Bendigo Advertiser | NORTH Bendigo co-coach Rob Bennett made sure at half-time on Saturday his players didn’t forget the Heathcote District Football League grand final pain of a year earlier.
Photos of the post-match despair of a year earlier after the Bulldogs capitulated in the grand final against LBU were circulated among the North Bendigo changerooms at half-time.
At that stage the Bulldogs held a slender two-point lead over Leitchville-Gunbower, 5.7 to 5.5, before going on to grind out a 10.13 (73) to 8.15 (63) win at Huntly to end a 38-year premiership drought in what was their third grand final in four years.
“Because we fell away so poorly after half-time last year, I used photos from after that game at half-time and went around to every player who played in that game to not let it happen again,” said Bennett, who co-coached the flag with Neville Massina.
“Emotion is a big thing in footy and after letting ourselves down last year, we weren’t going to let that happen again.”
There were always anxious moments for the Bulldogs, with the game never in their keeping. Their lead was just six points at the 23-minute mark of the final term and the Bombers were surging, before Paul Prime kicked the sealer.
Prime and Sam Barnes – who played with a broken hand – each kicked three goals for the Bulldogs, while veteran Damien Webb, who had a big impact in the second half, kicked two, while also hitting the post twice.
Bulldogs’ ruckman Troy Kelm earned the AFL Victoria Country Medal for best on ground, while other standouts for the Bulldogs included Tyson Findlay and Jeremy Mills, who were tough in the clinches, Ryan Alford, the pacy Matt Hodroas, Alex Shipard, who kept Matt Perri goalless, Taylor Kelly and Sean Morris.
The Bulldogs were down one rotation nine minutes into the game after Ash Craig was knocked out after a bump from Joel Helman. North Bendigo had already conceded the first two goals when Craig was stretchered off, while soon after Shaun Kellow was carried off in the arms of trainers with a broken rib.
“I don’t think we played that well, but we were able to do enough to keep ourselves in front,” Bennett said.
Premiership team: Jordan Ford (c), Ryan Alford, Sam Barnes, Aarryn Craig, Ash Craig, Sam Demeo, Tyson Findlay, Brady Herdman, Matthew Hodoras, Taylor Kelly, Troy Kelm, Shaun Kellow, Elliott Massina, Jaran McKay, Tom Metherell, Jeremy Mills, Sean Morris, Paul Prime, Darcy Richards, Sam Robertson, Alex Shipard, Damien Webb. Coaches: Rob Bennett and Neville Massina.
