Sport
16 September, 2025
Trentham's drought ending premiership
Trentham’s journey to their third MCDFNL premiership could be mistaken for a script in a Hollywood movie.
Trentham’s journey to their third MCDFNL premiership could be mistaken for a script in a Hollywood movie.
After falling just short on multiple soul-crushing occasions, the Saints finally earned a chance at ultimate glory last season, determined to end the club’s 30-year wait for a senior premiership.
However, even in an era filled with finals heartbreaks, 2024 turned into arguably the most painful of them all, losing dominantly to Natte Bealiba at the final hurdle.
Trentham were optimistic they could right the wrong in 2025, but after the Swans smothered them by 65 points at home in their season opener, it looked like another year of being close, but never close enough.
As they found themselves at their lowest point, the Saints found a divine source that took them to the promised land.
What followed was an 18-game fever dream for the Trentham faithful, as they completed the rest of the season unbeaten and their 31-year journey to sweet salvation culminating on Saturday with an 11-point win over Carisbrook.
Headlined by two crucial goals in the third quarter, Trentham captain Joel Dovaston was named league best on ground, while Alister Ferrier won Vic country best on ground for his defensive prowess throughout the match.
While the Saints enjoyed the euphoria of a classic sports film come to life, the Redbacks once again find themselves trying to pick up the pieces after a brutal grand final defeat.
It’s a sickening feeling the MCDFNL’s most decorated team has routinely found themselves in during recent years, losing four of the last five grand finals (2019, 2022, 2023 and 2025) all by less than two goals.
Similar to their round 12 draw in the home and away season, this clash was a low-scoring affair, with both teams needing to be clinical with their limited chances.
It was the Saints who drew first blood almost immediately, as AFL legend Brent Harvey made the most of an off-the-ball free kick to give Trentham the lead inside three minutes.
After the Redbacks and Saints traded behinds through Thomas Gardam and Joel Cowan, Brady Neill answered Harvey’s opener at the 14-minute mark.
The Redbacks had the ball in their attacking half for the majority of the quarter, but the Saints did well to limit their opponents to an extra two behinds, trailing by that margin at quarter time.
After a hard-fought opening term, the game began to open up for both teams following the break.
In a carbon copy of the first quarter, Harvey got on the end of an early centre clearance to retake the lead for Trentham only a minute into the second quarter.
That was the start of a three-goal run for the Saints, with the double J kicking machine of James Regan and Jake Keogh putting the favourites up by 15 points with their 97th and 36th goals of the season respectively.
Determined not to let their opponents pull away, the Redbacks began to take control of the match, registering the next four scoring shots even with a great defensive performance from Ferrier and Taylor Ford.
However, an Angus McKinna goal in the goal square was their only major during the second quarter, forcing them to enter half time down by eight points after kicking 2.8 in the first half.
The Redbacks needed a fast start to the second half to instil some confidence into not only the players, but the Redbacks faithful at Carisbrook Recreation Reserve.
Fortunately for Carisbrook, Neill, who has been one of the league’s best players during the finals series, once again delivered.
The big man got on the end of the opening centre clearance from 2025 Berry Powell medallist Jackson Bowen and kicked truly to cut the deficit back down to two a minute into the second half.
Carisbrook continued to mount the pressure on Trentham.
As their defence, led by Adam Hurse, Andrew Toan, Mitchell McClure and Anden Lever kept the Saints’ high-powered offence quiet, two behinds from Gardam and Bray Bartlett drew the Redbacks level midway through the third.
It took until the 16-minute mark before the Saints hit the scoreboard in the second half, but when they did, they turned the game on its head.
It started when a well-taken snap from captain fantastic Dovaston to put his team up by a goal.
Three minutes later, veteran forward Mark Strickland marked an errant defensive kick from Patrick Van Der Pol and goaled to double Trentham’s advantage.
Then, from the ensuing restart, Keogh burst through the contest and sent the ball deep inside 50, where Dovaston picked up the loose ball and kicked his second goal of the game.
In the space of four minutes, the Saints had blown the game wide open, heading into three-quarter time with a three-goal advantage.
