THE stage is set for the region’s first football grand final of the year – Leitchville-Gunbower taking on North Bendigo for the Heathcote District league premiership at Huntly.
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The Heathcote District league has been treated to some ripping grand finals in recent years – four of the past seven have been decided by two goals or less – and this Saturday has the makings of another.
The Bombers will deservedly go in as the favourites to win their first premiership since joining the competition in 2010.
They have won 15 games in a row and will be fresh having played just one final, but they do have injury concerns out of last week’s second semi-final to three key players in assistant coach Ryan Prendergast (calf), co-captain Daniel Couwenberg (hamstring) and Daniel Coates (hamstring).
There is bound to be some heartbreak stories at the Bombers this week given coach Matt Hawken conceded last week “they all have a battle on their hands”, but also opportunities – and what is grand final week without a bit of selection intrigue.
Recent history in the Heathcote District league suggests clubs need to go through the pain of losing a grand final – as the Bombers did last year – before enjoying the sweet taste of premiership success.
North Bendigo lost the 2014 grand final to Lockington-Bamawm United before winning last year’s drought-breaking flag.
Before LBU won its four flags in a row between 2011 and 2014 the Cats lost to Heathcote in 2010.
Before Heathcote won back-to-back flags in 2009 and 2010 the Saints were beaten by Colbinabbin in the 2008 grand final.
And before Colbinabbin won the 2008 flag it lost the 2007 grand final to Elmore.
Yet history in the Heathcote District league also points favourably to North Bendigo given since 1998, only Elmore in 2007 and Colbinabbin in 2008 haven’t been able to convert one grand final win into at least two in a row, which is what the Bulldogs are aiming to do come 2.15pm Saturday.
Just as they were last year when their backs were against the wall after losing the qualifying final, the Bulldogs have again been superb the past two weeks in knockout finals against Colbinabbin and Huntly to set up a tilt at another flag.
A mostly sunny 16 degree day is forecast and the two best teams of the season with a combined record of 31-5 who have both beaten each other once makes for plenty to look forward to this Saturday.
