Ben Rowles
The Gol Gol Hawks have stormed into the 2009 Millewa Football
League Grand Final after kicking six goals in the final quarter to overrun
Euston in their Preliminary Final clash at No. 3 Oval on Sunday.
With a Grand Final
spot alongside Bambill up for grabs, both sides gave it their all in a tough
and physical encounter that enthralled the large crowd that had assembled to
support the two teams.
Euston went into the
clash without the services of key players Felix Liparota and Shannon Neyland,
who were ruled out before the first bounce which decimated the Bombers’ forward
line.
Gol Gol won the toss
and elected to kick with the wind in the first term, and they got off to a good
start through Hayden Allen, who kicked the first goal of the game 3 minutes in.
But Euston returned
serve soon after through a smart goal from Mahino Paola that got the Bombers
underway.
The game was being
played at a high intensity early, with bodies flying everywhere amongst the
early nerves. Sam Parker was rebounding
well off half back for Euston, and in a big blow for the Hawks, livewire
forward Mark Hooper limped off with a hamstring injury which saw him take no
further part in the day’s proceedings.
The Bombers looked
good in the first term; using their running game and pace through the midfield
to unsettle the Hawks. But even though Euston had good intentions of looking to
imply a strong physical presence to every contest, their eagerness often lead
to recklessness which resulted in several undisciplined acts of play. A late
goal to newly crowned McDonald Medallist Tim Robinson gave the Hawks an 11-point advantage
heading into quarter time.
The second term saw
Ben Parker out mark his brother Sam early on in a marking contest and kick
truly to extend Gol Gol’s lead to 17-points. Although Euston were by no means
out of the contest, key players such as Sean Smith and Joey Denaro were finding
it hard to get involved in the game. However, both players soon found
themselves in the action with Smith showing his creative side by using a clever
tap on to set Paola up for his second goal.
But the on coming
collision as a result of that magnificent piece of play hurt the Euston champ,
who left the field clutching his shoulder, and his effectiveness for the rest
of the day was severely hampered.
That one hit
exemplified the physical nature of the contest, with the feeling between the
two sides setting the scene for some awesome football. Allen, who had shifted
down to defence, was rebounding well from down back for the Hawks, who found
themselves on top midway through the quarter as a result of further
undisciplined play from the Bombers.
But a fantastic set
shot conversion on a tight angle from Brad Kennedy ignited the Bombers, with
Kennedy himself changing the course of the game. He kicked another two goals in
quick succession to have four goals to half time, with Euston holding a 9-point
advantage.
The early part of the
third term saw Kaleb Sherwell and Jason Bruhn kick goals to give Gol Gol back
the advantage. But goals to Kennedy and a now unstoppable Denaro gave Euston
back the lead, as the match evolved into a goal for goal tussle.
Denaro in particular
was on fire; using his sublime skills and nous to kick two crucial goals for
the quarter and give Euston good drive out of the middle. The game was still
being played at a lightning pace, with neither side giving an inch or able to
make a breakaway. However, a free kick conversion on the siren from Gol Gol’s
Parker gave the Hawks a one goal lead and the momentum heading into the final
term.
Both coaches had
plenty to say in their respective camps at three quarter time, with Euston
coach Denaro urging his chargers to keep running and taking the game on, while
Gol Gol coach Jason Wilkie stressed to his players that their superior fitness would
see them over the line.
As it turned out,
Wilkie’s prediction turned out to be correct, as the Hawks promptly slotted six
goals to one in the final quarter to end Euston’s hopes of winning back to back
premierships. Bruhn in particular stood
up when he needed to most in the last quarter, with the Gol Gol centre half
forward taking several fine grabs and kicking two goals to seal the deal.
Sherwell and Parker also featured on the score sheet in the final term to bring
their respective goal tallies to four and three for the day, as the Hawks ran
out 40-point winners.
It was a
disappointing end for Euston, with their terrible run of injuries leaving very
little in the tank when the going got tough in the final quarter. They will
also rue the many undisciplined acts that may have cost them a spot in the
Grand Final, with well over ten 50 metre penalties not helping the Bombers
cause. Nevertheless, they can be proud
of what they have achieved this year, and there will no doubt be some fire in
the belly as they seek redemption over the summer.
Denaro was inspiring
for the Bombers despite a slow start, and he provided the Bombers with some
real drive and class with three goals. Anthony McMahon and Brian Walter were also
fantastic contributors on the day with their long kicking and bull-at-a-gate
mentality giving the Bombers every opportunity. The Kennedy boys were also very
good up forward, with John using his pace effectively across half forward, while Brad was superb a little closer
to the big sticks, kicking 5 majors.
As for Gol Gol,
Robinson showed the best of his McDonald Medal form with a dominating display
in the ruck. Dion Collins continued his good finals form with another great
game from the wing, while Wilkie and Lee Crane were fantastic in the midfield
for the Hawks. Dallas Bailey took the responsibility of controlling the
dangerous Paola after quarter time and stuck to his task beautifully, while
Allen was solid at both ends of the ground.
For Gol Gol, this win
gives them their second crack at premiership glory in two years, and coming up
against the fired up and rested the Saints, all roads lead to Lake
Cullulleraine next Saturday.
Last Modified on 13/09/2009 22:25