Weekly Times | LAST season’s wooden spooner Tallangatta has won the Tallangatta and District Football League premiership against reigning premier Kiewa Sandy Creek after yesterday’s grand final went into extra time.
Second year coach Zac Fulford, who suffered an elbow injury in the third quarter yesterday, has now seen the lows and extreme highs with his side.
At the final siren the scores were tied, Tallangatta 10.8 (68) to Kiewa Sandy Creek 8.20 (68), meaning the sides were forced to play five minutes each end.
The Hawks scored a goal and a behind in the first five minutes of extra time, but the Hoppers levelled when the sides switched ends.
The game was nearly pushed into golden point time, where the first team to score wins, but a behind to Tallangatta broke the deadlock with less than a minute to play.
The Hoppers won the match 11.10 (76) to 9.21 (75).
Mikal Bloom won the AFL Victoria Country Medal and the Wayne Bartel Memorial Medal as
best-on-ground as determined by the umpires.
His teammate James Breen finished with four goals, and Tallangatta executive committeeman Doug Mason also praised the efforts of defender Darcy Carroll, who held one of the state’s leading goal-kickers this season, Guy Telford, to two goals for the day.
“We were bottom of the ladder last year and they’ve had to work hard to win the grand final,” Mason said.
“After a draw and time on we won by a point — what a finish.”
● CORA Lynn has steamrolled Bunyip to claim back-to-back Ellinbank and District Football League premierships.
The Cobras capped a perfect season by storming home to the flag, 21.11 (137) to 8.14 (62), with Anthony Giuliano booting seven goals in a best-on-ground performance.
Nathan Muratore and Jack Allen were also key contributors to the win, while Brent Heus kicked four goals for Bunyip.
Cora Lynn was the West division premier last season when the Ellinbank and District league was split into two divisions.
● RED Cliffs has also added to its premiership collection with an eight-point win against Imperials yesterday.
In a rematch of the 2014 decider, which Red Cliffs also won, the Tigers fought back from a 22-point quarter-time deficit to win 15.9 (99) to 14.7 (91).
Jerome Motlop and Chris Lee kicked three goals apiece for the winners, while teammates Andrew Lovett and Nathan Gowers kicked two each.
● ULTIMA has fended off a determined Quambatook to win consecutive Golden Rivers Football League premierships.
The biggest margin at any change was the eight-point advantage Ultima held going into the last quarter, and it held on to win 10.14 (74) to 8.11 (59).
Ultima named Kyle Brasser its best player for the premiership-winning match. Brasser, Kyle Symons and Kane Bannam were all credited with two goals in the decider.