Bombers, Bulldogs to battle for supremacy in HDFNL grand final

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LEITCHVILLE-Gunbower coach Matt Hawken expects the experience of 12 months ago to hold his side in good stead when the Bombers meet North Bendigo in Saturday’s Heathcote District Football-Netball League grand final.

It’s the second year in a row the Bombers and Bulldogs have met for the flag at Huntly’s Specialist Breeders Australia Oval.

Last year the Bulldogs won by 10 points in game where the Bombers were left to rue an inaccurate 1.7 in the final quarter as they were beaten 10.13 (73) to 8.15 (63). 

“I think especially for the younger players having last year behind them is going to be good for them in terms of the preparation and playing in front of the larger crowd,” Hawken said this week.

“We felt the game went to script pretty well last year, apart from poor kicking in the last quarter, but we feel this year we’re coming in with more depth and playing a really good brand of footy.”

It’s a brand of football that has won the Bombers 15 games in a row by an average of 89 points.

“We feel like we’re in fairly good shape,” Hawken said.

“You’d probably like a few closer games going into a finals series where you’ve been challenged right to the end, but what has probably been a strength of ours has been our spread of goalkickers and the different players who can bob up and have an impact on the scoreboard.”

The Bombers – who have a 15-2 record – have averaged a spread of 9.1 goalkickers per game this season.

Matt Perri has bagged 77, Ayden Walton (32) and Sam Kennedy (28) have also been key targets in attack for the Bombers, while star Tim Lincoln has kicked 33 off the wing.

The Bombers have also had Daniel Coates kick 35 goals, including eight in the final round against Elmore, but he has been ruled out with a hamstring injury suffered against Huntly in the second semi-final.

Down the other end the Bombers have conceded an average of just 58 points per game through a backline well led by Kieran Treacy, Daniel Meroli, co-captain Hoby Bussey, assistant coach Ryan Prendergast and Steve Prettty.

“Our backline is very experienced and holds up really well under the heat of the battle,” Hawken said.

“Some of them like Treacy are a bit older, but they have held their speed well and are fairly uncompromising in that they don’t like getting a goal kicked on them.”

The Bombers – who joined the HDFNL from the Central Murray league in 2010 – have steadily improved since they finished on the bottom of the ladder in 2012 with just one win.

Since their wooden-spoon season they have finished fifth, third and second, with an opportunity to go one better again on Saturday and win their first premiership since 1995.

“It has been a good rise on the back of a really good group of juniors who have stayed with us, and the recruits we have added have been outstanding,” Hawken said.

The Bombers’ extended squad of 25 named on Thursday night features 16 players who were part of last year’s losing grand final.

While the Bombers have proven themselves to be the side to beat on the back of their 15 wins in a row and top-of-the-ladder finish, the Bulldogs have done little wrong over the past two months.

The Bulldogs have won nine of their past 10 games, with the only blemish during that time a nine-point defeat to Huntly in the qualifying final.

North Bendigo’s impressive form followed a mid-season 47-point defeat to the Bombers that served as a timely wake-up call. 

“We were pretty ordinary that day and as a group we spoke a lot about the areas that let us down and that gave us something to work on in the second half of the year,” North Bendigo coach Rob Bennett said.

“Probably the only time we’ve let ourselves down since was in the first half of the qualifying final against Huntly.

“The players know that if we’re not at 100 per cent on the weekend that your pants can be pulled down pretty quickly.”

The Bulldogs have won 16 of 19 games this season, with Bennett having the luxury of two of the star forwards of the competition at his disposal.

Sam Barnes (85) and Brady Herdman (79) have combined for 164 goals this year, with Barnes booting 10 in last week’s preliminary final win over Huntly.

“It’s not only their ability to hit the scoreboard, but it’s the work they do as well,” Bennett said.

“Brady said during the week it’s the best he has felt all year and Barnesy is reaping the benefits of playing a finals series with no injuries after he had a broken thumb last year. They are both up and going.”

However, for the two big forwards to be effective they need to be given supply, which is where the likes of Jarrod Findlay, Tyson Findlay, Blayne Ryan-Storey, Aarryn Craig, Ryan Alford and Sean Morris will be important through the middle of the ground in generating consistent inside 50s.

“I’ve probably put it on our midfield a fair bit since that first final against Huntly… they were severely beaten that day, but since then with a large group that goes through there they have taken responsibility among themselves to set the tone for the whole side,” Bennett said.

Half of last year’s premiership team will take to the field on Saturday, with 11 players eyeing back-to-back Bulldogs’ flags – Craig, Alex Shipard, Herdman, Darcy Richards, captain Jordan Ford, Alford,  Barnes, Sam Demeo, Sean Morris, Tom Metherell and Tyson Findlay.

The Bulldogs – playing in their fourth grand final in the past five years – have made one change to their side, with defender Demeo coming in, while Matthew Thomas is the player out.

