Central Zone reached the final of the State Country Football Championships at Barmera on Sunday but found the Murray Mallee Barrier Barossa Zone too powerful and went down by 51 points.

Central reached the Grand Final after solid victories over Eyre Peninsula and the South East Zones at Berri on Saturday but they were without Ben Kerslake who had injured his neck.

Central captain Joel Wilson won the toss and kicked to the southern end of the massive Barmera oval in calm conditions with the surface a tad slippery due to earlier rain.

The game began at a frenetic pace with players trying to stamp their authority on the contest but it was never going to be easy to score goals early with both defences repelling attacking moves.

Central broke through at the 4-minute mark after good work by the cool defender Jon Coombe.

Coombe marked an attacking move by MMBB and switched the play to the outer side finishing with Josh Lawson who kicked to the pocket, Wilson cleverly tapped the footy to Brodie Murphy and he snapped truly from 35 metres out to get the scoreboard ticking over.

The visitors had two more chances to goal approaching the halfway mark of the term but Brad Coles failed to convert from 45 metres out after receiving a pass from Peter Mann and Tyson Willmott missed a snap at goal following the kick-in.

The locals hit their straps a couple of minutes later through Michael Arnold when he marked and goaled and when Damien Stevens nailed his first major after marking and playing on Murray Mallee Barrier Barossa were 4 points up.

MMBB could’ve been 10 points up at the first huddle but Matthew Stelzer missed a snap at goal approaching siren time.

QUARTER TIME: MMBB 2.1 (13),

CENTRAL 1.2 (8)

Central were quickly into attack in the second term with Mann causing a turnover following a terrific tackle and passing to Coles who gave the footy to Ryan McDermid but he missed his snap at goal from 35 metres out with a minute on the clock. MMBB made Central pay approaching the 4-minute mark when Under-21 Player of the Carnival Ryan Bennett kicked his first goal for the game after marking 25 metres out from goal.

I’m never one to criticise the umpires but the locals were getting a very good deal making life frustrating for Central.

With 8 minutes on the clock Bennett held on to another strong mark and converted from 30 metres out to stretch the margin out to 16 points in favour of MMBB.

Four minutes later MMBB caused a turnover on the wing with good pressure on the Central players finishing with Chris McLean strolling in and nailing another major from close range.

At the 14-minute mark Glen Hayes laid a strong tackle, was rewarded with the free, kicked to the hotspot, the MMBB defenders crashed into each other, Willmott gathered the footy, handballed to Lawson who cleverly tapped it to Todd Miles and he slammed home a much-needed goal for Central.

MMBB went forward nearing the half-time break with a snap at goal but a terrific spoil by Paul Jones finished with a behind.

Central were still in the contest at the long break but they were under the pump with the taller MMBB team using their height to advantage taking a number of telling marks.

HALF TIME: MMBB 5.2 (32), CENTRAL 2.3 (15)

MMBB did a lot of the attacking early in the third term but they were held up by great defence from Jones, Coombe and Chris Langford.

They broke the deadlock at the 5-minute mark when former Central player Andrew Pech read the ball off hands and snapped the opening goal of the second half for the locals.

Two minutes later Bennett converted from 30 metres out after marking and approaching the 9-minute mark it was starting to look grim for Central when Stevens snapped successfully from 15 metres out.

Halfway through the quarter the lead could’ve been much greater but Shaun Walker missed a snap at goal from not far out and Arnold who was causing a few headaches for Central with his marking ability missed a set-shot from 25 metres out.

With 15 minutes on the clock Stelzer received a soft free kick, found Pech on his own 25 metres out from goal, the former Eudunda gun nailed his second major for the half and the deficit was out to 43 points.

Lachlan Richardson should’ve stretched the margin to 49 points two minutes later but he missed the target.

Jones kicked in from full-back to Will Bradley who marked, played on and kicked over the wing. Todd Price gathered, handballed to James Vandeleur who kicked inside fifty, Wilson gathered, handballed to Lawson, handball to Miles, handball to Wilson and he popped through Central’s only score for the term.

Approaching siren time Bennett took another mark for MMBB but luckily for Central he failed to penetrate the large opening from 30 metres out.

Central had the job ahead of them trailing by 39 points entering the home straight.

