In Armidale the New England Nomads were coming off a high from beating the Kangaroos the week before to losing to the Bulldogs this week. The first quarter was a very even low scoring affair. The Bulldogs had a hard fought 3 point lead at quarter time, which would seen their confidence grow and please coach Dave Chapman. In the second quarter both teams kicked 4 goals each but it was the Bulldogs who increased their lead to 5 points at half time. During the break Bulldogs Coach, Dave Chapman, would have been very pleased with what he had seen so far and encouraging his side to push harder in the third quarter. Nomads Coach, Brendan Meehan, would have been a little less happy with his charges, but still confident of a win. The all important third quarter is where the Bulldogs showed that they are are definitely aiming at the 2009 premiership cup. The Bulldogs kicked 4 goals to 2 goals in the quarter to take a handy 20 lead into the three quarter time break. Chapman sent his charges into the last quarter brimming with the confidence that they could win and keep their 1 game buffer in second spot on the ladder safe. Meehan reminded his men that if they don't win this game it would be hard to make the finals. It worked in that the Nomads outscored the Bulldogs by a point in the last quarter but all the damage had been done in the third quarter. In the end a very happy Bulldog team won by 19 points. The Bulldogs had Sam Naismith and Josh Hack kick 3 goals each and Named Paul Brown as their best player. For the Nomads they shared their goals around and named Sam Trotman, back from his acting gig, as their best player. The bonus for the Bulldogs is that with the Swans loss they and the Swans are now on equal points on the ladder with only percentage keeping the Bulldogs out of the top spot. At the start of the year I said that the Bulldogs were my dark horse. Well I know think they are a definite chance and the other teams will take them lightly at their peril. They are also a real chance at finishing the year on top of the ladder and hosting a final in the first week of the finals for the first time.
At NO.1 Oval in Tamworth the local derby promised to be another epic encounter between the Swans and the kangaroos. In the Second game between these two the desire to be the first team to claim the Billy Holder Cup was fierce. The Kangaroos jumped into the game in the first quarter kicking 6 goals to 2 goals. The Swans though had their chances as they had 5 scoring shots while the Kangaroos had 7. So if the Swans had kicked straighter they would have gone into the quarter time break a bit happier. Instead they were 22 points down. Who though would have guessed that the Kangaroos would not kick another behind until the last quarter? The Swans wayward kicking continued in the second quarter, although they did outscore the Kangaroos in the quarter they could have gone into the half time break a lot closer to the Kangaroos instead of 12 points down. Swans Coach, Rick Watt, encouraged his team to go for the win at the break and sent them back out ready to go. It worked as the Swans again outscored the Kangaroos in the third term and got their radar on track kicking more goals then behinds for the first time in the game to go into the last break only 4 points down and putting the wind up the Kangaroos. At the last change Kangaroos Coach, Tony Bishop, gave his men the confidence that they could win the game and keep the race for the Billy Holder Cup alive. This was all the motivation that the Kangaroos needed as they came home with a wet sail outscoring the Swans by 6 goals to 3 goals to run out winners by 20 points. The Kangaroos showed unbelievable accuacy in front of goal kicking 18 goals and only 2 behinds. The Swans can take the fact that they had 5 more scoring shots then the Kangaroos out of the game and that it is very unusual that a team kicks as straight as the Kangaroos did. For the kangaroos Dan Overeem kicked 5 goals and Ben Commbes was named their best player. And for the Swans Dean Hoy kicked 6 goals and Captain Damien Wendt was named their best.
Next week the Muswellbrook Cats will host the Inverell Saints in the only game of the weekend.
Last Modified on 11/07/2009 23:13