General News
29 August, 2024
Blink of an eye and game blown open
By GARY WALSH ALMOST 10 minutes into the first quarter of the Loddon Valley qualifying final it was looking like a scoreless draw. A string of turnovers saw the ball pinging from one end of the Maiden Gully oval to the other as Pyramid Hill and...
By GARY WALSH
ALMOST 10 minutes into the first quarter of the Loddon Valley qualifying final it was looking like a scoreless draw.
A string of turnovers saw the ball pinging from one end of the Maiden Gully oval to the other as Pyramid Hill and Bears Lagoon Serpentine battled for a breakthrough.
This was finals pressure at its highest, between two teams hard to separate during the home and away season.
And then, in the blink of an eye, the Bulldogs began to snarl. Five goals to Pyramid Hill, with Damon Hemphill running wild in midfield and the Bears giving away free kicks in front of goal, saw them with a 30-point lead at the first change.
Pyramid Hill hit the post in the first minute of the second term, and then more excellent work from nuggety wingman Ben Knight and Hemphill led to another quick goal.
Serp had to respond, and full-forward James Rippingdale led the charge with two quick goals from free kicks before the Bulldogs returned fire with two majors of their own.
Rippingdale’s third for the quarter, again from a free, closed the margin before his teammate Justin Laird scored an outstanding running goal, and the Bears were within 26 points and with real momentum.
A late blow came in the form of a brilliant team goal just before half-time from Bulldog Bailey George, but it seemed that Serp had dragged itself into the game.
Given the closeness of the sides’ two matches this season – both won by the Bears – another tight finish was likely.
However, from then on it was a romp for Pyramid Hill, with 10 goals to one in the second half and a totally unexpected 88-point win. A yellow card for Bears star Doolin Nihill in the third quarter didn’t help.
Co-coach Zach Alford was outstanding in the forward line for the Bulldogs with five goals – he should have had closer to 10 – while Hemphill continued his fine running form all day.
Knight ran hard, belying his bulk, and constantly pumped the ball inside 50. A terrific checkside snap for a goal in the last quarter topped off his day. Brodie Carroll, one of the Bulldogs’ Darwin players, used his pace and skill to great effect, kicking two goals – 11 Pyramid players hit the goals column on the day they sent a clear signal about flag hopes.
Good players were hard to find for Serp, who were outclassed. They would have been in even greater strife without Rippingdale’s three goals, while Bailey Harrison battled hard along with Louis Mott and Tyler Miles.
Pyramid Hill, the only team to conquer Marong in three seasons, face the Panthers next week for a place in the grand final, while the Bears have to lick their wounds and rebound against Bridgewater on Sunday.