Maher’s Long Road to Premiership Glory

Main Photo: Warners Bay celebrated a 14-point grand final win over the Muswellbrook Cats in the 2022 AFL Hunter Central Coast Black Diamond Shield competition. (Photo: Merrillie Redden)

BY ALEX TIGANI

Warners Bay defender Elliot Maher had always wanted to win a senior premiership before calling time on his career.

He came close on several occasions in Tasmania when featuring in a star-studded Glenorchy Magpie line-up.

And it also seemed to be an achievable feat when representing the Bakers Creek Tigers in the AFL Mackay competition on account of the club’s strong culture.

Therefore when the final siren sounded on the AFL Hunter Central Coast’s Black Diamond Shield season decider for 2022, he let off a sigh of relief with ball in hand.

“It was fantastic,” the outgoing Warners Bay playing coach reflected.

“The ball was in dispute and then kicked into the pocket.

“No one really came towards me and I grabbed the footy and just basically watched the clock wind down from 10 seconds.

“I was getting a bit of stick from the Bateau Bay boys so I held the ball to them and as the siren sounded I was mobbed by the players.”

In a similar journey to Newcastle City’s women’s cup premiership coach Jon Clark, Maher’s journey started in Tasmania and then Queensland before calling the AFL Hunter Central Coast region home in recent years.

After a successful junior career with the New Norfolk Football Club, Maher trained and played with a list of past and future big names at Glenorchy such as AFL premiership players Ben Brown (Melbourne, North Melbourne), Jamie Charman (Brisbane) as well as Zac Webster (Hawthorn) and coach Aaron Cornelius (Brisbane).

Sadly, the Magpies would suffer a TSL grand final defeat to North Launceston in his final year.

When they finally broke their 17-year premiership drought with a 20-point win over the Bombers at Aurora Stadium in 2016, Maher had established himself as a full back in the AFL Mackay competition.

He admits he is still in regular contact with his Queensland teammates, they often try to lure him for a return match each season.

“I was the shortest full back often lining up on these 210cm 140kg balls of muscle who had been working in the mine all day,” Maher playfully reflected.

“You line up against them being not quite six foot and think, ‘it’s 44 degrees, I’m wearing a long sleeve guernsey, why am I here – what am I doing with my life?’ yet it was probably the best period of my playing career.”

After three seasons in Mackay, he then finished his career with 50 games for Warners Bay in the AFL Hunter Central Coast competition.

And a coveted premiership medal.

“For myself it definitely marked the end of my football journey,” Maher revealed.

“I always wanted to achieve something along the lines of a premiership not only with an amazing bunch of emerging players but to do it with some past their prime was absolutely fantastic.

“Hopefully it marks the start of a lot of success for the Warners Bay FC but that’s the end for me coaching and playing as well.”

Both Maher and senior coach Nathan Harkness stepped up to the vacant men’s coaching roles ahead of 2020 season.

The shortened season due to the region’s first covid lockdown saw the Bulldogs slip from sixth to seventh in the men’s cup competition with a 4-1-7 winning record while Maher’s reserve line-up finished third in the Shield competition with a 7-3 record.

The Bulldogs then climbed back up in the ladder in 2021 with a 7-4 winning record in the Cup competition while dominating the Shield competition with a 9-1 record.

Sadly, the decision was made in August to cancel the season due to the region’s second lockdown.

“Post-covid we were in the box seat in the premiership hunt,” Maher explained.

“I’m glad that the momentum did not dissipate with covid and that sort of jazz.”

Despite the success from their reserve grade side, the club was happy to nominate to remain in the Shield to accommodate the first year’s players need for learning and growth.

Maher felt the group would have no benefit in the Plate competition where the focus was more on gameplay and structures among many of the clubs’ top tier sides.

The Bulldogs suffered a 13.8 (86) to 7.8 (50) defeat to The Entrance Bateau Bay in the opening round before their bye in Round 2.

However as the season went on, players such as forward Dylan Baxter, defender Jacque Bonnay and the phenomenal Sam Rumball were able to hone their craft.

“My coaching style is pretty much ‘do as I say, there is no other way’,” Maher laughed.

“Sam might then say, ‘I know we need to do something about this and I understand you’re frustrated but how about we go about it like this’.

“That highlighted to me that we had a group of players that had the respect to pull me up on things which was fantastic as well.”

By season’s end the line-up had captured a second straight minor premiership.

Their 14-3 winning record saw them finish two games clear of Gosford, a line-up which had defeated powerhouse Cardiff in the Black Diamond Cup only 12 months earlier.

Maher’s focus remained on his own group ahead of the three-week finals’ series.

“Unfortunately, we started our journey as a group in 2020 with issues like covid, lockdowns and then in 2021 and 2022 clubs not being able to field sides and then the horrible floods affected Singleton,” he recalled.

“I really felt for clubs like Gosford who got told you won’t be on your ground for five or six months but we could only focus on ourselves.”

The Bulldogs celebrated a 5.6 (36) to 3.6 (24) win over in their early morning semi-final against Gosford at Bateau Bay.

Scores were level at 3.3 (21) before the Bulldogs’ stood strong in the second half.

“The game we played against Gosford for me in that first final kind of solidified the fact that we can go all the way,” he continued.

“It was very trying conditions and a gale force wind blowing straight down the guts into the scoring end.

“I think we let two rushed behinds in, so that 20-minute period showed we had the capacity.”

Zac Wells proved to be pivotal down back while big man Robert Barlow also positioned himself well to counter Gosford’s attack.

Many expected the Tigers to bounce back on preliminary final day against the Muswellbrook Cats.

