Coach Health Scotland has declared Darley’s Ballarat Football League premiership one for everyone involved in the Devils – from top to bottom – to savour.
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“All the work for you guys,” were among the first words Scotland spoke on entering the rooms post-match with the players at Mars Stadium on Saturday, pointing at the dozens supporters.
Darley secured its second BFL senior flag with an emphatic 50-point win over Bacchus Marsh.
In his first year in charge, Scotland said Darley was a tight-knit hard-working blue collar club.
“It’s a club for everyone. This premiership is for everyone.”
Scotland said he had never been so nervous before a game, feeling the self-imposed pressure of not wanting to let everyone down.
He paid credit to his predecessor, 2015 premiership coach Jarrod Edwards, for a lot of hard work in laying the foundation for this premiership.
Scotland said admitted there some initial concerns about player losses when he came on board, but he knew with the addition of some quality players the Devils would be in a strong position.
He said he felt confident after defeating Bacchus Marsh by 98 points in the second semi-final that as long as Darley was switched on and implemented what it did well that it would win the grand final.
Scotland said the victory had been built on defence.
He said the Devils had started hard – keeping Bacchus Marsh scoreless in opening 12 minutes despite it kicking with a handy wind – and put doubt in the Cobras’ minds.
Darley led by 14 points at quarter time, but by half-time the margin had grown to 22 points.
While this did not look decisive, it was given the low scoring and Bacchus Marsh’s inability to hit targets and all too many turnovers, which opened up the game for Darley.
The Cobras closed within 12 points with an inspired early burst in the third term, but the sending off of Dean Heta with a yellow card effectively ends their hopes of a comeback.