PARADE College has secured back-to-back Herald Sun Shield titles after beating Emmanuel College by 73 points at ETU Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Star Northern Knights midfielder and victorious captain Zak Johnson was named best afield in the one-sided affair under clear winter skies.

Parade made a powerful start, booting seven goals in the first quarter. Emmanuel College’s Charlie McKinnon, who is part of the GWV Rebels program, was his side’s only form of resistance to that stage. He slotted two of his three goals and Emmanuel’s entire score in the opening 20 minutes.

While the Warrnambool-based side kept the margin to 31 points between the first and main breaks, Parade kicked away again in term three with five unanswered goals. The remaining action was a formality as the Raiders claimed consecutive titles again having done so twice during the 1990’s.

Heavy Northern Knights ties have proven integral to Parade’s successful campaigns. 14 current-Knights turned out yesterday, along with Calder Cannons midfielder-forward Noah Scott. Emmanuel College laid claim to a half-dozen GWV Rebels representatives, including vice-captain Reggie Mast.

There were plenty of Knights among the goalkickers list. Bottom-ager Sebastian Murphy bagged three majors, while Liam Farrar and Jordyn Gillard each joined Johnson in posting two. Parade had 10 individual scorers in the resounding win, lead by three each to Murphy and Angus Smith.

EMMANUEL COLLEGE 2.1 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 5.10 (40)
PARADE COLLEGE 7.2 | 9.5 | 14.8 | 17.11 (113)

GOALS:
EC: C. McKinnon 3, T. Byrne, D. O’Keefe
PC: S. Murphy 3, A. Smith 3, L. Farrar 2, J. Gillard 2, Z. Johnson 2, Z. Broadbent, D. Constantin, C. Healy, R. Ormerod, T. Sims

BOG: Zak Johnson (Parade College)

>> Scouting Notes: HSS Division 1 Intermediate Boys Grand Final

SCOUTING NOTES

EMMANUEL COLLEGE WARRNAMBOOL:

#4 Reggie Mast

Clearly best afield for the losing side, Mast tried everything to keep his side competitive. He featured up forward and through the midfield, even rucking at a centre bounce to defy his 189cm standing. The GWV Rebels top-ager proved capable of playing above his height with a series of strong overhead marks, while helping Emmanuel College connect between the arcs with his raking left-foot kicking. Mast’s work rate and effort were the intangibles which formed the base of a solid all-round game.

#17 Charlie McKinnon

McKinnon was among the most clinical and dangerous forwards afield, but was quelled due to a lack of consistent opportunities. He was Emmanuel College’s sole scoring avenue in the opening quarter, accounting for all of his school’s 2.1 scoreline. The 189cm bottom-ager was difficult to beat one-on-one and proved a reliable marking target deep inside 50, which went hand-in-hand with his goalkicking exploits. With limited impact up the ground, he added one more major as consolation in term four.

#22 Oliver Myers

A solid contributor in the Emmanuel College engine room, Myers did his best to surge the ball forward and provide a bit of grunt on-ball. He had enough power to break tackles and either take quick metres or dump the ball long by foot to clear the stoppages. Myers also had a chance on goal in the second quarter, earning a free kick inside 50 but seeing his long-range set shot fall short.

#24 Ollie Harris

Harris was Emmanuel College’s primary ruck and certainly had his work cut out for him against a strong core of Parade talls. He proved capable of not only competing at the centre bounces, but following up his initial efforts to recover ground balls and clear the contest. That kind of play formed the crux of Harris’ contribution, with his side’s midfield group was up against a stacked selection of Talent Leaguers.

PARADE COLLEGE:

#4 Noah Scott

A Cannon among the array of Knights, Scott was reliable as ever in Parade’s starting midfield mix. His clean hands were an asset at stoppages and he showed a willingness to drive his legs before disposing of the ball. At 177cm, his frame held up quite well to the rigours of contested play and his ability to snatch metres on the outside made him a balanced contributor. His work rate was outstanding, which likely comes from being a strong role player at Coates Talent League level.

#5 Kristian Lawson

Lawson has two 30-plus disposal games to his name in the Coates Talent League this season, so it was no surprise to see him rack up possessions in his usual manner. The hard-nosed 177cm midfielder got stuck in at the coalface and used his power going both ways; driving his legs out of congestion, or making his presence felt with defensive acts. While scrappy at times, Lawson’s surge style and bull-like tendencies set a strong tone for Parade College. He was among the best handful of players afield.

#6 Sebastian Murphy

Murphy snared an equal game-high three goals and injected plenty of energy to Parade’s attacking play. He was most often sighted on the wing, where he could use his pace in transition and provide his forwards with quick entries. Murphy’s keen eye for goal saw him snap a major in the opening quarter before adding two more in the third term and being involved in plenty more scores for the victors. A bottom-ager, he was named best afield in Parade’s 2023 Intermediate Grand Final win.

#9 Zak Johnson

Johnson was far and away the best player afield on Wednesday, and proved the catalyst for Parade’s hot start. The classy midfielder booted two goals in the first and final terms, and carved up the opposition in attacking phases as he spread forward relentlessly. His pace was a feature as he played a stylish brand of football, proving difficult to lay a hand on as he broke away from stoppages and racked up possessions around the ground. Johnson was a creative force with his footy IQ and sharp ball use.

#10 Angus Smith

A genuine star player for Parade, Smith backed up his five-goal semi final performance with three in the big dance. The powerfully built forward popped up across the attacking 50 as an option on the lead, and his strong hands provided him with plenty of set shot opportunities. Smith booted two goals in the opening quarter and added another in the third, but could easily have finished with several more majors.

#11 Jordyn Gillard

Following in the footsteps of elder brother Braedyn in the Parade and Northern Knights football programs, Gillard played his part with two first quarter goals. He finished well in those instances to compound his side’s ominous start to proceedings, and went on to provide a handy outlet forward of the ball. At 179cm, the left-footer competes hard and is deceptively strong overhead.

>> Semi-final recap: Parade wins big to keep Shield defence alive