However five key injuries and four omissions in the Gosford camp allowed the physical Cats’ line-up to pile on an extra 12 scoring shots in their upset 29-point preliminary final win.

Maher’s men watched on with interest at Feighan Oval after gathering for a grand final training session on the adjacent field.

Then came the grand final before a large crowd at Bateau Bay.

Despite kicking against the wind it was the Cats who led the contests early with an early attempt on goal in the opening minute (rushed over the line by Rumball for a behind).

The opening 15-minute arm wrestle finally came to a halt when Nick Turner scored the game’s opening goal for the grand final.

Returning to the line-up from a major ACL injury, he was mobbed by his teammates when celebrating his first goal in two years.

A previous poster by Joel Khaler from 45m out meant the Bulldogs would hold onto a 1.1 (7) to 0.3 (3) lead at quarter time.

Key forward Ryan Clarke entered the grand final having booted 4+ goals on ten occasions in 2022.

He looked set for another big haul when lining up from 60m at the start of the second term only for his shot to fade to the right for a behind.

Muswellbrook spearhead Jayden Galvin, who had famously booted 13 against The Entrance Bateau Bay in Round 5, responded for the Cats on the other end.

A free kick to Mark Botrill allowed him to convert from a tight angle before a 50m penalty against Maher enabled Cameron Benkovic to score the Cats’ second goal for the grand final’s fifth lead change.

Benkovic then spotted up Galvin for an uncontested mark right in front of goal and the Cats held a 3.4 (22) to 2.6 (18) lead at half time.

Muswellbrook was now in the box seat to dictate terms in the second half on account of their physicality.

It was time for Maher’s final spray as playing coach.

“The start of the third quarter I gave one of the biggest bakes and luckily Lucas Holmes (commentator) saw my face in time to turn the audio off for BarTV,” he recalled.

“One of the things that will stick with me is that we would hiccup in front of goal (throughout that first half).”

Maher returned to full back determined to reach the premiership dais with his fellow backmen Jacque Bonnay and Tim Hof.

Though they did not realise it at the time, their forward line would also be advantaged with the omission of Muswellbrook defender Mark McLaughlin due to a broken finger.

Warners Bay came out firing in the premiership quarter as Rumball won the opening centre clearance and hit up Clarke for a mark directly in front of goal.

The spearhead’s kick fell short to Zac Munz who turned around to score the goal only to then spray his shot.

It made for agonising scenes for Bulldogs fans watching on around the ground.

The Bulldogs’ goal-kicking hoodoo finally came to an end when Hayden Farrell took a mark in the goal square and launched his shot towards the clubrooms.

A tackle from Clarke at half forward inspired a handball passage and then a goal to Baxter from the goal-square.

By the time Daniel Gray scored the Bulldogs’ third straight goal, it was their game to lose.

“There were two defining moments of the grand final,” Maher reflected.

“The opening goal kicked by Nick Turner after his ACL injury and then Daniel Gray kicking one from outside the 50m which got us up by 18-points.

“Those are the two moments I’ll remember.”

The Bulldogs held a 5.10 (40) to 4.6 (28) lead at the final break.

Though the Cats were still in reach of a drought breaking premiership the absence of McLaughlin was evident throughout the third term down back.

For the second straight quarter, Clarke took a spectacular mark right in front of goal.

On this occasion, he converted truly to finish his season with 62 goals and a unique high five sequence with Zac Munz.

An intercept mark allowed Luke McKenna to line-up and slot the sealer 12 minutes into the final term.

Munz then waltzed into goal with five minutes remaining.

The Bulldogs were home.

Moments later, key ruckman Robert Barlow collected a best on ground medal to go along with his premiership.

“He probably didn’t have a lot of touches as a ruckman but he was that dominant and it was one of those things that you can’t really judge on touches,” Maher reflected.

“He might not be winning a lot of footy but he is doing the things for the team that means we win that game of footy.

“If you want to coach a bloke it is Robert Barlow.”

Munz was also in the best on ground conversation when setting up multiple scoring opportunities from the wing while Maher also paid tribute to the efforts of Kahler.

“Joel Kahler reaches the bar every week,” he said.

“You have more than enough excuse on grand final day to let the moment get to you but he never lets it get to him.

“He knows what he is capable of, he is one of the guys you want to pick every week.”

At this stage, Maher will be joined by Barlow, Botrill and Hoff on the retirement list after finishing their careers on the premiership dais.

However there is an air of excitement at Feighan Oval as the Bulldogs return to pre-season training this Tuesday, January 17.

New players are welcome.

FINAL SCORES

Warners Bay 8.12 (60)
Muswellbrook 7.4 (46)

GOALS

Warners Bay: Zac Munz, Dylan Baxter, Nick Turner, Daniel Gray, Luke McKenna, Mark Botrill, Ryan Clarke and Hayden Farrell.

Muswellbrook: Jayden Galvin, Cameron Benkovic 2, Ben Howarth, Campbell Schmierer and James Howard.

IN OTHER NEWS

• The Killarney Vale Bombers were nominated for the Greater Bank’s Central Coast community organisation competition. Greater Bank has been giving away $3,000 every month to locals helping make the Central Coast Greater. The Bombers were up against the Central Coast Waterwatch and the Central Coast Canoe Rigger Club in the most recent round of voting. So far the bank has given away over $90,000 to 90+ community organisations.
• Gosford Tiger Michael Studdert has been announced as his club’s senior men’s coach. The fourth year Tiger is also the club’s main sponsorship coordinator. He welcomes all players back (and new players) for the pre-season which returns this Thursday, January 19 from 6pm.
• The Muswellbrook Cats returned to pre-season on Thursday, January 5 with hopes of having enough numbers to return to the women’s competition. New players are welcome.