MATCH REPORT: BALLARAT THUMS DISAPPOINTING BENDIGO BY 77 POINTS
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BENDIGO inter-league coach Rick Ladson never saw it coming.
A dismal 77-point thrashing at the hands of Ballarat that once again, cost Bendigo the chance of pushing into the top four rankings in the AFL Victoria Country Championships.
The Blue and Gold barely gave a yelp after quarter-time of Saturday's inter-league clash against Ballarat at the Eastern Oval.
Bendigo could muster just four goals - two in the first quarter and two in the third - in a bitterly disappointing 17.11 (113) to 4.12 (36) defeat that yet again, sends the Blue and Gold back into a 7 v 8 game next year against Gippsland.
From two points in front at quarter-time, by half-time Bendigo was 41 points in arrears and 56 down at three quarter-time, before the final 77-point margin.
At one stage Bendigo conceded 12 consecutive goals.
Ladson, who had spoken in the lead-up to the game of a committed unit determined to break through into the top four of the rankings, lamented his side's lack of effort and error-riddled performance.
"It's a shattering result today... the boys are extremely disappointed," Ladson said.
"We all brought into a process that we believed in, but we didn't execute and hopefully, the boys will learn from it.
"But from my point of view, the effort just wasn't there and the fundamental errors for senior football... we were just a long way off today.
"I spoke to the boys about absorbing their pressure, and I thought we did that well in the first quarter, but we just didn't capitalise."
It was a case of 2013 all over again for Bendigo in the first quarter.
Just as Bendigo frittered away opportunities in front of goal in the first term against Ballarat two years earlier in what was a 23-point loss, the Blue and Gold did so again on Saturday.
Bendigo kicked 2.5 in the opening term, with four of those misses set-shots and those early squandered chances appeared to sap the confidence of the Blue and Gold, who were dominated thereafter for the remainder of the match.
Just like it was in the successful 2009 game against Ballarat, run and speed was expected to be two of the key ingredients to Bendigo's chances of getting over the line on Saturday.
But with Ballarat playing the game on its terms after quarter-time, Bendigo never got the opportunity to open the game up with any fluent run and carry. Instead, it was the home side’s link work, run and superior ball-use that were major differences.
"They controlled the game really well and we just couldn't get the ball out into space," Ladson said.
"They used the ball well and were very composed when they had it."
Bendigo's forward line lacked any potency as just four goals from 43 inside 50s will attest to.
The side failed to kick a goal in either the second or final quarter in what were both terms where Bendigo's best player, Matt Thornton, was shifted from centre half-forward to defence.
"We tried to put that move off as long as we could, but we had to try to stem the flow, which took him out of the forward line," Ladson said.
"Whenever you take someone out of your forward line and put them down back, it makes it hard to keep the ball in your forward half because it allows them the spare.
"I thought Matt did a really good job in swinging between both ends and was clearly our best player for the day."
Bendigo lost captain Jack Geary in the second quarter to a concussion and possible torn bicep.
"It was a massive blow losing Jack. He was leading by example in terms of hitting the contest and his defensive work. I couldn't fault him while he was out there," Ladson said.
Brodie Filo (shoulder) also didn't get through the game unscathed.