Back in February, Kinglake and surrounds were ravaged by the Black Saturday fires. Whittlesea was to become an important staging ground and the local footy oval was converted to a multitude of uses.
Sports and the footy season was the furthest thing from peoples’ minds.
Communities were decimated through deaths on a scale not seen before in Australia from wildfire.
Heading into a cold winter, there were still people living out of tents, people slowly rebuilding or re-evaluating their futures, with perhaps a caravan and a shed beside the cleared house site.
But communities band together and rebuild – often with strengthened bonds. And so, last weekend, in Div 2 Northern Footy league, Whittlesea, 14.14.98 got over Diamond Creek 6.12.48 to book a place in the Grand Final this week against Macleod this Saturday at the Preston City Oval.
Back in April, 2500 crammed into the Kinglake Oval to see the Lakers win the first match of the season. Early days, there were questions whether to attempt to take the field but, with that decision made, the community and club embarked on the season.
KinglakeFC had been on the verge of folding for most of this decade, struggling in the old DVFL. They were in recess back in 2001.
However, upon moving to the Yarra Valley Mountain District FL, they made the finals last year (2008), contesting only their 9th ever finals series.
Last Sunday at Gembrook, the Seniors got over Seville by 10 goals to book a place in this weeks grand final, against Olinda at Woori Yallock.
The Ressies lost the preliminary final last week, but that was the best ever result by the Lakers twos.
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Absolutely unnecessary from Dunstall!
Once an enemy of the Bombers, always an enemy of the Bombers!
You can't believe anything you see on social media!
How good from Lloyd Johnston and his mum!