Leitchville-Gunbower

B: K. Treacy, D. Meroli, H. Bussey

Hb: J. McEwen, R. Prendergast, S. Pretty

C: A. Decicco B. Walsh, R. Keath

Hf: T.  Lincoln,  L. Pollock, S. Kennedy

F: M. Perri, C. Ross, A. Walton

Foll: J. Dal Santo,  D. Couwenberg, T. German

Inter: (from) D. Bartram, W. Brereton, J. Keath, J. Dye, B. Meroli, J. Brereton, J. Nuttall

North Bendigo

B: C. Tardrew, W. Gunter, S. Demeo

Hb: D. Morris, D. Richards, A. Shipard

C: J. Collins, A. Metcalf, A. Craig

Hf: B. Ryan-Storey, J. Ford, T. Findlay

F: S. Barnes, B. Herdman, J. Findlay

Foll: B. Strange, R. Alford, S. Morris

Inter: R. Gow, T. Metherell, D. Reid, S. Giri

Leitchville-Gunbower:

Record: 15-2, 228.3%

Average for: 132

Average against: 58

Quarters won: 54/68

North Bendigo:

Record: 16-3, 199.2%

Average for: 130

Average against: 65

Quarters won: 56/76

Round 1:

North Bendigo

4.7, 8.10, 11.17, 16.20 (116)

Leitchville-Gunbower

3.3, 6.7, 9.8, 11.15 (81)

Round 10:

Leitchville-Gunbower

4.2, 8.6, 12.10, 14.14 (98)

North Bendigo

2.1, 3.3, 5.5, 7.9 (51)

Winner:

Luke West – Leitchville-Gunbower (7).

Adam Bourke – Leitchville-Gunbower (8).

Kieran Iles – Leitchville-Gunbower (11).

Best on ground:

Luke West – Tim Lincoln (LG).

Adam Bourke – Daniel Couwenberg (LG).

Kieran Iles – Tom German (LG).

First goal:

Luke West – Sam Barnes (NB).

Adam Bourke – Blayne Ryan-Storey (NB).

Kieran Iles – Jarrod Findlay (NB).

ROUND 1 REVIEW – NORTH BEGINS IN STYLE

North Bendigo kicked off its Heathcote District Football League premiership defence in style on Saturday with a 35-point grand final rematch triumph over Leitchville-Gunbower.

The Bulldogs prevailed 16.20 (116) to 11.15 (81) at Superior Roofing Oval.

“It was obviously a pleasing way to start the season and no matter who you play first-up, you just want to get a win,” Bulldogs coach Rob Bennett said.

“There were a couple of times in the second and third quarters where we looked like we could take control of the game, but they’d fight their way back into it.

“But in that last quarter I couldn’t fault the boys.”

The Bulldogs led by 28 points during the third quarter, before the Bombers cut the deficit back to 13 points through back-to-back goals to Jack Dye and one to Daniel Couwenberg.

However, the Bulldogs were able to regain some momentum late with a mark and goal to Brady Herdman that gave the home side a 21-point advantage at three quarter-time.

The Bulldogs then added five goals to two in the final term – the first coming in the opening seconds from recruit Blayne Ryan-Storey.

It was one of three goals for Ryan-Storey, who starred on debut for the Bulldogs through the midfield.

“He was super for us today. He’s not overly big, but he hits the ball hard,” Bennett said.

The quartet of Ryan-Storey, Sam Barnes (four), the classy Jarrod Findlay (three) and Herdman (three) combined to kick 13 of the Bulldogs’ 16 goals.

North Bendigo’s best players featured three recruits – Ryan-Storey, Daniel Morris and Jordan Collins.

Leitchville-Gunbower played the game one short after Jackson McEwen was injured in the warm-up when he stepped in the gutter.

“I think we came up against the benchmark today and were a bit off,” Bombers coach Matt Hawken said.

“North spread really well and were able to get quite a few goals from their smaller players.”

Dye and recruit Daniel Coates kicked three goals each for the Bombers, who named onballer Couwenberg (two goals) their best player.

ROUND 10 REVIEW – BOMBERS RED-HOT FORM CONTINUES

For the third week in a row there has been a change at the top of the ladder, with it now the Leitchville-Gunbower’s turn to sit in pole position after the Bombers inflicted the biggest loss on North Bendigo for three seasons.

The Bombers’ sparkling form continued with their 14.14 (98) to 7.9 (51) win at Gunbower – their seventh victory in a row.

What shaped as a cracking contest failed to deliver, with the Bulldogs never threatening, already 33 points down at half-time.

“Our structure was good again today and we had everyone contribute,” Bombers coach Matt Hawken said.

“It was really a workman-like performance. We were tough and hard when we needed to be and I thought our first half in particular was outstanding kicking eight goals to three.”

Ruckman Lee Pollock (two goals) was named best for the Bombers for his standout game of the year, Jackson McEwan blanketed Tyson Findlay, while Tom German (two goals) and Adam Decicco also starred.

In defence the Bombers’ Dan Meroli held Sam Barnes goalless, and Ryan Prendergast kept Brady Herdman to one goal.

Matt Perri kicked four goals for the Bombers.

The Bulldogs’ score of 51 was their lowest since they were held to 4.7 (31) – also against the Bombers – in 2013.

“We were beaten by a side that was willing to work harder than us… they were well disciplined and well structured and worked for each other,” North Bendigo coach Rob Bennett said.

The Bulldogs’ best player was backman Alex Shipard.

“Our midfield didn’t put any pressure on, so our backline was under siege a fair bit and Alex probably stopped another five or six goals getting kicked against us,” Bennett said.

Jarrod Findlay through the midfield and forward also worked hard for the Bulldogs, who had Sean Morris kick four of their seven goals.