University Cougars 11 9 75 defeated Eastern Blues 9 10 64
In a game where there were conspicuous absentees, both sides could argue they were not at full strength. The new season format, which led to the Semi's being played on Show Weekend may have clashed with player availability, but in the end, the committed players were there to battle it out. The game was evenly poised at half time, with the Blues holding a 5-point lead, thanks to accurate kicking from super boot Richard Bradley. Both teams had scored into a stiff northerly and performed evenly with the wind. The umpires had stamped their authority early on and the game was played in good spirit, with neither side wanting to hand easy goals to the opposition.
The second half proved to be the difference. The Blues had done well to shut the Cougars down early when it was their turn to use the wind in the third quarter, but a late flurry of goals towards the end set the Cougars up with a handy 23-point lead at the last change. Rushton and Day had marked strongly in the goal square and converted, exposing the Blues lack of key defenders. With a three to four goal wind to contend with in the last quarter, however, and a potent forward in Richard Bradley, the Blues were definitely a chance.
The titanic last quarter was a "last man standing" affair. The Cougars mid-field, led by Clark and Rae, managed to limit the Blues scoring opportunities and the ball was often forced wide to increase the angle when the Blues did shoot on goal. A couple of shots just missed their target, allowing breathing room for the threatened Cougars. A couple of loose kick-outs from the Cougar's defence landed in the arms of the Blues, resulting in goals and suddenly the Blues were a chance, trailing by 17-points with about 5-minutes to go. The Cougars lifted and and soaked up valuable time with clean possession up and down the wings. It looked like they could have sealed the game when Johnno Collins marked the ball only 20-m out from goal. The big man decided to play on and missed from inside the goal square. The Blues had one more chance, but time was running down. A late goal to Bradley was too little too late and the siren finally sounded with the Cougars in front by 11-points. The Blues will rue their last quarter inaccuracy, kicking 2 goals and 7-behinds, but the young Cougars fought it out and had the legs, if nothing else, to stave off the Blues' march into what would have been their 11th Grand Final appearance in a row.
Christchurch Bulldogs 15 13 103 defeated Mid-Canterbury Eagles 4 4 28
The Bulldogs were never really threatened in this clash and controlled the game from the first bounce. Kicking into the wind in the first quarter they dominated possession, keeping the ball in their forward line for the majority of the quarter. With forwards to burn, Kilday and Stevenson were dominant, ably supported by the wily Peterson and the tall leading "Evo". The Eagles had nothing to lose and played with gay abandon, occasionally surprising the Bulldog's defence with the odd rapid entry into their forward line and a rare goal. Mid-fielders Carden and Howison did well for the Eagles and kept them in the game. Big Josh Allen threw his weight around and took a couple of convincing marks, but the Eagle's lack of a game plan was always going to wilt under the sustained pressure applied by the Bulldogs. The last quarter provided a rare moment when all the Eagles charged into the centre square at the initial bounce, Zulu style. The Bulldogs will only be stronger come the Grand Final and will go into the game undefeated. Their hierarchy will be working overtime to "keep the lid on it".
Last Modified on 16/11/2009 03:43