Bullants bite Dolphins

by AJ BRADY

IN the 97.7FM Casey Radio broadcast match for Saturday, the Northern Bullants defeated Frankston by 19 points at Port Melbourne's TEAC Oval in the Victorian Football League first semi final for season 2006.

Another sunny spring Saturday greeted the teams, however the air was a little cooler than last week, made more so by a stiff breeze favouring the South Melbourne end of the ground, worth around two-to-three goals.

The crowd was healthy, numbering approximately 3000 and chock-full of famous football faces, including Jim Stynes, Terry Daniher and Denis Pagan, there to offer Bullants coach Barry Mitchell some support, despite the fact Mitchell almost replaced him during the week.

Also looking on keenly at the back of the Norm Goss Stand, notebook at the ready, was Sandringham coach Mark Williams, along with assistant Steve Grace, the brainstrust who will face the Bullants in a preliminary final next weekend.

Many in the crowd had come to witness the possibility of a VFL player kicking 100 goals in a season for the first time since Springvale's Shayne Smith in 1997. Frankston's Aaron Edwards had 97 going in, and was in hot form in recent weeks, booting nine and nine in his previous two outings. He had hyperextended his knee late in last weekend's elimination final win over Coburg, and had trained only lightly during the week, but despite some rumours that he'd be a late withdrawal, one sensed nothing was going to stop Edwards from attempting his century.

Thankfully for the Edwards cheer squad, looking resplendant in their specially-made black 'Aaron Edwards - 100 goals' t-shirts, Edwards made his way onto the field to start the match.

Out to spoil the party were the Bullants, who were boosted by the inclusions of Jordan Bannister, Trent Sporn and Setanta O'hAilpin from the Carlton side.

The toss was won by Frankston co-captain Ash Roberts, who elected to kick with the breeze.

The game began in a fairly attacking fashion, as both sides shared centre clearances and direct forward entries. Frankston enjoyed slightly more possession, with the likes of Paul Rebeschini and Mathew Burns winning many clearances, but with the wind behind their backs, they peppered the goals, and could only manage 2.5 for the quarter to go in at the break three points down.

The Bullants were getting much run through the midfield from the likes of Ian Prendergast and Jordan Russell, and with much space in the forward line for the likes of Adrian Deluca to work into, he was grabbing everything that was coming his way early and booting two early goals to help the 'Ants to their first change lead.

At the first change, Dolphins coach Brett Lovett urged his players to push wide to the wings and try and run and carry the ball, and break the lines, as much as possible to give the forwards more time to gain better position and hopefully marks closer to goal, which would make kicking into the wind a little less daunting.

The second quarter saw the 'Ants utilise the wind to their advantage in handsome fashion. Their long and direct kicking to the leading forwards in Deluca and Digby Morrell was telling, with Morrell now joining in on the goalkicking sheet.

Carlton-listed David Teague was also pushing up from the forward flank to be quite damaging, also chiming in on the goal sheet, along with much-travelled Josh Houlihan.

Frankston's forwards were having trouble, particularly Edwards, who was being double and triple-teamed on most occasions, not to mention the fact he was being outpointed by Luke Livingston, who had kept him goalless earlier in the season. By half-time, Edwards only had the one major, and it was looking increasingly like the VFL's century-goalkicker drought may continue on into an 11th season.

Thanks to some industrious forward work from little man Justin Berry and roaming half-forward Marcus Marigliani, the Dolphins got some late goals to remain in the contest, though the 'Ants increased their lead at the half to 15 points.

The third term saw Frankston again bomb the ball long into their forwards with the wind behind their backs, but early on, their forwards were being outpointed. This all changed a way into the quarter when Bullants full-back Livingston was injured by friendly fire stopping a ball coming into Edwards. He broke his nose and suffered an arm injury in the clash and took no further part in the game.

Not only did Edwards receive a free kick from this clash, the umpire deeming the two Bullants backmen infringed on him, but it also meant he was free from the shackles that Livingston had provided. Edwards duly kicked his 99th, and suddenly the game was back on.

With Toby Conroy and Ben Poole winning a lot of ball out of the centre, and the Dolphins packing into the Norm Goss Stand-side wing, they were getting a lot of drive from the midfield, and along with Edwards, Marigliani was making full use of it. The Dolphins again peppered the goals somewhat, but joy and history was created late in the term when Edwards marked on the lead and kicked his 100th goal for the season, a small number of people, one clad only in his underwear (which he duly dropped before leaving the field), ran onto the field to celebrate.

By this stage, Deluca had been moved into the ruck and was doing ok, but the dual ruckwork of Ashley Eames and Dan Clarke saw them win nine hitouts to the Bullants seven in the quarter, helping give the Dolphins first usage.

