Ringwood made their third consecutive Grand Final appearance in season 2022 but came up just short again while the Senior Women tested themselves out in Division One.
By Ryan Long.
Ringwood
Ladder Position: 2nd (14-4, 188.58%)
Best and Fairest: Mitch Jackson
Leading Goalkicker: Mitch Jackson (32)
Summary:
Another strong year, another Grand Final appearance but unfortunately for the Redbacks, it didn’t result in a premiership.
The club did a fantastic job in season 2022 to stay at the top of the ladder after the Redbacks parted ways with Trent and Mitch Farmer, arguably their two most vital players. They won 14 games for the year, defeating every side at least once except for South Belgrave. The Saints had the Redbacks measure, defeating them twice in the home and away season, finishing two wins above them on top of the ladder.
Senior Coach Brett Rowe was listed as the Coach of the Division Two Team of The Year, having another fantastic season at the helm.
Finishing second on the ladder saw Ringwood take on East Burwood in the Qualifying Final. While they were challenged in the first half, the Redbacks opened the game up late and ran away ten goal winners after an eight-goal last term. The win saw them take on South Belgrave in the Semi Final where they fell three goals short.
To make the Grand Final and get another shot at knocking off the Saints, they had to defeat East Burwood for the third time in the last four weeks. This time, the Rams were missing a couple of their key midfielders, Martini and Mariani. Apart from a five-goal second quarter from the Rams, Ringwood was never troubled, comfortably winning by 51 points.
It was a big achievement for the club to make its third consecutive Grand Final appearance. Facing South Belgrave once more, the club, unfortunately, couldn’t finish the year on a high, losing by 39 points.
Key Players:
Mitch Jackson took his game to a new level in season 2022. He starred in the midfield for the Redbacks, being able to push forward and hit the scoreboard, the leading goal kicker for the club. Moving across from Vermont at the start of the season, Sam Wadley had a great year. Very versatile, the ex-Eagle was used in multiple positions, finishing in the best eleven times.
Both Jackson and Wadley made the Division Two Team of the Year alongside Jack Blyth and Tim Jones.
Blyth had plenty of impact, playing on the wing while Jacob May impressed down back as an important lockdown defender.
Best Win: Qualifying Final – Ringwood 15.15 105 def. East Burwood 5.15 45 @Walker Park
The Redbacks faced off against the Rams twice in this year’s finals series, the first coming in the Qualifying Final at Walker Park. With a strong breeze at one end of the ground, momentum shifted each quarter. Ringwood had twelve scoring shots to four in the second quarter, although they were on top of the game, inaccuracy was keeping the door open with the side just twenty points ahead. However, an 0.6 third term for the Rams sealed their fate as the Redbacks blew the game open in the final quarter with eight goals.
Mitch Brereton was a major threat up forward for Ringwood, kicking four goals and causing major headaches for the Rams’ back six. Mitch Jackson continued his incredible season form with another three goals while young Jett Latchford stood tall in the ruck.
Off-Season Focus:
One of the more noticeable things on Grand Final Day this year was the height difference they gave away to South Belgrave. The club didn’t have the same tall timber in their forward line to match it with the likes of Smith and Garner. It’s something they’ll be sure to address in the up coming off-season. They’ve already picked up Brooklyn Gebel-Lamb who led Nunawading’s goal kicking in his first year of senior football.
Ringwood Senior Women’s
Ladder Position: 5th (4-8, 61.47%)
Leading Goalkicker: Georgia Fairbairn (32)
Summary:
Like their Senior Men’s side, the Senior Women were a dominant force in season 2021. The Redbacks won all eleven games before the season was cut short, finding themselves promoted to Division One for the 2022 season.
They competed well in the higher division, finding themselves in the mix for that last spot in the top four to play finals with both Beaconsfield and Chirnside Park.
The Redbacks were the number four ranked attacking side in the division with Georgia Fairbairn leading the way up forward. They won four games for the year but missed out on a spot in the top four with Beaconsfield just ahead with an extra draw.
Key Players:
Once again, Zoe Cant was phenomenal on the field, winning the league’s best and fairest. Cant finished in the best ten times from twelve games and has been a great leader for the younger players at the club.
Georgia Fairbairn was arguably the best forward in the division, finishing with 32 goals, the most of any Division One player during the Home and Away season.
Some of the other key Redback players included Tiana Johnson and Abbey Jordanov, both featuring in the best on a regular occasion.
Best Win: Round 11 – Ringwood 3.3 21 def. Beaconsfield 2.7 19 @Holm Park Reserve
An important win at the back end of the season kept the club in the hunt for a finals position. On the wide ground of Holm Park, the Redbacks fought back from an early deficit to take a two-point lead at the final change. In a tight low-scoring last quarter, the Redbacks held on for a two-point win and a crucial four points to keep them in touch with the Eagles on the ladder.
Off-Season Focus:
The club have adapted nicely to the new division. Despite not being able to match it with the top three sides, Ringwood was always in the hunt to take that last finals spot.
The defence would be a key focal point in the off-season. They did give away some hefty scores throughout the season, giving away an extra 199 points over the year than fourth-placed Beaconsfield.
Expect the Redbacks to be pushing for a return to the finals in season 2023.
Netball Review
Ringwood White (Section 5)
Ladder Position: 5th (9-7, 108.25%)
The Redbacks’ first netball team competed in Section Five this season, having a very competitive year. Ringwood had nine wins, finishing fifth on the ladder, just two wins short of fourth-placed Balwyn. A couple of major highlights for the season included their two wins over two of the finalists, Balwyn and Upper Ferntree Gully.
Nicole Stagg led the goal-shooting for the side with 213 goals, finishing inside the top ten of the division for goals scored.
Ringwood Black (Section 6)
Ladder Position: 4th (10-6, 123.18%)
Ringwood’s second netball side, competing in the sixth section of the competition, finished the year off well with a Preliminary Final appearance. The Redbacks won ten games for the season, finishing fourth, a full four games ahead of fifth-placed Mitcham.
It set up a final against third-placed Boronia. They came into the game as underdogs, having lost to the Hawks twice throughout the year. Trailing at Half Time, they fought back in the second half to win by three points. The Redbacks would then face Glen Waverley in the Preliminary Final where they were defeated by five points.
Leading the side’s goal-scoring was Abbey Jordanov with 173 goals, scoring double-digit goals in eleven matches.
Ringwood Juniors
Ringwood juniors continued their rebuild in 2022. The club fielded three sides in 2022, the highlight being young star Joshua Buratti winning the EFNL League Best and Fairest award for the Under 13B Division.
The club is looking to grow in 2023 with the introduction of Under 8s and 16s so it’s exciting times ahead for the Ringwood Football Club.