Can Power House vanquish the demons of their 2022 Grand Final loss and claim their first Dewar Shield title since 2008?
A near perfect regular season demonstrated that 'The House' now has the squad depth to challenge for a title in a way that wasn’t possible in recent years.
To discover how they can topple Footscray, we examine the three most influential Power House players that will shape the outcome of the Grand Final.
The beating pulse of Power House, no player embodies the hard-nosed playing style of this side more than ‘Buster’.
His body has taken a battering in 2024, but the fans will be hoping he can stay in one piece for 80 more minutes, before finally earning a much needed rest.
The real test for Eberhart will come at lineout time.
With opposing backrower Maciu Nabolakasi guarding the airways like a Heathrow air traffic controller, the Power House hooker will face his toughest throwing assignment yet.
What makes his challenge even greater is the notoriously slanted Box Hill playing field - the bane of all hookers in clubland. The natural camber of the field means that the ground is effectively 1m higher on the 15m line than it is on the side-line; throwing off the rhythm of many hookers.
We know Eberhart will want to favour the long ball to the back of the lineout to allow House to execute their peel plays and avoid Nabolakasi guarding the middle of the lineout.
If Buster finds his mark at the back more often than not, the Power House power play that follows will be hard for Footscray to repel.
The pilot of this Power House team, McGovern represents the cool head that ensures the game plan is strictly adhered to.
Whilst Footscray revel in attacking raids launched from deep within their own half, Power House are much more cautious in their approach and insist on territory-first footy.
McGovern will be tasked with keeping the ball at the Footscray end of the park, and his kicking game will take centre stage against a Doggies backfield boasting the lethal threats of William Lewesi, Bon Wilson and potentially Matai Nairavu (injury pending).
But he will have a target on his back.
There’s no doubt the brutal ball carriers of Footscray – Maka, Vole and Nuku, will be moving mountains to attack McGovern in the defensive line. How McGovern is rotated in the backfield with Miller to limit his defensive exposure will be a tactical assignment for the Power House coaches to manage.
Certainly a battered and bruised McGovern will limit his influence, but can Power House shield their flyhalf for a full 80 minutes?
For years now, Power House have been good enough up front to dominate teams, but probably lacked a little bit of spark in the backline to deliver the knock out blow when the opportunity presented itself.
Josh ‘Thriller’ Miller is the missing piece that elevates Power House from premiership pretenders to contenders.
What I love about him is his dual threat as both a ball player and a running option. He compliments Cian McGovern so well in the backline, offering a second playmaking option that opens the wide channels for House.
Just don’t go to sleep on him though – start worrying about the men around him and he will burn you with his running game.
His kicking game may well prove decisive too, and offers a useful alternative to the cultured boot of McGovern.
Josh Greening and Liam Bashford have been the strongest lock pairing in the Vailo Dewar Shield in 2024. Their work rate is exceptional and their lineout IQ puts them up there with the best.
Against a much bigger midfield, Jordie Schmidt's electric turn off pace may be a factor late in the game when the Big Dogs start to tire. He's due for a big one.
Catch the Vailo Dewar Shield Grand Final live on the Rugby Victoria Facebook page from 3pm this Saturday.
