SELECTED TEAM

YEAR OF THE GULLS

CHELSEA FC are the 1990 MPNFL Division 1 Premiers and they truly deserve to be after an excellent season which climaxed in Sunday’s  Grand Final which saw the Gulls win by 63 points over the 1989 premier Edithvale-Aspendale.
It was in the 1989 Grand Final that Edithvale-Aspendale inflicted a similar defeat on the Gulls and it was then that Chelsea started planning for revenge in 1990.
A classic game it was always going to be but the perfect weather conditions turned the skill level up a further notch.
The huge crowd didn’t have to wait long to see some great passages of play in the MPNFL’s showpiece of football.
Roberts passed to Bardoel who marked and goaled, then Bardoel figured in the next passage of play which resulted in Bartholomew slotting through his first major.
Edi-Asp were looking the better side and threatening to jump away to an early lead until Michael Ritchie took centre stage.
Ritchie kicked his first of four for the term after receiving a handball from Howlett and he made no mistake from 40 metres.
His next three were all the result of great football up the field by the likes of Sinclair and Willie Duff.
This caused Edi-Asp coach Ken Little to switch Moulton into attack which seemed to unsettle their forward line. Midolo did, however, reduce the margin to eight points at the change with two long goals late in the term.
Chelsea increased their lead to 20 points early in the second term when Ritchie marked and goaled for his fifth at the nine-minute mark. The Gull were looking sharper with Sinclair, Duff and Giggins blitzing around the packs.
Dave Aitcheson then took over from Ritchie and proceeded to kick three goals in equal time. The first was a snap, the second a great overhead mark and goal, and the third came from a great build up by Savage and Ritchie.
The difference at the main break was 26 points in Chelsea’s favour and one could sense that they might run away with the game. Wright was doing well for the Eagles but his fellow on-ballers were being overshadowed by their faster Gull opponents.
Edi-Asp weren’t done with, however, and goals to Midolo and Wright quickly reduced the margin to just 12 points at the ten minute mark. Chelsea answered the challenge and Willie Duff snapped his third for the game.
Neely came on at centre-half-forward and seemed to give the Gulls something extra to aim at. Stewart kicked truly from a free and then Howlett goaled from the square to again open up a big lead.

BANANA PASS
Harting received a banana pass from Bartholomew to reduce the margin to just three majors at the 26 minute mark but it was in the next four minutes where Chelsea won the Grand Final.
League Best and Fairest Graham Savage set up two goals and when Neely kicked his first after a strong mark the Gulls were 6 goals up, a lead that was to prove too much for Edi-Asp.
Any chance of an Edi-Asp comeback was quickly dispelled when Chelsea kicked five goals in the first 15 minutes to race to a 62 point lead. Several brawls broke out as Edi-Asp tried to get back into the game but it was too late.
Chelsea fans were ecstatic when the siren sounded to signal their team’s triumph.

It was truly a great game of football and both camps can be proud of their efforts but in the end justice was served with the better side winning on the day.
 
Reference : “The Independent” - 25th September, 1990.