THREE QUARTER TIME: MMBB 9.6 (60), CENTRAL 3.3 (21)

It didn’t get any better for Central after the final break when Bennett received a free and nailed his fourth goal for the final from 35 metres out with 90 seconds on the clock.

Ninety seconds later Stevens snapped truly and following a behind to MMBB off the boot of Bennett after he took another mark Stevens snapped his fourth major for the game widening the gap to 58 points with 6 minutes gone in the final term.

Approaching the 8-minute mark Bradley made a good interception forward of the wing, kicked to half-forward, Willmott marked, bombed to full-forward, Murphy took a screamer and banged it home from point blank range.

Brad Taylor had the chance to get the instant reply for MMBB but he missed his snap at goal from 40 metres out.

With 12 minutes on the clock Taylor marked all alone 35 metres out from goal, this time he didn’t miss and the margin was now out to 59 points.

Central were oh so close to getting one back at the 15-minute mark when Mann snapped at goal but the goal-umpire thought it was touched on the line.

A minute later Miles won the tap at a ball-up to Mann who handballed to Coombe and he kicked to half-forward where Clayton Crabbe held onto a good grab. Crabbe passed to Murphy on the lead and he sent home his ninth goal for the weekend.

Willmott had the opportunity to nail a major late in the game but his mongrel punt missed the target.

Murray Mallee Barrier Barossa were too tall and too strong for Central and used the footy a bit better to take home the 2008 S.A. County Football Championships Cup by 51 points.

FINAL SCORE: MMBB 13.8 (86) d CENTRAL 5.5 (35)

Murray Mallee Barrier Barossa coach and 1998 North Eastern Mail Medalist Craig Griffiths was very happy with his team and the 11 Barossa Light & Gawler players that were included.

“It was a team effort and that’s what we focussed on all the time. With these carnivals it’s basically about everyone going in there as a group and no individuals and that was the focus of us today and you saw that and I reckon that was the key point to our success. We had eleven from the Barossa, eight from the Riverland, four from the Mallee and we had one Broken Hill guy that unfortunately couldn’t make it. As a combination we were very very happy to have Barossa on board and that’s the way the zones have been structured. It’s evened things up obviously and we’re happy but just because the Barossa has come on board it’s still been a lot of work off the field in preparation for this.” Griffiths said.

Central coach Nick Ashby admitted the opposition were too good but he was happy with his team and enjoyed coaching them.

“They (MMBB) were terrific, they looked like they’d been playing together all year, they’re very well oiled, the pressure they put on the ball carrier probably started off in the middle, they were probably a bit stronger around the contests, pushed us to the side, we just couldn’t get our running game going and I think in the end we probably dropped off a bit in confidence which means our skills dropped off which gave them even a greater edge.

“It’s been a fantastic opportunity to coach, when Graeme (Wandel) asked me a few months ago it didn’t take me long to think about it and have a go. These opportunities don’t come up and to put something back into this level of footy is certainly what I’ve been wanting to do. To work with a great group of lads, I think the squad of twenty five that we had we didn’t have any passengers, they all mixed well together, their communication was tremendous and to look at their eyes before we ran out for the final, they were ready to have a crack for Central Zone,” Ashby said.

Although Central Zone didn’t bring home the bacon it was an outstanding performance from the team to make it through to the final.

Following last year’s Championships at Pt Pirie the Zones were re-structured resulting in the removal of the Northern Areas Football Association and the Barossa Light & Gawler League from the Central Zone.

Central was then forced to rely on the North Eastern, Adelaide Plains and Yorke Peninsula Football Leagues to string together a competitive squad to tackle the 2008 Championships in the Riverland.

It wasn’t only the playing group they had to try and organise but they also had to find a coach to replace the successful Keith Nutt who had been at the helm for a number of years but had moved on to understandably coach the Northern Zone involving NAFA.

The three Leagues that made up the Central Zone were very supportive of the concept and the forty one players that were selected in the initial squad were more than happy to put their hand up and have a crack at the title.

Nick Ashby had no hesitation in leading the Zone as the coach of Central and did a terrific job in bonding such a young group of lads together in such a short time. They conducted themselves well on and off the field and to reach the grand final was an outstanding performance they can be very proud of.