DIVISION TWO
RED Hill have been crowned as MPNFL Division Two premiers for 2019.
The Hillmen ran onto Frankston Park on Saturday with fire in their bellies, looking to avenge their Grand Final loss against Dromana last season. They took on Karingal in this year’s big dance.
From the outset, Red Hill defended well and were able to restrict the Bulls from scoring. The Hillmen have been notoriously difficult to score against this year, with most sides rarely managing more than a handful of goals against them.
Red Hill struggled to find the scoreboard themselves, but eventually went into half time with a narrow two goal lead.
Although the Bulls trailed, there was always a chance they could bounce back. Star forward Marc Holt had scored 20 goals in two weeks, and has proved to be a match winner all season.
Restricting Holt’s influence turned out to be vital for the Hillmen. He could only manage one goal for the afternoon, making the task all the more difficult for the Bulls.
A five goals to one final term sealed the result, as Red Hill claimed the win and the premiership with a 9.11 (65) to 4.3 (27) win.
Chris Irving was one of the Hillmen’s best, booting three goals. Jake Mitchell was also brilliant, as was Lachlan Chandler and Jonah Siversen. Jamie Mollo coached his side to the win.
Red Hill’s premiership win sees them seal their promotion into the first division for next year.
Karingal has a rough afternoon all around, as their Reserves and under-19s sides also fell short.
Langwarrin and Karingal did battle in the seconds Grand Final, with the Kangaroos hopping away to an easy 16.12 (108) to 4.9 (33) win. Dale Donkin was the hero, booting eight goals.
First published in the Mornington News – 10 September 2019
