Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
PYRAMID Hill coach Nathan Fitzpatrick labelled Saturday's triumph the sweetest of the Bulldogs' three Loddon Valley league under-18 premierships in a row.
And like they had done in the previous two years, the Bulldogs again won the flag at the expense of arch-rivals Maiden Gully YCW.
This time though the Bulldogs had gone into Saturday's grand final at Calivil as the underdogs given the Eagles' unbeaten status.
But the Eagles now find themselves in that unwanted category of a team whose sole loss of the year was the grand final after the Bulldogs won 5.9 (39) to 4.6 (30).
The Bulldogs had lost their three previous meetings against the Eagles this year by margins of 22, 14 and 35 points, but led at every change on Saturday.
Pyramid Hill only kicked one goal after half-time, but it came at the perfect time.
The Bulldogs led by five points at three quarter-time, but the Eagles attacked fiercely with the aid of the breeze for the first 10 minutes of the final term.
However, the Eagles couldn't crack the Bulldogs' defence and there remained less than a kick in it until Pyramid Hill transitioned the ball down the wing to set up a shot for lively forward Edmund Caburnay.
After marking, Caburnay converted the set-shot for a nine-point lead and while there was still seven minutes left to play, it was the final score of the match.
In a game where just nine goals were kicked - the breezy conditions made scoring at a premium - Caburnay's three goals for the Bulldogs were decisive.
And while he is well known for his exploits on the basketball court, Pyramid Hill midfielder Kai Daniels showed he's also a talent on the football field by winning the best-on-ground medal.
The victorious Pyramid Hill side featured Zac Dingwall, Brad Moon, Gunther and Caburnay, who have played in all three of the premierships, while there were 15 new players in this year's team.
Daniels, Dingwall and Ryan Salvador led the Bulldogs' better players, while the Eagles were best served by Jonte Carmichael, Kallum Schepers and Riley Burns.
Maiden Gully YCW has won 45 of 48 home and away games the past three seasons, but has no silverware to show for it.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.