Roos eyeing up third straight flag despite Sharks in the water

THE stage is set for the BPCA A1 grand final this weekend with undefeated Anglesea to play a tough Jan Juc outfit in a match to decide the Bellarine’s best.

The odds are stacked against the Sharks with Anglesea having proved to be once again head and shoulders above the competition, winning all 12 of their games through 2021/22.

Anglesea secured its highest run total since its Round 12 encounter with Inverleigh to defeat Ocean Grove by 132 runs in last Saturday’s semi-final.

The win for the Roos marked its 44th straight victory spanning the past three seasons and sets up a season decider for Anglesea to attain sport’s ultimate achievement, the three-peat.

“It’s been quite a remarkable three-year period,” club president and First XI player Brett Venables said.

“A lot of the guys have played together for a long period of time, so we all know each other really well and the group is super close.

“We all know what we expect of each other when we step onto the pitch every Saturday and it is evident that each player still has the hunger and competitiveness to win premierships.”

Anglesea were crowned champions in 2020 and 2021, now they aim to cap off the hat-trick, which comes with a little bit of pressure, but Venables is confident that his team has the tools to get the job done.

“We’ve won four premierships over the past six years,” Venables said.

“If we do the basics right, we’ll win most games. That’s what we focus on. Our motto is “80 per cent over 80 overs”.

“Our captain in Ned Cooper has had quite a ridiculous season, he leads the competition in average runs with 86 per game and when you have a bloke like that opening up your batting every week, it gets you off to a really good start and it sets the tone for everyone else.

“On the bowling side of things, Dale Kerr has always been a quality bowler and Dylan Taylor has really stepped up this season taking 20 odd wickets.

“Like I said, if we can do the basics right, we will be pretty confident that we can add another trophy to the cabinet.”

Jan Juc’s Brad Roberts and his 39 runs was key to his side’s four wicket win over Queenscliff; however, the team’s biggest challenge awaits as the Sharks were pumped by 90 runs against Anglesea in the two teams’ last outing back in mid-December.

The BPCA A1 grand final will be played in the classic two-day format at Inverleigh Recreation Reserve this Saturday and Sunday.