Ben
Rowles
Two
modern powerhouses in Bambill and Gol Gol head to Lake Cullulleraine today in
search of 2009 premiership glory, with only one of them able to take home the
spoils in the 80th instalment of the Millewa Football League Grand Final.
The anticipation surrounding this clash has been huge,
with this Grand Final sure to be one of the closest Millewa tussles for some
time, after several lack lustre playoffs in recent years.
Throughout the 2000’s these two proud clubs have
dominated Millewa football, with Gol Gol participating in no less than seven
out of the nine Grand Finals in this decade; claiming four premierships.
Bambill also have an impressive Grand Final record in modern times, claiming
three grand final wins from four starts stretching back to 2000.
That 2000 Grand Final saw Bambill go through the season
unbeaten to knock off the Hawks in the big one, while Gol Gol returned the
favour in 2004 by steamrolling the Saints to claim the flag.
But a lot of football games have been won and lost since
then, and the teams that will run out onto the park at 2.30pm this afternoon
will be vastly different to that of five years ago.
Both sides look extremely good on paper, and there are
very few chinks in either side’s armour. Both sides contain a rock solid defence,
class in the midfield and a forward line capable of kicking a match winning
score, which sets the scene for an exciting encounter.
Bambill head into this clash leading the head to head
battle for the year 3-1, with the most recent encounter between these two sides
being the Second Semi Final- which Bambill won in a thriller by 7-points.
It is true the Saints head into this Grand Final rested
and ready after winning straight through to the big one with that victory in
the Second Semi, but they will have in the back of their minds the one and only
loss they suffered for the year back in Round 15, where the Hawks totally out
played the Saints on their home patch.
The Hawks are a very talented outfit that are capable of
anything on their day. They like to move the ball on quickly to their key
forwards in Kaleb Sherwell, Jason Bruhn and Dean Umback, who use their superior
marking power and goal kicking to destroy the opposition defence.
However, the Bambill defence is not an easy egg to crack,
with the likes of Chris McDonald, Jarrat Farley and Damien Jackson all capable
of putting the clamps on the dangerous Gol Gol forward line.
The other end of the ground will also be a highlight,
with the likes of Tim Anderson, Dallas Bailey and Hayden Allen looking to shut
down the gun Bambill attack consisting of Brett Haase, David Hall, Luke Hubble
and Ben Milsom, who have all shown over the course of the year the damage they
can cause when let off the hook.
But amongst all these tantalising match ups, it is in the
midfield battle where the game will be won or lost. The Saints on ball brigade
of Andrew Ross, Brant Reid, Rob Morgan, Ben Casey and Simon Kelly will be
looking to gain the upper hand on the class of Gol Gol’s midfield unit
consisting of Tansley Hill, Lee Crane, Dion Collins, Jason Wilkie and Dean
McDowall, and the team that gains the advantage here will go a long way to
winning the game.
The match will also rest firmly in the hands of opposing
ruckman and newly crowned McDonald Medallists, Denny Fox and Tim Robinson, who
will be looking to give their teammates first use of the ball out of the centre
all day.
In the end, this will be an absolutely brilliant contest
that will go right down to the wire. It is almost impossible to split the two
sides, but the team that gets a good break away early could make things
extremely difficult for the opposition come the crunch in the final quarter.
The Hawks do have a few players under an injury cloud,
and with Bambill fresh and raring to go, this could play perfectly into the
Saints hands and see them start favourites to claim their 21st flag.
But if there is one thing we know about Gol Gol, they
have a determination like no other, and nothing will stand between them and
their 11th taste at premiership glory.
All will be revealed at 5pm....
Last Modified on 16/09/2009 18:38