The Port Magpies held aloft the inaugural Sheldon-Morgan Cup at Stuarts Park on Saturday, thanks to one very sweet and fitting irony.
Dean Nankivell slotted a goal from 50m with the last kick of the day, to officially put the Cup in the Magpies’ hands but it was a goal earlier in the day that made the difference.
Dirk Sheldon, the son of Port’s late President Paul, whom the Cup was co-named after, kicked an invaluable goal in the dying stages of the reserve grade game to seal a victory and level the day’s proceedings at 1-match apiece.
The Coffs Swans Under 18s produced an upset 1-point victory against the previously undefeated Magpies: 12.6 (78) to 10.7 (77).
Dirk Sheldon’s goal kept the fight for the Cup alive with a gritty 5.7 (37) to 4.9 (33) win for the team that Paul played a match for earlier this season.
The fairytale was completed for the home side as Port launched attacking raid after attacking raid in the last seconds, with the scoreboard locked at 99-99.
Nankivell, who had played his heart out in the ruck, moved forward and took the mark but it was still 45m out.
His resultant kick, from a shade outside the 50m line, sailed through and sent the huge crowd into raptures.
Shirlene Sheldon and her daughters, Courtney and Brooke, were amongst the crowd and adding their own voice to the atmosphere and then fittingly handed over the Cup to Port coach Scott Payne.
“You could not have written the script any better but today showed exactly what Paul Sheldon and Peter Morgan were about,” Payne said.
“Both loved their footy and the footy family and they helped create the spirit that was alive and well at Stuarts Park on Saturday.
“We congratulate Coffs Swans on the day and they came ready for action and played in a true sporting manner.
“There were so many great moments — our Under 18s coach Craig Carroll gave Coffs four players because they were short and eventually that came back to bite him on the scoreboard but you won’t hear him complain — that was for the betterment of footy.”
Matt Newton starred again up forward for the Magpies, adding another six goals and the Meat Voucher award to his long list of credits in his comeback season.
Steve Gluyas added drive to the centre but it was Ryan Horton who produced another “body-wrecking” centre effort, picking up countless possessions.
Jim Connell and Stewart Todd made big contributions, while Jesse Schmidt was back to add some quality touches, along with Matt Lill and Shannon Skreja in the mid-field.
The Morgan-Sheldon Cup went to the club that won two or more of the three grades on the day and will be played for again next year when the clubs meet in the final round of the competition, regardless of whose home game it is.
Both Paul Sheldon and Peter Morgan departed this world too soon with heart problems — Paul a massive part of the club’s eight successive reserve grade premierships and Peter the last Coffs Swans Premiership coach (in 1999).
Peter’s son Scott Morgan, played in the reserve grade fixture for the Swans, lining up opposite Paul’s son Dirk.
In other first grade results, Grafton 26.11 (157) put the cleaners through North Coffs 10.8 (68) and Nambucca held on for a one-point win against Sawtell 11.7 (73) to 10.12 (72).
Next weekend the now second-placed Magpies travel to Macksville to take on the team sitting fourth, Nambucca.
