LEVI Casboult, a big lump of a kid in his second year on Carlton’s rookie list, chose the Elimination Final to make a statement about his future.
With Blues coach Brett Ratten sitting in the stands, Casboult, 21, produced a career best game to lift Northern Bullants over the top of Bendigo Bombers and into the Semi Final against North Ballarat.
When the game was in the balance, as it was for much of the afternoon, it was Casboult who kept the Bullants in the game when the VFL Bombers threatened to steal a break.
And, it was Casboult who took a screaming pack mark and the converted from the 50-metre line on a tight angle that put the Bullants in front.
Casboult finished with a career best five goals – his previous best was four, ironically against Bendigo in the season opener – as the Bullants toppled the Bendigo 14.9 (93) to 10.5 (65).
Apart from plucking many strong contested pack marks, Casboult also helped out in the ruck and his energy and enthusiasm was contagious as Northern Bullants wore down the persistent VFL Bombers.
After an eminently forgettable first half, which saw Bendigo, without gun forward Matt Little, who suffered a foot injury in the last home and away game, hold a 16-point lead, the Ants found some life in the second half.
While Carlton midfielder David Ellard, a former Bullants best and fairest winner, had been industrious in the first half he took his game up a level in the second half.
Ellard, who had not played with the Bullants since round 3, kicked a goal and had 35 disposals, but more importantly set up many more with his hard, gut running; ability to read play and willingness to repeatedly put his body on the line.
Although the Bullants kicked the first four goals of the third quarter to grab an eight-point lead, Bendigo, through its co-captain Ben Duscher and key forward Tory Dickson, fought back to take back the lead.
Casboult added his second and third goal for the quarter to put the Bullants back in front only to see Ariel Steinberg kick his third to leave Bendigo one-point behind.
But, the Bombers wrested back the lead about 45-seconds into the last term when Jacob Thompson converted from an acute angle and five-minutes later Duscher extended Bendigo’s lead.
Sadly for the Bendigo faithful it would prove to be their last score for the match. Northern Bullants surged into overdrive to kick six unanswered goals to keep their season alive.
Rohan Kerr started the spree with a miraculous grubber that eluded the diving outstretched hands of two Bendigo defenders, Casboult added another and then Kerr kicked his third.
Such was Northern Bullants dominance over the concluding stages that Bendigo struggled to get the ball inside its forward 50 metres and when it did Paul Bower sent it out quicker than it came in.
Ellard and Casboult lead the way for the Bullants, with Kane Lambert, Bower and Brock McLean (31 disposals) amongst their best, whilst for Bendigo, captain Duscher was their best with three goals and 24 disposals, along with Ricky Dyson (24), Thomas Campbell and Pierce Liddle.
Last Modified on 05/09/2011 17:46