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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
Renee Valentine

Can Killarney Vale end their premiership drought in Black Diamond Cup AFL on Saturday?

Killarney Vale coach Corey Shackleton. Picture by Marina Neil

Killarney Vale coach Corey Shackleton knows a full team effort is required to end the club's longest premiership drought.

The Bombers also need not be overawed by the occasion when they take on a side who are no strangers to finals football.

It has been eight years since Killarney Vale have featured in a Black Diamond Cup Men's grand final and 15 since they won one.

Meanwhile, their opponents Terrigal-Avoca are playing in their 10th straight grand final at Adelaide Street Oval on Saturday (2.20pm).

The Bombers have won three of four exchanges this year, including 9.5 (59) to 5.4 (34) in the qualifying final two weeks ago.

Minor premiers Killarney Vale took the spoils in rounds one and seven while second-placed Terrigal-Avoca won by six points in round 14. The Panthers lined up a fifth showdown by beating Cardiff 10.12 (72) to 3.7 (25) in the preliminary final.

Elliott Davey Medal winner Tim Oosterhoff, left, celebrates one of his 100 goals this season in Black Diamond Cup. Picture by Marina Neil

"Obviously, playing Terrigal is a huge task, no matter when you play them," Shackleton, who played in Killarney Vale's winning 2007 side and last grand final appearance, said.

"They've been in 10 grand finals in a row, and we know they're extremely well-coached and extremely well-drilled and they've done it all before.

"There's not many players in our side that have won senior grand finals or played in them, but we're confident. We've only had the one loss through the year so we know our systems and our processes stand up."

Key players for the Bombers will be full forward Tim Oosterhoff, who has kicked 100 goals this campaign and collected the Elliott Davey Medal on Wednesday night, and midfielder Josh Mifsud, who was just one point behind his teammate in the voting for the Cup's best and fairest player of the year.

"We've got some really amazing top-end talent in guys like Tim Oosterhoff, Mifsud, Rick White, who are really, really good footballers, but they can't do their thing if the other players don't play their role," Shackleton said.

Panthers player-coach Chris Bishop expects the game to be won in the middle of the park.

"They've got a really solid midfield," Bishop said. "If we can win the contest and obviously control the ball and be a bit more patient than we were last time with our ball use, that will go a long way."

Terrigal-Avoca beat Newcastle City 10.16 (76) to 7.8 (50) in the competition's last grand final two years ago. The season was cut short last year due to COVID.

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