Premier C Grand Final Preview: CY’s vs Jackas

Madison Tallarico

As both sides registered a win against each other throughout the home & away season, there was a lot to anticipate in the Premier C Preliminary final on Saturday afternoon as we awaited who would take on the CY’s in the season’s decider. It was a sweet feeling for the Jackas, as they earnt the right to compete for Premier C gold this coming Saturday. There are many things to celebrate after defeating the Monders for the second straight time this campaign with a stellar 46-point winning margin, and coming from eighth position mid-season to now contesting for the coveted trophy.

AJAX gave our reigning Division 1 premiers, Ormond, little room to negotiate on Saturday afternoon, setting the tone early and constantly applying the pressure to finally oust the Monders’ from the Premier C title race. Multiple scorers propelled the Jackas into the final showdown but it was Alex Wollan (3) and Chris Hamilton (2) who led the way in addition to star outings from both Jordan and Nicholas Cohen as well as Richie Simon.

AJAX now sit one win shy of premiership glory as they plan to avenge their last defeat to the CY’s in stunning fashion.

Form Guide

The unconquered CY’s are nothing short of firm favourites as they enter the Grand Final against AJAX this Saturday, 19 straight wins without a hiccup speaks for itself. In the CY’s Semi-Final against Ormond, the Monders’ put up a valiant effort which proved to be of no avail as the CY’s found a way to rise with a 28-point victory. Whenever they have their backs to the fence, they have fired back and produced the goods when it counted, defeating the best sides in Premier C and making it look easy – including the Jackas.

The Jackas are in remarkable form that would even surprise themselves as they move into the Grand Final with a winning streak of nine games. A string of stunning performances elevated the Jackas from bottom to top, shocking the league. If there’s ever a team to beat the CY’s during their unbeatable season, the Jackas can’t be too far off after some strong outings in the finals against Old Ivanhoe Grammarians and Ormond. A gritty effort against the Hoers in the Semi-Final to come from behind was exactly what they needed to push towards a Grand Final berth. They secured the win by a margin of 10 points and would move on to face Ormond, who came off a bitter defeat to the CY’s. AJAX would continue their win streak with their second win over Ormond for the year, cementing their position as the team to watch when the siren sounds.

Players to watch

Williamstown CYMS: Thomas Johnstone, Yuma Hemphill, Lachlan Fairley, Dylan Jones & the Gray brothers

Williamstown’s Yuma Hemphill has had another tremendous season with a second straight Premier C B&F Medal, the Zachariah Medal, to his name. Lachlan Fairley was a major contributor up forward throughout the year booting 41 goals., while teammate Thomas Johnstone is one of the CY’s most consistent players thus far, appearing 11 times in the clubs best. Dylan Jones polled 13 votes in the Zachariah Medal count, in addition to two BOG features against the Jackas. As for the Gray brothers, Ben and Jack, this has been a long time coming and expect the star journeymen to have a real impact in front of the bumper crowd.

AJAX: Nicholas Lewis, Jake Lew, Charles Hamilton, Brent Shapiro

Nicholas Lewis has been an enforcer for the Jackas, polling 14 votes in the Premier C B&F this season with many key performances throughout their campaign. Jake Lew led the scoring for the league with 42 goals and remains a key threat up forward. Charles Hamilton and Brent Shapiro were also integral pieces to the side with the former polling 10 votes in the Zachariah Medal.

Previous Encounters

Round 5 saw a nail-biter clash between these two teams, as Williamstown CYMS prevailed by a single point at Gary Smorgon Oval. In what was a close first term, the Jackas promptly took a respectable 20-point lead to end the first half. Within a quarter, all that hard work had diminished as the CY’s climbed their way back to boast a five-point buffer. In the last quarter, both teams gave it everything but the CY’s had done enough as Dylan Jones starred with the help of two goals from two-time Zachariah Medallist, Yuma Hemphill. Stuart Fayman of AJAX was their best with three goals.

Round 11 told a different story, as the CY’s completely dominated AJAX to run away with a 67-point win. Apart from a noble third quarter effort, which included five goals from the Jackas, it was a game they would want to forget quickly. Multiple scorers hit the board in bags, with target-man Lachlan Fairley booting four goals for the CY’s as well Parkinson, Gray, and Chan slotting three each. Dylan Jones would once again prove indispensable in their encounters with another BOG outing. This would also mark the resurgence of the Jackas, having been undefeated since this matchup, the Jackas are hungrier than ever to prove to everyone they are the best side in the competition.