General News
14 September, 2023
Third quarter did damage in reserves final
A FOUR-GOAL wind-assisted quarter gave Marong reserves the edge they needed to hold off a determined Pyramid Hill in the grand final. Little separated the two dominant second tier sides with Pyramid Hill in the hunt all day. The Bulldogs could have...
A FOUR-GOAL wind-assisted quarter gave Marong reserves the edge they needed to hold off a determined Pyramid Hill in the grand final.
Little separated the two dominant second tier sides with Pyramid Hill in the hunt all day.
The Bulldogs could have gone to the main break with the noses in front if not for being off target as the blustery wind blew kicks across the goal face.
An accurate snap by Rowan Pollack late in the second term had bridged the Panthers’ margin to five points. A free kick to Connor Gibbins as the siren sounded would drift offline.
Marong’s Zac Turnbull proved a stumbling block in the third term for Pyramid Hill, standing firm in the square and booting accurately.
Sam Taylor then capped off a free kick and 50-metre penalty with his goal before Harry Goodes put fresh spark into Pyramid Hill with his goal on the run, the only high point for the Bulldogs in a tough quarter that conceded easy options to Marong in front of goal.
But the Bulldogs were not done. They went early from the start of the fourth quarter with vital goals to Goulding and Walker.
Hetherington, Brad and Matt Moon and ruckman Andrew Dye were tenacious yet unable to penetrate the congested plan of Marong who stifled many entries into the Bulldogs’ forward zone.
Pyramid Hill would add five behinds in the final term and outscore Marong.
It was not enough to deny the Panthers a second successive Loddon Valley reserves premiership.
- CHRIS EARL