Likely No.1 AFL draft pick Tom Boyd played a key role as the Eastern Ranges smashed the Dandenong Stingrays by 112 points in the TAC Cup grand final.
The Ranges reversed the result of the qualifying final to defeat their rivals 24.8 (152) to 5.10 (40) at Etihad Stadium.
After three months on the sidelines with a serious ankle injury, Boyd returned with a vengeance on Sunday, kicking three first-quarter goals from centre half-forward to start the onslaught.
Boyd, Mitchell Honeychurch and Michael Apeness are all likely to be snapped up quickly in November’s national draft and Ranges coach Darren Bewick said at least three of their teammates should also be taken by AFL clubs.
“You are going to have your obvious ones, but I think players like (Joseph) Fisher and (Connor) O’Sullivan and (Jordan) Walker, they are only going to get better in the better system and they deserve an opportunity,” Bewick said.
Boyd showed his strength overhead and despite being restricted by fitness, he was still able to bring the ball to ground where the likes of Honeychurch and Ben Cavarra were able to rove and goal.
Boyd finished with four goals and admitted he struggled to run out the game.
“I was pretty cooked at quarter-time,” he said.
“I really blew up, so I took myself off.
“It was pretty frantic start with.
“The body is a bit sore but the ankle is really good. I didn’t feel it at all during the game.”
Boyd said the attention and speculation the Greater Western Sydney Giants might trade the No.1 draft pick was “background noise” as he attempted to regain fitness and get his body right for his first AFL pre-season.
“You look at all the stuff in the media, but to be honest you can’t control it,” he said.
“The club that holds the No.1 pick or any other pick for that matter, is the one that is in control, they are in the driver’s seat.”
Midfielder Cavarra did his chances of being drafted no harm by winning the medal as the best player on the ground.
Billy Hartung broke a string of 11 unanswered goals for Dandenong when he used his pace to run into an open goal, six minutes into the third term.
Hartung is a hard-running midfielder who is expected to be selected in the first round of the draft.