey was superb for the Suns in the second term with a long-range set shot goal and a nice snap goal.
Hovey’s influence on the game waned thereafter, though, when he picked up an injury in a collision and was forced to the bench for treatment.
Wyndham began the second half promisingly with Paul Tomelty, Josh Stephens and Hayden Iannacone influential in the midfield, while captain Asher Kirk detonated a number of Point Cook Centrals forward thrusts from centre half-back.
Then came the key period in the match, midway through the third quarter.
Brydon Coles snapped an eye-catching goal to spark a run of four unanswered Point Cook Centrals majors.
The big moment of the game came soon after when forward Michael Szulc marked on the 50-metre arc, only to be felled by Suns veteran Aaron Borg with a mistimed spoil that got Szulc flush on the jaw. Borg’s careless act generated a 50-metre penalty, with Szulc slotting home the goal.
“I was pretty lucky wearing a mouthguard,” Szulc said. “He got me right in the jaw. Look, it’s footy, it’s hard footy.”
After a period of dominance, Point Cook Centrals led by 24 points at three-quarter time.
If that margin was not enough to kill off Wyndham, Dean Henderson’s dribbled goal early in the fourth did the trick.
It was officially party time for the Sharks.
Brent Sheean, who worked tirelessly on the ball for Point Cook Centrals all game, won the Henry Turner Medal for best-on-ground.
Szulc, Henderson, Coles and Tyler Huynh were never too far away from any of the Sharks’ good moves.
But Findlay was not about to focus on individual feats.
“In all honesty, we had 22 contributors, which was really important for us,” he said. “You need that to win a premiership.”
It was a special day for all involved at Point Cook Centrals, but particularly the 22 players who will go down in history as the first senior premiership team for the Sharks.
“It’s something the club hasn’t done before, so it’s exciting for everyone,” Szulc said. “To win the premiership is awesome.”
