Yass Roos coach Sam Campbell is not one to mince words, and he made his feelings clear on Saturday afternoon. 

This comment came during the celebrations of the Roos’ victory over the ANU Griffins, 6.4.40 to 2.6.18. Although Yass won by nearly four goals, it was far from an easy match. 

The most critical factor for both sides during the course of the match was how they dealt with the powerful gusts of wind which swept across the ground. 

“I think losing the toss was a big factor,” Campbell said. 

“To have the ball down in that left pocket for most of the game made it hard to score the other way.” 

As Campbell indicated, the ball was trapped in the left pocket closest to the clubhouse at Stirling 101, and the two most decisive factors in the match ended up being Yass’s midfield and the accuracy of their forwards in spite of the wind. 

“Our midfield as a whole, they were unbelievable,” Campbell said. “They probably got us over the line I think, they were awesome … if those boys play like that [in the Grand Final], it’s gonna be tough to beat us.” 

In particular, Campbell singled out Roos number 18 Macauly Harvie for praise after his relentless game in the midfield, and said that “he was on fire.” 

The breeze carried most shots on goal off-target, and ANU’s forwards had a nightmare game, with several shots on goal either sliding through for behinds or drifting wide of the posts altogether. 

In the aftermath, Campbell praised ANU and the spirit that they showed in a very competitive and highly physical encounter. 

“They came hard, gave us everything,” he said. 

“We just played so well. It was a hard scrap, it probably wasn’t the prettiest game, but we got up in the end.” 

Following Saturday’s win, Yass now take on the Southern Cats in this weekend’s Grand Final at Football Park. 

Speaking before the second preliminary final had been played, Campbell said that he did not have a preference as to who he would like to face in the final. 

The Grand Final will take place on Saturday from midday.