HDFNL GRAND FINAL MATCH REPORT: Flying start sets up Cats' flag triumph

LOCKINGTON-Bamawm United unleashed a five-goal burst in the opening 24 minutes of Saturday's Heathcote District League grand final against Mount Pleasant that ultimately paved the way for the Cats winning their first premiership since 2014.

In front of a crowd that paid a gate of $51,000 at Huntly, the region's first grand final in three years was an absorbing contest.

The Cats got the decisive fast start, the Blues battled gallantly to fight their way back into the contest and at stages in the final quarter looked like they would have the legs to over-run LBU.

Twice Mount Pleasant closed within a kick during the last quarter, but each time the Cats - much like they had done against Colbinabbin in the preliminary final a week earlier - were able to absorb the challenge.

The game was very much in the balance at the 21-minute mark of the final term when Mount Pleasant forward Travis Baird kicked his fourth goal to bring the Blues within three points with momentum on their side.

However, the final 10 minutes belonged to the Cats, who calmly stared down the challenge from the Blues to kick the final three goals of the game to win 13.11 (89) to 10.9 (69).

Two of those last three goals for the Cats were kicked by co-captain Jarod Bacon, who finished with a game-high haul of five to earn the AFL Victoria Medal.

Helping to put the finishing touches to the victory late, Bacon had also been instrumental early in setting up the Cats' advantage.

The Cats' five-goal salvo to open the game featured two from Bacon, including the first of the match when he marked a pass from team-mate Jesse Collins 15m out and converted.

One clear area for the Cats to sharpen up for the grand final was their goalkicking, which had been wayward in their two earlier finals against Colbinabbin and Mount Pleasant when they had kicked a combined 15.31.

But when the game was there to be set-up on Saturday, crucially, the Cats' radar was on target.

They kicked 5.1 from their first six scoring shots - with goals to Jarod Bacon (two), Thomas Leech, Ben Fulford and Anthony McMahon - while they also had the clear advantage in the centre.

The Cats had been well beaten out of the centre in their second semi-final loss to the Blues a fortnight earlier, but dominated 6-2 out of the middle in the first term and by the final siren had decisively won the count 17-9.

Having been jumped early by the fast-starting Cats on the back of their midfield dominance led by the hard-nosed Marcus Angove, Nathan Bacon, coach Brodie Collins and Lachlan Atherton, the Blues kicked two steadying goals in the final five minutes through Ben Weightman and Dean Tydell, courtesy of a downfield free kick, to trail by 17 points at quarter-time, 5.1 to 2.2.

The 17-point deficit at the first break was a rare position for the Blues to be in given their penchant for strong starts to games having been in front at quarter-time in 16 of their previous 18 games this year.

Those two late goals provided the steadier the Blues needed and they got to work in the second quarter, with one of the highlights of the game coming at the nine-minute mark when Riley McNamara nailed a checkside goal on the run from deep in the pocket.

The Blues closed to within seven points at the 17-minute mark as they were able to generate some improved entries inside 50, while they also stemmed the bleeding in the middle, winning all five of the centre clearances for the term.

But as would continue to happen throughout the game, whenever the Blues gained some momentum the Cats would have the answer.

Having seen what had one stage been a 30-point lead during the first term whittled back to seven points, the Cats responded with back-to-back goals with Jarod Bacon again proving a thorn in the side of the Blues.

Bacon kicked his third goal against the tide from 50m and then three minutes later drove the ball deep into the forward line where the crafty Fulford roved a pack and kicked a crumbing goal that gave the Cats a 20-point lead at half-time, 7.5 to 4.3.

Fulford then bobbed up again with the first goal of the third quarter when he marked a pass from wingman Riley McIvor 30m out before he was the recipient of a 50m penalty.

Fulford's goal pushed the Cats' lead out to 26 points and put the Blues back under the pump, particularly when defender Daniel Whiting left the ground in the arms of the trainers.

While the Cats were able to maintain a handy break on the scoreboard throughout the quarter, they couldn't shrug off the persistent Blues, who continued to hang in and with back-to-back goals to wingman Zebb Murrell and co-coach Adam Baird remained in striking distance at three quarter-time as LBU led by 15 points.

Baird's goal was a ripper when he won a holding-the-ball free kick against Cats' defender Joss Howlett. From 40m on the cricket nets flank Baird drilled the goal and the Blues were still well and truly in the hunt.

With the Cats leading 9.9 to 7.6 at three quarter-time, it was the Blues who kicked the pivotal first goal of the final term at the five-minute mark through a Billy Mahony 45m set-shot.

And when Travis Baird marked a long kick from Adam Baird in the goalsquare and kicked his third at the 15-minute mark goal, the surging Blues were within four points and it was the Cats fighting to hold on.

With every contest pivotal as the game hung in the balance, it was midfielder Angove - one of the Cats' best all day - who was able to provide LBU with some breathing space.

With the ball 30m out from the Cats' goal it spilled out from a boundary throw-in to Angove, who snapped a goal to push the margin back out to 10 points.

Still, the Blues weren't done with yet as they surged forward and looked set to close within a kick again as Adam Baird burst towards an open goal, but his shot missed to the left.

The resulting kick-in from Cats' defender Trent Bacon was intercepted by the Blues' Weightman, who hit-up Travis Baird on the lead.

Baird's set-shot from 35m just cleared the line for a goal and the Blues were back within three points at the 21-minute mark.

However, it would be the Blues' last goal of the game as the Cats closed out with the final three of the match over the last 10 minutes to finish 20-point victors.

While it was Jarod Bacon who earned best-on-ground honours, the Cats' best players featured three on-ballers in the hard-nut trio of Angove, Nathan Bacon and Atherton - who has had a super finals series - as well as backman Trent Bacon and ruckman Tyler Phillips, who has now joined the club of players to win the Cheatley Medal and a premiership in the same season.

The trio of Jarod Bacon (five), Fulford (three) and McMahon (three) combined for 11 of LBU's 13 goals.

Standouts for the Blues featured workhorse midfielder Mahony, Travis Baird up forward with his four goals, defender Will Wallace battled valiantly in defence with a heavily taped right shoulder as did vice-captain Bryce Hinneberg, and on-baller Jesse Tuohey showed his midfield class.

Lockington Bamawm United 5.1 7.5 9.9 13.11 (89)

Mount Pleasant 2.2 4.3 7.6 10.9 (69)

GOALS: Lockington Bamawm United: J.Bacon 5, B.Fulford 3, A.McMahon 3, T.Leech 1, M.Angove 1; Mount Pleasant: T.Baird 4, B.Mahony 1, R.Mcnamara 1, D.Tydell 1, B.Weightman 1, Z.Murrell 1, A.Baird 1

BEST: Lockington Bamawm United: J.Bacon, M.Angove, N.Bacon, T.Bacon, L.Atherton, T.Phillips; Mount Pleasant: W.Wallace, B.Hinneberg, T.Baird, J.Tuohey, B.Mahony, M.Whiting

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