The Redbacks were desperate for the first goal of the final term to kickstart a comeback. However, with the Saints this close to glory, they weren’t going to let this opportunity slip through their fingers.
A brilliant contested mark from Strickland set him up for his second goal of the game and increased the Saints’ advantage to 23 points.
Gardam and Tim Rinaldi responded with late goals for Carisbrook, but it wasn’t enough.
Trentham expertly managed the final stages of the game, with the final siren sparking scenes of jubilation that had been building for 31 years.
The Coaches’ Say
Mark Adamson couldn’t have asked for a better debut season as Trentham’s senior coach.
After taking over from the highly successful Clive Raak, Adamson has helped lead Trentham to their first senior premiership in 31 years and will go down in Saints folklore as a premiership coach.
“It means an enormous amount, the club’s obviously been up there for a few years now and hasn’t quite been able to get there,” Adamson said.
“Over 31 years, when the club hasn’t won a premiership, you start out coaching thinking it’s all about you, but it ends up being nothing about you and about all those people who put in so much, which is fantastic.”
With the weight of expectations on their shoulders heading into Saturday’s grand final to break the drought, Adamson said he expressed to his players the importance of not getting consumed by the moment.
“It’s not a different game, you don’t need miracle performances — it sounds all cliche, but you just have to get back to the things that got you into the position that you are in,” he said.
“I thought it was going to be a tough game because Carisbrook is a really well-coached side that is consistent and good around the contest, but we just thought if we did things right, we might be able to outscore them.”
After a tight first half, Adamson said it took a whole team effort to secure the Saints’ third MCDFNL premiership.
“Going into the second half, we just wanted to fix them really beating us at the contest and even outside the contest,” he said.
“We always talk about guys being able to potentially stand up and take their big moments and there were guys that fortunately were able to do that.
“That little burst broke the game open briefly, but they were good enough to continue to come back at us.
“I’ve got a really good assistant coach and bench support, I can get caught up like anyone else barracking on the game, but they were able to maintain a cool and calm approach and we made sure that we did what we needed to do.
“I really thank them for their ability in those pressure moments to be that needed coaching support.”
Best On Ground
Trentham might have found a secret formula that can lead them to ultimate glory in the MCDFNL. Make sure you have a Dovaston.
Over three decades after his father Craig played a pivotal role in the Saints’ first two MCDFNL premierships in 1992 and 1994, Trentham captain Joel Dovaston has followed in his father’s footsteps, winning best on ground in a crowning achievement with his boyhood club.
After breaking into the senior team in 2016 as a local junior product, Dovaston has experienced all of the recent heartbreaks the Saints have faced while striving to break their lengthy premiership drought.
With 2025 the closest he has been to achieving his childhood dream, Dovaston was determined to make his mark on Saturday’s grand final.
An engine in the midfield and around the contest throughout the match, the star midfielder shone brightest in the final stages of the third quarter, booting two vital goals to give the Saints some much-needed breathing room.
“I’ve been dreaming of this day my whole life — to finally get here and get it done, I can’t explain the feeling,” Dovaston said.
“We have lost a couple of preliminary finals, made the grand final last year, but probably didn’t have the game we wanted, but we got back and we finally got the job done.
“It’s been a tough week. I got an injured back last week, so to get through and get the job done just means a little bit extra.
“I’m a very nervous player. I didn’t get much sleep, but I was also pretty confident this year. We have played some good football throughout the year, so I thought we could get the job done if we just played our way.”
With the game still in the balance at the main break, Dovaston said his half time message was simple.
“I just said, keep doing what we are doing, play our game and it will come our way,” he said.
“At the start of the last quarter, I thought we were a chance, then we kicked that first one and I thought we were on here.
“They kicked a couple back, so I was a bit stressed, but we got there.”
Trentham senior coach Mark Adamson praised Dovaston’s performance, saying it encapsulates the player and leader he is.
“He was terrific, I think early he was ok, but what I’ve seen him do multiple times as captain when he knows he’s needed to really step up, he does just that,” he said.
“To have influences like that is a true sign of a great leader and a guy that has really developed into that role.”