VFL: Coburg upsets Collingwood to claim first win since 2022

“We just need to get a win to show it.’’

The Lions got it on Sunday, and in doing so broke one of Victorian football’s longest run of outs.

It had extended to 631 days.

At a City Oval ground bathed in sunshine all afternoon and buzzing with jubilant supporters at 3.45pm, the Burgers defeated Collingwood by 15 points, 12.15 (87) to 10.12 (72), to take their first victory since Round 19 of the 2022 season.

There had been 23 losses since that day against Geelong; last year, Cassidy-McNamara’s first season in charge, they finished at 0-18, raising doubts about their future in a competition crowded with AFL reserves teams.

The win set off stirring scenes at the historic stand-alone club.

The players walked off to applause that continued well after they went down the race, and they sang the song with ear-splitting zest.

Cassidy-McNamara was drenched in cordial.

Before he spoke to the players he had to nip into the bathroom to dry himself off and try to collect his composure.

A minute or two earlier, president Michelle Johnston owned up to spilling a tear or two after the siren.

After its winless season of 2023, Coburg lost the top three placegetters in its best and fairest, Ben Jepson, Aaron Clarke and Luke Nelson, to other state league clubs.

In the absence of any headline-grabbing recruits – most of them went to rivals Williamstown and Port Melbourne – it appeared 2024 could be another testing year.

Encouraging pre-season form was forgotten with a 41-point loss to the Sydney Swans in Round 1.

But in Round 2 the Lions lost to Williamstown with a kick after the siren, and last week they were too strong for the AFL Academy team amid reports recruiters were disappointed the Under 18 tyros had to go up against a team that hadn’t won since 2022.

The win over the Academy was a worthy performance but of course the game carried no premiership points.

Sunday’s victory over the Magpies did, and some of the unheralded recruits Cassidy-McNamara brought in showed the way in one of Coburg’s best wins since it split with Richmond and returned as a stand-alone in 2014.

Donovan Toohey, from Fitzroy in the VAFA, had a match-high 31 possessions.

Joel Trudgeon, from Box Hill Hawks, had 29.

Hugo Bromell, from Footscray Bulldogs, had 24.

Ruckman Cooper Keogh, from North Melbourne, had 19 disposals, as well as 25 hit-outs and nine clearances.

“If anyone needs a 200cm ruckman who competes, he’s front and centre,’’ Cassidy-McNamara said.

“He’s pretty impressive.

“That position is one of the only spots on the ground where you go one-on-one and I think he convincingly beat (Aiden) Begg.’’

Defender Ryan Sturgess tailed Collingwood’s mid-season draft prospect Jack Hutchinson and held him to two goals.

The Lions led by three points at halftime, but slipped clear with three to none in the third quarter.

Goals from Bromell, Luke Bailey and Braeyden Gillard pushed the lead out to 32 points halfway through the final term.

The drought was about to end – and when it did, Johnston found it hard to keep her emotions in check.

“It was a beautiful day, a big crowd and we got the win … couldn’t have asked for any more,’’ she said.

“I absolutely did shed a tear. I had a few tears of joy running down my face. Look, it’s been hard yards and not just for the players, but for everyone involved in the club. It was just pure relief. Speaking to the players, they said they couldn’t believe it, it was like they’d been given a guard of honour as they came off the ground.’’

The Kangan Institute senior executive took over as president at last year’s AGM, having been introduced to the board by former GM Sebastian Spagnuolo.

Johnston’s daughter Kirra is the club’s match-day MC.

“Couldn’t be prouder to do that (presidency) at a club with such a long history, to do my little bit and be the custodian for this period of time,’’ she said.

Cassidy-McNamara said: “I’m just really proud of the club. It would have been easy to turn the toes up over the last 12 months, but everyone has been pretty patient and building towards something special.

“It’s funny, I feel like I was the person least affected by it. I think the players and the board felt it more than me, because I’m pretty process-focused.

“It was more when we were playing poorly through the middle of last season, I probably was questioning myself more than anything.’’

But he said the Lions finished last season strongly and he believed their fortunes were turning.

Before the match Coburg had a minute’s silence for premiership player and former president Robbie Evans, who died in February at the age of 63.

The players also wore black armbands.

COBURG’S DROUGHT-BREAKERS

Jesse Corigliano

Flynn Gentile

Luke Walker

Kyle Weightman

Charlie Beasley

Donovan Toohey

Josh D’Intinosante

Joel Trudgeon

Hugo Bromell

Ryan Sturgess

Cooper Keogh

Liam Serong

Luke Bailey

Tom Rowland

Braedyn Gillard

Henry Brown

Ben Rigoni

Tom McKenzie

Rhys Galvin

Will Bella

Ingo Dammersmith

Caleb Ernst

Sam Grant