HAY have roared into their first ever home grand final, the Lions booking their shot at maiden back-to-back flags with a 49-point win over Ultima.
The Lions and Roos battled it out with the sun beating down in Wandella, the Lions leading at every break following quarter-time.
Hay coach Mick Cattanach described the afternoon as “a really exciting moment for the club”.
“First to have the opportunity for Hay to host our first ever grand final, and now we have the chance to claim our first back-to-back premierships,” he said.
“A lot of our boys came into this season with a lot of motivation following last year.
“The team really set themselves that target of being the first Hay side to go back-to-back and have really put the work in for that.
“I thought this was a really tough game, and there might be a couple of sore bodies coming away from it, but the week off will be fantastic for us.”
The Roos burst out of the gates from the game’s get-go, piling on the pressure and kicking the first three goals before Hay could claim their first major.
But Hay worked their way back into the match in quick fashion, bringing the margin back to just three points at the first break after the early scare.
Hay’s coaches asked for their players’ work-rates to lift and to work for one-another – and from there, the Lions were able to work the game onto their terms.
Cattanach said it was put on his side’s midfielders to turn the game around after the slow start.
“Ultima were really good at beating us on the outside early in the match – we just weren’t getting our hands on the football through the midfield,” he said.
“But our midfielders really got to work and started to deny them and swing the game back onto our terms.
“We were getting beaten in one-on-ones initially.
“They brought that bit more intensity around the football but for us to respond the way we did was great.
“Even by quarter time, we were sort of back on top and were able to edge away for the rest of the game.”
After kicking three unanswered goals in the second term, Hay took the intensity up the notch to put the game out of reach with a six-goal-to-one third quarter.
Hard-nosed midfielders Jacob Watson and Bentley Murphy were key to Hay’s resurgence, winning the hard ball and controlling the game with their clean disposal.
Skippers Kenneth Jubb and Brad Pocock were also immense at either end of the ground, Jubb kicking two goals and Pocock keeping a cool head under pressure off half-back.
Jack Cattanach kept up his fine form, while classy left-footer William Collis injected pace and skill into the Lions’ outside game.
Key forward Declan Watson was the game’s leading scorer with four goals, while Jack Headon kicked three goals and Angus Gardiner two.
Ricky Wild starred for the Roos, kicking two goals and having a big influence across the ground to win plenty of the ball, coach Kyle Symons also impressing.
Strong defenders Lincoln Frost and Caillum Brady stood tall in the Roos’ backline, while Mitchell Seton-Stewart and Cameron Johnson won plenty of the football through the centre.
Ultima will need to do it the hard way if they want to claim their first senior flag since 2015 as they take on Wandella in next week’s preliminary final.
The job will be made slightly easier as they play on their home deck in Ultima, but they face a Wandella side full of belief.
Hay’s interstate travel has come to an end for the year as they await the chance to host the winner of the preliminary final in Hay.
