Minor Premiers Wycheproof-Narraport has won their way through to next week’s Grand Final against Charlton with a forty nine point win over the Birchip-Watchem Bulls. Wycheproof-Narraport got away to a shaky start in their match against the Bulls with the final spot on grand final day up for grabs. The Bulls set the pace early and looked like they were well in the fight and a date with the Charlton Navy Blues which looked well on the cards. If successful it would have been the Bulls first Grand Final appearance in fourteen years, where they were defeated by Donald after taking home the Halfhide Cup in 2001.
In the reserves Boort proved too good for the Charlton Navy Blues setting up their win with two good quarters the first being the opening term and the third term where they kicked four goals in each of those quarters. In the finish the Magpies double the Navies score to advance through to take on Donald in next week’s Grand Final at St Arnaud. Pat O’Rourke got Boort away to a great start kicking the first two goals of the game and from there the Navy Blues was not able to match it with the Boort side that deserved their win and a shot to take out the Alan Dunstan Shield.
Scores Boort 10-8=68 defeated Charlton 5-4=34
In a game that was all locked up at the half way mark Charlton set up their win in the thirds competition with a five goal to one third quarter. Donald struck back in the final quarter to get within a goal of the Navy Blues to eventually go down by five points. Charlton has now won the right to challenge St Arnaud for the under sixteen title in next week’s grand final.
Scores Charlton 11-8=74 defeated Donald 10-9=69
In the under thirteens, we didn’t get off to a good start when our goal and boundary umpires did not arrive in time for the start of the game. Some quick decisions were made to fill those spots and thanks to the Donald club we got our day started on time, well done Donald. Boort who finished the season on top of the ladder advanced through to the grand final with a twenty seven point win over St Arnaud. Boort goes into next week’s grand final with the chance to win back to back titles in the game that opens our program on Grand Final Day. In the opening term neither side could trouble the scorers with no score registered for the quarter. Both sides got on the board in the second but it was Boort’s third quarter that set up their win.
Scores Boort 6-4=40 defeated St Arnaud 2-1=13
Wycheproof-Narraport v Birchip-Watchem
Birchip-Watchem got away to the perfect start kicking the first two goals of the game coming from Jack Wilson. The Bulls looked sharp in the opening term and the Demons were having difficulty in getting a score on the board and it took until the fifteen minute mark of the first term before Andrew Mead-Harding kicked their first major score. Shortly after Mead-Harding’s goal leading goal kicker Corey Jones got his first for the day in what would turn out to be a big day for the champion forward. Birchip-Watchem Bulls Lachlan Foott put the Bulls in front with a goal in the time on period and the Bulls went to the first break leading by five points.
The Bulls was able to stretch their lead a little when Sirett was freed and he and the Demons pay for their mistake. After the restart the Demons pushed the ball forward where Jones was again in the action and somehow found his way through the pack to kick his second goal. Birchip-Watchem cleared the ball from the centre bounce and sent the ball forward where it was Sean Hogan that got on the end of a good passage of play to register another goal for the Bulls. Jack Wilson who kicked two goals in the opening term was again in the play and from a strong mark he brought up his third goal and the Bulls lead was out to three goals but as good sides do the Demons was able to kick the next three goals with two of those coming from Corey Jones and Mead-Harding second goal levelled the scores at 6-2 each as the sides headed to the main stoppage.
In the third term it was all the Demons as they posted the next five goals to make it eight unanswered goals and their lead got out to over five goals with Jones again in the thick of things kicking four goals for the quarter with the other goal going to Mead-Harding. Of the eleven goals the Demons had kicked to three quarter time they had only the two goal kickers with Jones having eight and Mead-Harding three. Birchip-Watchem could only manage the one point for the quarter and went to the three quarter time break trailing by thirty two points. The Bulls form from the first half had disappeared and any attempt at adding to their half time score was turned back by the Demons Captain in Boe Bish who was as rewarding for the Demons down back as Jones was up forward. With a healthy lead the Demons looked set for a rematch with the Charlton Navy Blues in next week’s grand final.
With nothing to lose the Bulls set out to cut back the Demons lead and Ben Hogan gave them the perfect start with the Bulls first goal since midway through the second term but this was quickly answered by Corey Jones when he was tackled solidly but still found a way to get it on to his boot for his ninth goal. Birchip-Watchem had swung regular backman in Jake Noonan forward with immediate results when he kicked the Bulls eighth goal but they were still a fair way off the mark and when Jones brought up his tenth for the day the game and with the game well and truly in the hands of the Demons Jones made his way to the bench for a much deserved spell. Just to make sure the Demons, through Riordan posted the next two goals to bring their tally to seventeen and in the last seconds of play the Bulls ruckman in Lochlan Sirett marked and his kick after the siren brought the margin back to forty nine points.
The Demons now take on Charlton at St Arnaud next week in what should be a great contest with the Navies playing in their fourth grand final in as many years and the Demons looking to post their first flag since 2010.
Best for the Demons was Corey Jones with great support coming from Boe Bish, Tim Holobowski, Andrew Mead-Harding, Jason Coles and Dan McLennan. Goals for the Demons: Corey Jones 10, Andrew Mead-Harding 5 and Matt Riordan 2.
Best for the Birchip-Watchem Bulls: Lochlan Sirett, Tom Carland, Sean Hogan, Spencer Aitkin, Sam Owa and Daniel Ratcliffe. The Bulls major goal scorer was Jack Wilson with three goals and Lachie Foott with two.
Final score Wycheproof-Narraport 17-6= 108 defeated Birchip-Watchem Bulls 9-5=59
Next Week’s Grand Finals at St Arnaud
9.30 am Under 13’s Donald v Boort
10.55 am Under 16’s St Arnaud v Charlton
12.35 pm Reserves Donald v Boort
2.30 pm Seniors Charlton v Wycheproof-Narraport.
Last Modified on 13/09/2016 18:50
