Coorow Latham go back to back after dominant grand final win of Carnamah Perenjori

Coorow Latham has gone back-to-back in the North Midlands Football league after an eight-goal haul from vice-captain Matthew Burley helped them to a dominant 16.10 (106) to 8.12 (60) grand final victory. Despite finishing higher on the ladder Carnamah probably were the underdogs in the clash. They were well beaten in the last meeting between these two sides and the Magpies had won their past seven games scoring more than 100 points on six of those occasions. The Roos have only cracked the hundred mark on three occasions all season and the last of those came back in round 10, so they would have to keep the Magpies grounded to stick with them. Carnamah did strike first blood as Ethan Cusack picked up a loose ball in the forward line and quickly snapped to open the scoring in the ninth minute. It was a scrappy opening term with both sides butchering the ball at times, particularly when going forward, but the Magpies finally got on the board just after the 16-minute mark through Gerard O’Sullivan after being smartly set up by Matthew Burley. Len Papertalk got his first of the afternoon and would be key for the Roos. Josh Mccall tied up the game with a well-taken shot before some run and carry through the middle set up Burley for his first goal. The Magpies led by six at quarter-time but they would score the next four goals in a dominant second-quarter performance. Burley got his second squeezing through his set shot from about 40m out then had another before Jacob Comley pinged his one through from right on the 50. The Roos had some chances but were poor going inside 50 and convert the shots they did have going 0.5 for the quarter to trail by 27 at the break. They opened the scoring in the second half as Papertalk struck the post before doing better from a close-range free kick but that would be as close as they would get for the rest of the match. Burley grabbed his fourth and Harry Pickett launched a bomb from 50m as the Magpies’ impressive accuracy from set shots continued. Burley then had five with a ludicrous snap from the boundary while under pressure before Gavin Murphy converted to take the lead over 40 points deep into the third quarter. Jeremy Tremlett got one back for the Roos but it would take something miraculous to overcome 36 points in a quarter of football. Kobi Sellar poked one through from the goal square to give them a faint hope before Rayden Solomon gave them their second inside five minutes to get the margin down to 25. But there was no stopping Burley at the other end who nailed his sixth. Sellar got his second in the quarter to bring the lead back to four goals but Conor Macdonald responded to keep the Roos at bay and once Burley had seven the match was well and truly done. Burley finished with eight to his name to go with his nine in the semifinal in two of the most dominant displays of forward craft in finals. For the Roos they played well at times but lacked the firepower to put scoreboard pressure on the Magpies. However, they represent a strong rebuild after claiming six wooden spoons between 2014-2020 and will be hoping to go one better next year.