Welcome to Robert Booth Reserve here in Hampton Park for today’s SFNL Bendigo Bank Division 4 grand final between the Hallam & Dandenong West football clubs.
Throughout season 2025 we’ve seen eight sides battle it out in division four for the ultimate prize that’s on show here today and we’ve narrowed it down to our final two.
Starting with the Hawks they have conquered everything that has stood before them with a perfect 18-0 record during the home & away season plus their semi final win two weeks ago making it 19 on the bounce, will they make it a perfect 20 by the end of today?
Going back a little bit further as well, since the start of the 2024 home & away season the Hawks have had an imposing record of 35 wins and 5 losses.
This Hallam side has had the expert coaching again of Tom Dalton who will be incredibly keen on lifting up that premiership cup following last year’s defeat over the Hammers.
While the Hawks have a daunting duo in the midfield in the likes of captain Joel Danilo & Anthony Bernardo. It’s the triple edged sword in the forward line that will really come to the floor for the Hawks here today. Jack Sharlassian, Liam Reid & Beau Gibbs were three players who were all in the top 10 in the division four goal kicking totaling 158 between the three of them, the men of Dandy will need to be very wary of their capabilities in front of goal.
While we look at Dandenong West now, they have been the rising team in 2025 after missing finals in 2024 they have improved significantly. From only winning seven games in 2024 they won 14 in 2025 and have now made their first grand final since 1992.
A side that was on it’s knees prior to those awful COVID years, a 1 win & 17 loss record in 2019 by an average losing margin of 80+ points. Michael Lawrence was appointed the coach in late 2021 and an early goal was to sign ‘22 players under the age of 22. And some of that group which is now their senior core includes the likes of Dylan Diacono, Lenny Van Schaik, Brock Jenkins, Josh Lawrence & Louis Nichols among others.
They arrive here today after defeating Lyndale by 23 points in the preliminary final & should have confidence that they can take it up to the division's very best side.
Like the Hawks the Dandy side has key forwards in Coren Gillam & Brock Jenkins who kicked 70 between them during the home & away season and look for Harry Lees coming off his three goals over Lyndale.
While the season series is four games to none already to the Hawks, we wipe the slate clean and start again today as we know the Dandenong West side can clearly take it up to this Hallam side you just need to look at that round one match up where it was a point the difference.
Whoever wins today is a deserving premier and the promise of promotion to division three is a kick starter to a promising future.
