Lions out to make history

It’s been 19 years since Whorouly stood atop the senior football competition, and 14 since they’ve even made it to the last game of the season – it will take something momentous to deny the Lions now. Whorouly made the 2026 Ovens and King grand final after finishing on top of the ladder and losing in their semi-final to Bright, who they will meet again in the ultimate decider this weekend. Despite their poor semi-final form, the Lions responded with a resounding preliminary final triumph at North Wangaratta on Saturday. Up against the nominal home team in North Wangaratta with nothing less than a shot at the premiership on the line, the Lions controlled the match for the full four quarters to run out 50-point winners, 13.13 (91) to 5.11 (41). Max Scott was named best on ground for his aerial dominance across the backline for the Lions, while the big mids Josh Newton and Harvey Dodgshun put in a fantastic shift through the guts. Coach Michael Newton said belief was sky-high at the Den, and after such a dominant match to make the big dance, there was no reason not to think they couldn’t got all the way. “We always knew it was going to be a prelim final, they don’t come easy, they’re very hard games to win, so we knew North Wang were going to come out and bring their physical brand, but to our boys’ credit we matched them and were harder at the contest, harder at the footy, and we wanted it more,” he said. “To make the grand final is a good result, but the ultimate result is to win. “I’ll judge my own performance as a coach after the weekend, but the rise of the group, coming off a couple of lean years victory-wise – I think there were three or four wins each year previously for a couple of years – and to be able to make a prelim last year was a really good confidence booster for the group. “We had a good stretch this year where we didn’t lose a game for a while. “Belief is what I’ve tried to instil in the group, we are a good side and we can do it.” It was 2007 the last time the Lions held the cup aloft – fittingly, it was a Whorouly-Bright grand final back then as well – and after so many years starved of success, a win would mean the world to the small community as well as the families which make it up. “There’s always history with grand finals, you always have to look at when the last premiership was, and there’s been a fairly long time between grand final appearances for our club, 2007 was our last flag and we won both grades that day, so hopefully we can replicate it this year again,” Newton said. “2007 was the only time there wasn’t a Newton playing in a Whorouly premiership, so for us - Josh, Andy and myself - our grandparents, great uncles, cousins, dads, they’ve all played in flags, so that’s something which would be special for us as a family. “As a club, to be able to come up against Bright, the old foes, it’s going to be a really good challenge. “They taught us a lesson in the first final so we’ve got to evolve and make sure we don’t try and do the same thing twice because most likely we’ll fail. “We’ve got to use the footy well and get it on our terms. “They’ve got some good clearance players in there, they’ve got some good players up forward which got hold of us last time and we played into their defenders’ hands a little bit with the way we moved the footy forward. “We’ve got to change things up, and we will.” Whorouly will take on Bright in the 2026 OKFNL grand final on Saturday 12 September at WJ Findlay Oval from 2.15pm.

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