By Lewis Mulvey
The Bendigo Bombers put up a good fight on a glorious Saturday afternoon in Coburg, and even looked like they might break grab their first win during a fiercely contested first three quarters. However, they were eventually overrun as Jacob Hislop bagged five final quarter goals and the Tigers ran away for a 43-point win, keeping their finals hopes alive.
The first quarter saw Coburg get away to an early lead, before Bendigo came back with a flourish of goals, the highlight a 70 metre torpedo from Kade Klemke that just kept going and bounced through for a major. Coburg replied late on through Christian McErlain to go into the first break trailing by seven points.
The Tigers seemed shocked at the fight being put up by cellar-dwellers Bendigo, with the Bombers’ Lachlan Delahunty playing impressively as a marking half-forward, Darcy Daniher dangerous at full-forward and Stewart Crameri strong in defense. Bendigo seemed to have the better of the second quarter, yet their defensive poise let them down as the Tigers applied forward pressure, from which the Bombers players would fumble, leading to Coburg goals. Tim Clarke was the main benefactor for the Tigers, kicking a spectacular dribbled goal from the boundary line, before helping himself to another as a result of forward pressure.
Throughout most of the third term the Bombers continued to fight, and with the impressive Graham Polak going down with an ankle injury, they were able to apply more pressure to the Coburg defense. The quarter went goal for goal, with a great Andrew Raines run setting up a Ben Clifton goal for the Tigers, before a Delahunty intercept set up a Daniher goal. As the match wore on, Coburg’s Mark Coughlan and Joel Bowden got more into the game, and Troy Simmonds, Adam Pattison and Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls all grabbed late goals to give Coburg a 14-point three quarter time lead.
Bendigo would be disappointed with its final term, as the Tigers ran all over them with Nick Liddle and Shane Tuck getting plenty of the ball. Hislop kicked the first goal of the quarter, before Tuck gave to Oakley-Nicholls for the sealer. From then on Hislop really came to the party, kicking four more goals, while at the other end a desperate Nick Carnell smother prevented a Daniher goal despite the game being dead and buried. Daniher and Delahunty were able to kick late goals as just reward for their impressive games – Bendigo fans will take solace from the performance, knowing that a four-quarter effort could have grabbed the side its first win.
Coburg Tigers 4.2 9.3 14.5 21.6 (132)
| Bendigo Bombers 5.3 9.5 11.9 13.11 (89)
GOALS:Coburg Tigers: Hislop 5 Clarke 4 Pattison 2 Simmonds 2 GILLIGAN 2 Liddle Raines Allan Tuck Horne Oakley-Nicholls
Bendigo Bombers: Daniher 5 Delahunty 2 Holmes Jetta Magin Scanlon Stroobants Hulme
BEST:Coburg Tigers: Clarke Simmonds Liddle Bowden Pattison Coughlan
Bendigo Bombers: Slattery Daniher Crameri Scanlon Jetta Magin
Last Modified on 09/08/2009 22:50