The East Coast Eagles have again set history after both the under 18s and senior team won their respective preliminary finals on Sunday. The club for the first time ever have all three teams playing in Grand Finals and a shot at three titles. The seniors and under 18s now join the reserves on Grand Final day.
 
You could not have written a better script from a club perspective and now we all look forward to a great conclusion.
 
The seniors took on minor premiers UNSW/ES but went into the game full of confidence after two good wins already in the finals series. The Eagles got out of the blocks quickly and kicked three early goals and big Gus Seebeck looked very dangerous. The Bulldogs fought back though and it was only two points the difference at quarter-time.
 
The Eagles again controlled the football for almost the entire second quarter but five points in arrow did not help the cause. When the Bulldogs kicked three late goals from three forward entries they lead by eight points at the main break.
 
The third quarter is known as the premiership quarter and it was the quarter that the Eagles stood up. The Eagles took total control and kicked eight goals to one. Aaron Byerlee kicked three goals for the quarter and Michael Sankey gave great drive from the wing. The Eagles had turned a half-time deficit into a thirty-point lead at three-quarter-time. It would take a remarkable turn around for the Bulldogs to not go out in straight sets.
 
The Bulldogs did kick the first goal of the last quarter but that was only the catalyst for the Eagles to take control of the game again. When Michael Sankey kicked his third goal as the siren sounded the Eagles had earned the right to have a shot at the title and now look to make history with its first senior premiership for the club. The final scoreboard read the Eagles 18.14 (122) to the Bulldogs 11.11 (77).
 
Aaron Byerlee kicked six goals for the second week in a row, Ed Wilson was again the best big man on the ground, and Ben Physick was courageous and tough all day. Michael Sankey and Jon Vlatko lead by example and Blake Ure did another great job keeping leading goal-kicker Brad Abbott to one goal.
 
The focus now turns to the last game in September and the Pennant Hills Demons. The Eagles will take into the game much confidence after three great finals wins in a row but know that it will be two hours of hard work that will get them the result they have worked for all season. It promises to be another classic against our Hills rivals.
 
The under 18s stared the day in style and gave the impetus for the seniors to follow. The Eagles again went into the game as underdogs against a side they had not beaten in five years until the final two weeks ago and the question was asked could they reproduce that form again.
 
The boys lead throughout the whole day and got stronger as the day went on. The Eagles again showed that at their best they can beat anyone and they ran out convincing winners by 30 points, 10.13 (73) to 5.13 (43).
 
Josh Shepherd, Martin Karafilis, Matt Power and James Collis led the way for the Eagles. The young Eagles will now look forward to setting the scene on Grand Final day as they take on the North Shore Bombers. The Eagles again will go into the game us the underdogs but knowing that they have the game to take on any team.
 
So the scene has been set and what a day it is for the club, three Grand Finals and three teams with a chance for premiership glory. The seniors with a chace to do what no Eagles senior team has ever done before.
 
Grand Final Day
Saturday, September 6
Henson Park
Seniors
2.30pm
East Coast v Pennant Hills
Reserves
12:00 pm
East Coast v Sydney Uni
Under 18
9.30am
East Coast v North Shore Bombers