THE Redbacks ruthlessly ripped apart the struggling Saints ... simply no other way to sum up the final game of 2025 for the North Central Football League’s unluckiest side of a lop-sided season.
Wedderburn had easily accounted for the league’s bottom tier, as again happened at Donaldson Park on Saturday against St Arnaud, pushed top sides and battle through injuries.
Not even one of the best four percentages in the league could secure Wedderburn a spot in the finals despite a stunning win last month over rival Boort.
A lop-sided draw dealt the cruel blow to Wedderburn, Boort had the far easier run in the two third-time encounters of 2025.
But Wedderburn showed the league what it will miss out on when finals start on Saturday without the Redbacks.
Wedderburn last Saturday played to a grand standard. Coach Tom Metherell told his players it was their best performance over four quarters for the year.
St Arnaud had the ball in its forward 50 for barely five minutes in the opening term as Wedderburn piled on 10 goals.
Woeful kicking in the second quarter - 11 behinds - still could not flatter the Saints as Hamish Lockhart went on a rampage through the midfield where Darcy Jackson and Noah Furlong were also bobbing up and weaving play deep.
Mitch Jensen was in super form around goals and would end the match with eight to his name. If not for injury earlier in the season, he would have been a century man in 2025.
Wedderburn’s dominance was hard to fault and went beyond the skill and endurance limits of a younger Saints’ side.
Redbacks played as they had trained on Thursday night - to their standard and in their own style, wasting no opportunities let alone time driving play deep into the forward zone.
The superior strength was clear with an 11.5 final term.
Clubs in the finals will perhaps be glad not to be coming up against the ruthless Redbacks.
- CHRIS EARL