At the turning point

By David Nagel
FIFTEEN minutes into the third quarter of Saturday’s reserves grand final, Cranbourne, the underdogs are 10 points clear; Narre Warren needs a lift … a turning point.
A scrappy kick tumbles into the Narre forward line, just outside 50, in front of the scoreboard at Edwin Flack Reserve, one on one, Narre’s Daniel Papa, and Cranny’s Nick McPhillips.
McPhillips does nothing wrong, Papa gathers and McPhillips pressures, there’s no way out … or so it seems. Papa grits his teeth, breaks the McPhillips tackle, turns him inside out and from 50 launches the ball high.
A vacuum seems to gather the ball and suck it through the big sticks, “Paapaaaa” yell his team-mates on the bench. Turning point … game on … Cranbourne by four, Narre reduce it to one by three quarter time.
Narre coach Scott Mather has one last chance to inspire his troops.
“This is it … this is it,” he says.
“Stop mucking around with it and get it on your boot.
“Belief … belief and sacrifice, fellas.
“Are you prepared to sacrifice for each other?”
The last quarter is a classic, full of key moments.
At the two-minute mark. Cranbourne has a loose player on the wing, and possession, Narre’s Alex Sakadjian senses the danger and lays a strong tackle. Free kick, goal. Narre by five.
Five-minute mark. Another one percenter, Cranbourne gathers from a stoppage, they try to drive into the forward line. Narre’s Damian Collins dives on a swinging boot, sacrifice, danger averted.
“Who’s running with him, man up,” Mather screams.
“ ‘H'(Narre runner Hayden James), I need rotations through the middle.”
It’s getting hectic.
Nine-minute mark. Cranbourne’s Arun Elysee runs through half forward, his half banana, half snap, goes wide. Narre still by five.
10-minute mark. A disaster. Narre’s Jamie Tapner tries a fancy handball and coughs the ball up at half back, Cranbourne skipper Damian Whitnell slots through a goal. Cranbourne by one.
“SHIT,” yells Mark Tapner, Narre team manager and Jamie’s dad.
Jamie slams his mouth guard into the turf.
13-minute mark. Narre play maker Nick Cowan comes off the ground with cramp, for the second time. Narre trainer, Jim Hall starts rubbing Cowan’s calves. “Jim, it’s not my bloody calf this time, it’s my hammies, I’m sore all over,” Cowan says.
14-minute mark. Cranbourne’s Danial Arfi misses a golden opportunity. Cranbourne by two.
16-minute mark. “Composure H, tell them we need composure,” Mather says to James.
“Nick, what’s going on, are you all right, c’mon mate, we need ya,” Mather says to Cowan.
18-minute mark. Papa crumbs a pack but he’s under pressure and his rushed snap goes out of bounds on the full. Cranbourne by two.
19-minute mark. The balls in the Narre goal square, a frantic pack develops, the ball trickles through the big sticks, a Narre player claims the goal … no, rushed through, one point. Cranbourne by one.
There’s going to be heartbreak!
Time’s running out.
20-minute mark. Deep in defence, Narre run it out and bomb it long to the wing, Jake Gray takes a strong mark, fires it off to the running Tapner, who’s kick into the forward line and finds Daniel Kirby, 35 metres out. The 22-year-old has a chance to win the game.
Hall (trainer) puts both hands on the top of his head, and leaves them there. He can’t look.
Kirby pulls his kick left, one point. Scores are level.
Both teams play desperate footy, Narre’s Luke Tehennepe puts his body on the line for the umpteenth time to repel Cranbourne’s last attack. BUURRRRRRR, the siren sounds, a draw.
Extra time … five minutes each way.
Both teams huddle, confusion reigns, the coaches are not allowed to address their players so ‘H’ takes control, quietens 18-year-old Corey Bevan who is on the point of hysteria and has a general calming influence.
“How many blokes are on the bench?” Mather yells. “Shit.”
An arm wrestle is about to turn into a knockout punch.
One-minute mark. Tapner sticks a tackle 55m from goal; the ball doesn’t get returned correctly, 50 metres. The goal now a formality.
“C’mon sweetheart, kick the bloody thing,” Catherine Tulloch says. She has no involvement in the club but lives in Narre Warren. “I love my footy”.
Narre by six.
Three-minute mark. Tapner again, he continues to make up for his fourth quarter blunder, he runs through 50 and slots a long goal, sticks his feet and pumps both arms, Narre look home. They lead by 12.
Four-minute mark. Papa runs onto a loose ball and bangs through a goal from close range. Narre by 18.
Hall stands with one foot either side of the boundary line, waving his towel like a cowboy about to lasso cattle. They’re home.
That four-minute burst of brilliance takes the sting out of the contest and Narre Warren win a hard-earned premiership by 18 points.
Mather, James and Tapner (Mark) embrace and the celebrations begin.
But you can’t help but think back to the 15-minute mark of the third quarter, Daniel Papa’s goal … the turning point!