It had been a wet week, but other than a few moist patches, the surface at Gore Hill wasn't too bad for our first home games of the season.
Div 4 were first in action, taking on Macquarie Uni. The Bombers started brightly with the first goal, but Mac Uni quickly replied. The first quarter was evenly contested, but the Warriors scored a couple of goals in the last couple of minutes of the quarter, and the Bombers trailed by 14 points at quarter time.
But in the blink of an eye, the Bombers had taken the lead in the second quarter. Playing inspired football, finding loose men up forward, three goals were on the board in very little time. The game then tightened, a close contest was in progress. But in the final couple of minutes, a free kick in front gave Mac Uni the lead back at half time; the Warriors leading by a point.
The Bombers had a sniff early in the third, as they peppered the goals, scoring two majors and a string of behinds and leading by 14 points at one stage in the third term. But Mac Uni regained the initiative late in the quarter, with three late goals seeing the lead change hands again and the Bombers three points down at the last change.
It was a thriller, a last quarter full of momentum swings. The Bombers took the lead, only for the Warriors to kick the next two and lead by 8 points. But the Bombers kept coming to regain the advantage. Mac Uni got the lead back again; but with just two minutes left on the clock, a long-range goal saw the last lead change as the Bombers guided the ball home for a thrilling victory.
The reserves were in action next, taking on Macquarie Uni's seniors. And it was an evenly-contested opening, goal for goal, as both sides contested every possession; the Bombers leading by a point at quarter time. And the tight, even tussle continued in the second term, a low-scoring quarter in which only three goals were kicked. Macquarie Uni led by 6 points at the long break, and another thriller was potentially in the offering.
It was a war of attrition, both sides visibly tiring as the mercury climbed and the pressure intensified. But there was no quarter asked or given in another tight and tough third term, with the Bombers five points in arrears at the last change.
The twists and turns, the swings and roundabouts, continued in the final quarter. It was an arm wrestle, a titanic encounter that went down to the wire. The Bombers regained the lead, lost it and got it back. And it came down to a kick in the final seconds as Macquarie Uni had a set shot from the 50 metre line with 10 seconds on the clock. The kick didn't make the distance, the Bombers holding on for a remarkable win.
The seniors were the hottest of favourites when they took on Campbelltown, and it didn't take long for the Bombers to signal their intentions. Pat Brackin played on to score in the opening minute, but it was Daniel Roberts who established himself as the focal point up forward. Six goals to the big Red in the opening term spearheaded the Bomber charge, but they had winners all round the ground as they raced to a 49-point quarter time lead.
Campbelltown rallied early in the second quarter, but the Bombers soon regained the initiative. Daniel Roberts went down after a head clash, spending much of the second quarter on the bench and not adding to his quarter time tally of 6. But the Bombers had winners around the ground, Dale Fitzgerald creating chances; and new ruckman Sam Naismith showed himself as a strong prospect for the future, dominating the ruck and kicking two goals. With a 56-point lead at the long break, the Bombers were looking good.
The sting had largely gone out of the game after half time, but the Bombers kicked the only four goals of the third term, leading by 82 points at the last change. And continuing their ruthless form in the last term, the Blues were held to a solitary goal while the Bombers kicked the last six to finish with a commanding 116-point victory.
Last Modified on 08/01/2013 13:55