The Rock-Yerong Creek claim 2023 Farrer League premiership with seven-point win over Northern Jets

The Magpies completed a brilliant season with a hard-fought victory in front of a big grand final crowd at Robertson Oval, prevailing 9.5 (59) to 7.10 (52).

The lead seesawed between the two teams for the first two and a half quarters before TRYC became the first team to kick consecutive goals midway through the third term.

Then two Curtis Steele goals either side of three-quarter-time gave the Magpies a game-high 16-point lead early in the final term before they managed to hold off a gallant Jets outfit by seven points.

It wasn't a pretty win but it didn't matter as TRYC buried the demons of 12 months ago and returned the club to the top of the Farrer League for the first time since 2015.

For co-coaching partnership Brad Aiken and Heath Russell, in their third year in charge, it was mission accomplished.

"It's reward for effort, I guess," Aiken said.

"We've been working at it for three years.

"Heath and I came together three years ago, we knew it was not going to be easy, a lot of Heath's hard work in getting key recruits that we got now, and some of the local boys we've got as well, it's just pleasing to see what we've put in has finally been rewarded.

"You don't always get rewarded for it and we obviously did today so it's good."

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After going down in last year's grand final, TRYC backed up a targeted off-season recruitment drive with 15 wins from 16 games in the home and away period.

They then qualified straight through to the decider and entered as warm favourites with a full list to choose from against a banged up Jets.

It wasn't a typical Magpies performance, the grand final was a real arm-wrestle and the Jets started well to ensure they would be in the contest for a long way.

But TRYC kicked the sole goal of the second term, then kicked three goals to two in the third quarter to get the momentum in their favour and establish a 10-point lead at the final break, which was more than handy in an absorbing low-scoring decider.

When Steele goaled straight away, the lead grew to 16 but the Jets weren't done.

They had five of the next six scoring shots but the one they didn't have, a Dean Biermann goal, was enough to see off the Jets' final surge.

The Jets kicked two, and hit the post on another occasion, and had the ball deeply entrenched inside their forward 50 when the siren went.

"To their credit, they were terrific all day and kept on coming and coming and coming," Aiken said.

"No one really used the wind to their advantage, the scoring end was the end where you wouldn't think there was going to be any goals, to our credit though we out-scored them on numerous occasions when we didn't have the breeze and I think that was the difference in the end.

"It probably turned into a good old Farrer League game of old, where it was just head over the footy, work it forward, rip in and whoever used it the best or took their opportunities won the game.

"It wasn't pretty footy to watch I don't think but luckily enough, the game started to open up a bit towards the end for them but there wasn't too long left."

Russell was pleased to see the Magpies adapt to the style of game.

"It was just a contest," Russell said.

"It's not the way we traditionally play footy, we have a pretty clear method in how we want to move the footy and it was just hard to do today. One, the pressure and obviously the Jets and what they were able to apply but the conditions weren't ideal in allowing us to do that.

"Pretty much we just asked the boys to roll their sleeves up and do some hard work and they did, and so did the Jets, they were outstanding all day.

"It was just two sides going at it for 80 minutes, I don't think it was a great spectacle but it was close."

Liam Lupton was named best-on-ground for a strong performance across half-back but for the Magpies it was an incredibly even team effort.

It was hard to pick standouts for the premiers. Aiden Ridley was strong across half-back and drifted forward to kick an important third-quarter goal.

Tom Yates worked tirelessly through the midfield, as did Riley Budd, while Curtis Steele enjoyed some big moments, including two special goals, despite being worn closely all day by the Jets' Ryan Cox.

Mitch Haddrill was the most dominant player on the ground. The Jets' star rose to the occasion in his first senior grand final with a huge performance in the midfield, that included three goals.

Jets' ruck Lachie Jones was a huge presence, while Josh Avis, Lenny Haddrill, Jack Fisher and Sam Clemson had a big say in the Jets getting so close.

Full-time

TRYC Magpies 3.1 4.3 7.5 9.5 (59)

Northern Jets 3.2 3.4 5.7 7.10 (52)

GOALS: TRYC Magpies: C.Steele 2, S.Williams 2, A.Ridley 1, D.Biermann 1, J.Roberts 1, D.Roberts 1; Northern Jets: M.Haddrill 3, B.McKinnon 1, J.Lucas 1, L.Haddrill 1, C.Bell 1

BEST: TRYC Magpies: L.Lupton, A.Ridley, C.Cool, M.Parks, R.Budd, C.Steele; Northern Jets: M.Haddrill, J.Lucas, J.Fisher, L.Jones, J.Avis, S.Clemson.

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