by Luke West, Bendigo Advertiser
NAVARRE won its maiden Maryborough-Castlemaine District Football League premiership in emphatic style on Sunday, crushing Lexton by 100 points at Princes Park.
In one of the most one-sided grand finals in MCDFL history, the Grasshoppers brushed the Tigers aside with ruthless ease, cruising to a 19.12 (126) to 4.2 (26) victory.
The premiership was a case of third time lucky for Navarre after it had been beaten in the previous two grand finals.
The Grasshoppers went into the game as raging favourites and they didn't disappoint.
They dominated the Tigers with their run and spread, consistently outnumbered them at the contest, used the ball much better and never looked like being beaten after they kicked the first six goals of the game.
Navarre led by 31 points at quarter-time, 44 at half-time and 66 at three quarter-time, before a goal to Ashley Driscoll on the final siren made the end margin an even 100 points.
The best on ground medals were won by Navarre team-mates Ben Scott and Aiden Lee.
Scott finished a superb season with five goals, while Lee dominated on the wing.
Centre half-back Brent Flood and wingman Bryce Tickner were other standouts for the premiers.
Ashley Driscoll kicked four goals, including three in the first term, while strong-marking forward Sam Robertson kicked four goals in the second half.
"I was a bit worried after last week (preliminary final win over Carisbrook) that we may have played our grand final then," said Navarre coach Daniel Parkin, who returned to the side from a fractured cheekbone.
"But it was a great performance by the boys today and I reckon we really deserve it after the year we've had."
The premiership win was the Grasshoppers' first since 1999.
Wingman James Templeton was the best for Lexton, which ended the game with 17 players on the field after Michael Jennings was yellow-carded in the final term.
The Tigers' four goals were kicked by Templeton, Daniel Chester, Matthew Brown and Robert Mosby.
The defeat was Lexton's second by at least 100 points in the finals series after the Tigers were also beaten by 132 points by Carisbrook in the qualifying final.
MCDFNL Grand Final details:
Navarre 19.12 (126)
Lexton 4.2 (26)
GOALS - Navarre: B. Scott 5, S. Robertson, A. Driscoll 4, K. Brennan 2, B. Tickner, C. Driscoll, D. Reading, B. Lovison 1. Lexton: D. Chester, M. Brown, R. Mosby, J. Templeton 1.
BEST - Navarre: J. Driscoll, B. Scott, A. Lee, D. Parkin, B. Flood, A. Driscoll, B. Tickner. Lexton: J. Templeton, M. Jennings, L. Alexopoulos, T. Oliver, H. Briody, T. Johnson.
MCDFNL Grand Final goal by goal:
FIRST QUARTER:
3min: Kris Brennan (Nvre) - Navarre leads 6-0.
5: Ashley Driscoll (Nvre) - Navarre leads 12-0.
14: Ben Scott (Nvre) - Navarre leads 20-0.
19: Ashley Driscoll (Nvre) - Navarre leads 26-1.
21: Ashley Driscoll (Nvre) - Navarre leads 32-1.
SECOND QUARTER:
3: Brian Lovison (Nvre) - Navarre leads 38-1.
10: Matthew Brown (Lext) - Navarre leads 38-7.
14: Ben Scott (Nvre) - Navarre leads 44-7.
18: Kris Brennan (Nvre) - Navarre leads 50-7.
19: Ben Scott (Nvre) - Navarre leads 56-7.
20: Robert Mosby (Lext) - Navarre leads 56-13.
THIRD QUARTER:
4: Sam Robertson (Navr) - Navarre leads 65-13.
8: Ben Scott (Navr) - Navarre leads 71-13.
11: Sam Robertson (Navr) - Navarre leads 77-13.
18: Daniel Chester (Lext) - Navarre leads 78-19.
FOURTH QUARTER:
Cody Driscoll (Navr) - Navarre leads 86-18.
Daniel Reading (Navr) - Navarre leads 93-19.
Sam Robertson (Navr) - Navarre leads 99-20
Ben Scott (Navr) - Navarre leads 108-20.
Sam Robertson (Navr) - Navarre leads 114-20.
Bryce Tickner (Navr) - Navarre leads 120-20.
James Templeton (Lext) - Navarre leads 120-26.
Ashley Driscoll (Navr) - Navarre leads 126-26.
Last Modified on 24/09/2013 11:05