General News
24 August, 2023
Full-bite Dogs take grunt out of Bears
MINUTES after Bears Lagoon Serpentine’s opening blitz in Saturday’s Loddon Valley league qualifying final, Pyramid Hill showed who was really top dog. James Rippendale had put the Bears on the scoreboard with a goal straight from the opening...
MINUTES after Bears Lagoon Serpentine’s opening blitz in Saturday’s Loddon Valley league qualifying final, Pyramid Hill showed who was really top dog.
James Rippendale had put the Bears on the scoreboard with a goal straight from the opening bounce.
Intensity and domination was with the Bears in those opening 15 minutes - Rippendale added another two majors to his opening quarter tally. One came from 50 metres out, the other straight from the return centre bounce through a Callum Draper pass.
But Pyramid Hill, boosted by the return of Brodie Carroll and Adrian Holland, was soon looking ominous.
Jack Hickmott, Ed Caburnay and Collis helped Carroll and Billy Micevski into the game. Sidebottom was menacing around the ground and by quarter time, the Bulldogs had momentum to lead by two points.
An early Carroll goal started a seven-goal haul for Pyramid Hill in the second term. Caburnay’s mid-term air-twisting kick showed the Bulldogs wanted to overcome any obstacle in their quest for a shot at Marong in the second semi-final.
Pyramid Hill had the optics of committed play. They kept Bears’ coach Justin Laird to limited cameos and when Laird did try to lift his side, Pyramid’s defenders were more than equal to the task.
Rippendale’s mid-term goal one of the few highlights for the Bears in the term.
Laird gave a brief glimmer of hope for the Bears when he set up play in the midfield, found Draper who scored what would be the team’s only goal of the second half early in the third term. Dylan Morison was on top in defence for Pyramid Hill and Sidebottom had his ruck advantage.
Micevski, skipper Steve Gunther and Will Perryman goals capped off the dynamic work of Carroll across the midfield and up forward for the term.
The final quarter degenerated into a lacklustre affair and the ball criss-crossed the Newbridge recreation reserve.
Draper, Dowling and Gadsden refused to give in but Pyramid Hill quickly turned over any forward moves by Serpentine.
Bulldogs coach Nathan Fitzpatrick said his team had moved the ball well after quarter time.
That movement, and control, by a Bulldogs’ outfit finally back at strength, was the difference.
- CHRIS EARL