If it wasn't for the brilliant run and carry provided off half-back by O'hAilpin and Prendergast, the Bullants may not have gone into the final change level with the Dolphins.

At the three-quarter time huddle, Bullants coach Mitchell reassured his players, telling them they had the wind in the final term, and that the Dolphins had had 17 forward entries in the first term, and 16 in the third when they had the wind, but only had 9.12 to show for it. He urged his players to seize the opportunity ahead of them, use their superior fitness to run the Dolphins ragged and book a place in next weekend's preliminary final.

The final term started in great and exciting fashion, with both teams trading goals, and the big question of how far the stand-alone Frankston could go in the finals series coming up against the might of AFL-aligned teams was still being posed. The Dolphins had won their past six games coming in, and they had a real shot for their seventh.

Marigliani was continuing to pepper the goals, with some opportunistic work by Chris Fortnam and Myles Krakouer seeing the dream stay alive. However, as the quarter wore on, the "cream rose to the top", and the Bullants pulled away, with the wind behind their backs and quality play and drive from such players as Bronik Davies, O'hAilpin and Jordan Bannister, the 'Ants pulled away to a 19-point victory.

Much of their dominance can be thanked largely to Deluca and Dylan McLaren's work in the ruck, winning 35 hitouts to Frankston's 28, and the midfield's strong work in winning 17 centre clearances to 11. The final scores saw the Bullants win 15.10.100 to Frankston's 11.15.81.

After the game, the Buillants players gestured towards embattled coach Mitchell to come onto the field to celebrate, which he reluctantly did, much to the cheers and applause of the Bullants crowd. Whether Mitchell will remain their coach next year is highly clouded at this stage.

Better players for the Bullants included O'hAilpin, who gathered 29 possessions playing as a loose man on half-back, using his pace to break the lines and drive the Bullants forward on many occasions; Predergast, who was strong in the clinches and worked hard all around the ground to win contested ball for the 'Ants; Deluca, who as mentioned began the day as a roaming half-forward flanker, taking many great marks on the league and in contested situations, and contributing two valuable goals, before going into the ruck and winning there too over Eames and Clarke of Frankston; Bannister, who played mostly in the hole in front of Edwards and did so with aplomb, keeping the rampaging full-forward to just the three goals, along with providing much valuable rebound from defence for the Bullants; Teague, who played mostly forward of centre, and took some valuable marks across half-forward, as well as contributing a couple of handy goals; and Sporn, who worked hard in a "quarterback" role in providing contests and giving the Bullants much penetration with his direct and accurate disposal.

Better players for the beaten, but far from disgraced, Dolphins included Roberts, who was a pillar of strength backwards of centre all day, working hard to provide a contest on whomever was his direct opponent of the time and winning many in-and-under possessions for the Dolphins; Rebeschini, who broke the lines with his great drive through the centre, propelling the ball forward on many occasions; Poole, who also worked hard in the centre, winning more than his share of clearances and providing the Frankston forwards with silver service; Paul Kennedy, a man who is well-versed in finals experience, having played in a premiership at Sandringham, worked his tail off all around the ground, particularly on the wings, to win the ball, especially at the stoppages, and provide a lot of midfield drive for the Dolphins; Marigliani, who rose to the fore with Edwards struggling, roaming around the half-forward line taking strong contested marks and finishing with three goals, he missed a couple more which would have made his goal tally much more impressive; and, Burns, who played mainly off half-back and was a real warhorse, putting his body on the line in contested situations, and winning the hard ball for his team.

While this is where Frankston's season ends, the Dolphins can be well pleased with their efforts, no mean feat not having the fitness and strength of AFL-listed players to call on, the big interest from their point of view now will be to see which, if any, AFL club picks up star forward Edwards in this year's draft. For the Bullants, their brilliant season continues on for one more week at least, facing dual reigning premiers Sandringham in a marquee match-up next weekend at TEAC Oval. The last time these two sides met, the 'Ants won by just three points, so hopefully next weekend's clash will be every bit as good.

In Sunday's second semi final, a brilliant clash was fought out between Geelong and North Ballarat, with 38 goals being scored by the two sides, thankfully attacking, high-scoring football appears to be making somewhat of a comeback. It was the Cats who won the day, by just six points, and they now move into a preliminary final next weekend against Williamstown, also at TEAC Oval.

You can hear those games being called live by the best VFL commentary team in the business on Casey Radio. Tune in via 97.7FM on your radio if in the Melbourne metropolitan area, or via the web on www.3ser.org.au anywhere else, and join the team comprising of myself, Kain Pollard, Nigel Carmody, Chris Weaver and Simon Petch on Saturday. While on Sunday you'll hear Cam Scott, Michael Leeds, Tristan Foenander and Ben Carbonaro. On both days, you'll be with the irrepressible number one boundary rider himself, Phil 'Tiger' Pearce.

12 September 2006

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