Happy champs: North Ringwood celebrates its EFL division 3 premiership victory on Saturday. Picture: Ted Kloszynski S
IF there is such a thing as cashing in some karma chips, then North Ringwood must have handed in every chip it had leading into Saturday's Eastern Football League division 3 grand final.
After their team lost the past two grand finals, the Saints' faithful turned out in big numbers to East Burwood Reserve hoping to see a Saints premiership.
They got a near perfect, red-hot performance from the Saints, who had the game sewn up by half-time with a 75-point lead, one which they extended at three-quarter-time and then again in the final term to beat Glen Waverley Hawks by 137 points.
The match was the final curtain on coach Brett Moyle's playing career, while former captain Grant Aitken is also expected to retire on a premiership win after being talked into playing before the start of the season.
Aitken was pushed forward in the final quarter and kicked a goal from close range before being swamped by almost all his teammates.
Moyle praised his side for its supreme performance, which came just over a year after a thrashing at the hands of Doncaster in last year's decider.
Moyle said past losses were a small motivation but the true inspiration for the win came from the players themselves. "We were very close last year and got touched up on the day when it mattered," he said.
"So I did some research on YouTube trying to find inspirational stuff for them but I ended up just telling them that in the end it's up to you guys, I want you to work and to inspire each other, which they did.
"It is what it was, we got pumped on grand final day last year.
"I've got no doubt some of the boys have hurt for the past 12 months waiting for the opportunity to get back here and have another crack."
The Saints had winners in all parts of the ground, with star midfielder-forward Anthony Sharp winning best-on-ground honours which could have easily been handed to several other Saints who repeatedly won the ball for their side.
Moyle said the fast surface at East Burwood Reserve and the calm, sunny conditions suited his side's running-based game down to a T.
"The run and carry from players like the Sharps and guys on the outside cut them up, it was outstanding," he said. "I thought at half-time up 75 points we were looking OK although I didn't let that on to the boys. When we were in front at three-quarter-time by 90 points it was done."
While Moyle said he wouldn't play in 2013, he will continue to coach the club and will need to do some more research to learn more about division 2 football.
"To be brutally honest, I've never seen a game of divie 2 footy because I've always played in either division 1 or division 3," Moyle said.
"I think a lot of our younger guys this year have improved and become really good senior players.
"We hope for some natural improvement and we may need to add one or two players more."
In the division 3 reserves, Boronia beat North Ringwood by 15 points to claim the premiership.
Scores: North Ringwood 6.3, 14.12, 18.17, 25.25 (175) d Glen Waverley Hawks 2.1, 4.2, 5.6, 5.8 (38)
Goals: North Ringwood: A Sharp 5, J Candler 4, J Whelan 3, D Wood, B Moyle, S Dekeizer 2, J Sharp, G Aitken, J Harris, M Castles, J Dean, J Vanunen, R Harbeck. Glen Waverley Hawks: S Grasser 2, M Carnelley, D Sullivan, A Azzopardi.
Best: North Ringwood: A Sharp, D Wood, M Melzer, A Tuck, D Walls, J Candler. Glen Waverley Hawks: A Azzopardi, D Kennaugh, A Riddle, J Gray.