The game opened at a frenetic pace and it was immediately apparent that the fleet of foot Bulldogs had an edge in pace. They dominated the contested ball and repeatedly drove the ball into their forward-50. But for wayward kicking, they could have opened up a handsome lead at the quarter time break. The Blues only score for the quarter came courtesy of a 50-m penalty on the siren, which gifted them a goal from the goal square. This was the only goal the Blues would score until the last quarter. The Bulldogs led at the first change, 2-4-16 to 1-0-6
Being second to the ball, the Blues became frustrated as the game unfolded in the second quarter and they soon found themselves suffering the umpire's wrath. Some of their experienced players were the worst offenders and the umpires soon stamped their authority on the game by penalising indiscriminate tackles. A heavy head clash between key combatants, Stefan Van Gruting and James Bowden left both players groggy. The first yellow card was awarded to a Blues' player just prior to half time as the Bulldogs closed out the second quarter. Their lead was extended to a handy 20-points when Jason Lanyon was penalised, just before the siren, for persistent questioning of the umpires. The free went to Dogs forward Adam White, who made the Blues pay the ultimate price when he slotted the long range kick straight over the goal umpire's head. Half time score: Bulldogs 4 6 30 to 1 4 10.
The second half opened with the Blues one player down and the flood gates were about to open. The next 20-minutes saw the Bulldogs have eleven scoring shots to one. As if one player being sent off wasn't a clear enough warning that foul play would be punished., the Blues soon found themselves down to 16-players for a time when the undisciplined Jason Hopkins was given a yellow card. When the third quarter siren sounded the Bulldogs had an invincible lead with a score line of 10 11 71 to the Blues 1 5 11. The highlight of the quarter was a ball bursting torpedo from Bulldog big man, Steven Howard, that split the middle and brought the Bulldog's fans to their feet.
The last quarter started with the game beyond doubt and the Bulldogs coaching panel gave key players a rest, with best on ground Chris (Snowy) Thornton warming the bench and concussed Stefan Van Gruting and ill-stricken colt Zach Williams keeping him company. The Blues gained some respectability by outscoring the Bulldogs in the last stanza, kicking 3 goals to the Bulldogs 2, but it was too little too late. Astonishingly, a third Blues player was yellow-carded in the final quarter, making it three for the game. The Bulldogs ran out 52-point winners, showing that final's football is all about discipline and accountability, something the Blues lacked in large doses.
In the play off for 3rd place, the Cougars won a spirited encounter against arch-rival, the Mid Canterbury Eagles. Final Score: Cougars 10 9 69 to Eagles 7 6 48.
Awards for the day went to Niki Dow, voted "best on ground" in the Grand Final by umpires Greenwood and Hogan; the CAFL 2010 Best and Fairest was awarded to journeyman Brent Frewen, who amassed 13 votes in 7-games, followed in equal second place by Todd Andrews and James Bowden, each with 7-votes; the minor Premiership trophy was awarded to the Christchurch Bulldogs, who finished atop the table with 7-wins.
The officials on the day are to be congratulated. They included in no order, Rob Greenwood, Mal Hogan and Russell Bodger as field umpires. James Carden and Tim Bailey as boundary umpires. Peter Rich and Terry Anderson as goal umpires, Pat O'sullivan as interchange steward and Eddie Cropley and Anthony Johnson as time keepers.
Anyone wanting to collect a photographic history of the 2010 season can do so by contacting our photographer, Steven Nolan: sportbilly@kol.co.nz
Last Modified on 16/06/2011 12:39