Sport
27 August, 2024
Dunolly slip and slide to first finals win in 15 years
DUNOLLY 6.7 (43) def NEWSTEAD 3.7 (25)
It seemed Dunolly were well-prepared to tango into the night on Sunday — and just as well, for a game that finished at 6.15 pm at Carisbrook Recreation Reserve went their way after a tight battle with Newstead.
A wacky afternoon of football saw two stoppages for lightning, which kept both the Eagles and Kangaroos on their toes, and that meant a thrilling battle on a waterlogged Carisbrook surface.
Much like the Carisbrook/Maldon meeting five minutes up the road, scoring was surprisingly easy to come by in the first quarter, with both teams electing to use a pink football, which undoubtedly helped the cause for finding it in the mud.
It was a goal-for-goal affair, with Adam Hunter, Tyler James and Heath Lawrence scoring goals for Newstead in the opening term, while Mathew Bradley and Joel Fisher responded in kind for Dunolly.
It was a scrap in the second term, to say the least, with both teams unable to find goals. In the end, the Kangaroos would score two behinds for the quarter to lead by seven points at the main break.
As the third quarter wore on, the Kangaroos continued to assume control for much of the contest, but couldn’t quite find the killer blow.
This was costly — as Dunolly, like they have for much of the season, found a way.
Lloyd Needs would kick a terrific goal to get the Eagles closer, before Jay McDonald would put them in front in the shadows of three-quarter-time.
As the teams went to the huddles for the last term, another variable — another lightning break, another 25 minutes in the club rooms.
In the end, it would be Dunolly, revitalised through hitting the front, who would respond best in the last quarter, as they started to frustrate Newstead, getting their game together and ensuring they would be on the front foot.
Needs would kick another magnificent goal to help the Eagles stamp their authority on the last quarter, and the game would soon be theirs with Jake Willcocks scoring from close range, and securing their first football finals victory since 2009.
Bailey Goodwin’s ball use was a factor, particularly late on, and his partner in crime, McDonald, also put together a complete performance. Jack Merrin was terrific on a half forward flank, while Lachlan Tranter, Fisher and Josh Goodman were also in the best, as the Eagles now charge towards a semi-final matchup with Lexton, and an opportunity to avenge their loss from two weeks ago.
For Newstead, a thrilling second half of the season comes to a close at the first hurdle, but not without a big effort, particularly throughout the opening three quarters.
Anthony Robins was exceptional, while Rhys Smith, Bradley Richardson, Aidan McConachy, Hunter and Angus Mayes were also in the thick of things for the Kangaroos.
Playing-coach Goodwin labelled the win one of the strangest he’s been involved in, but it mattered little compared to the achievement of finally breaking the Eagles’ duck.
“I don’t think there would be a stranger victory across the footy career, but the boys were awesome in the second half,” he said.
“To be honest, it was a tale of two halves. We addressed numerous things at the extended breaks, and it was awesome to be able to implement it and not talk about it and forget about it as soon as we got out there.
“The conditions were strange. It started off so perfectly, and the downpour we had before the game wrecked the ground, then the sun came out again, then it rained, and it was all over the place.”
Goodwin paid tribute to the efforts of Merrin.
“Jack Merrin has been a bit unrecognised throughout the year, his workrate across half forward and across the ground has been awesome,” he said.
“It allows our forwards to get a little more space and it’s been good for him to get recognised for the stuff that he does.”
Getting the mix right during the extended breaks was also crucial throughout the day, according to Goodwin.
“We knew there was a job at hand, but we didn’t sit down too long, we tried to stay hyped and when we ran out in the last quarter, we were trying to pump each other up and the atmosphere was good,” he said.
“We knew we had to roll the dice a little bit and kicked those two or three goals in the last quarter allowed us to slow the ball down and play on our terms a little bit.”
A meeting with the Tigers, after a round 18 loss which cost it a top four spot, excites Goodwin to no end.
“We went away from a few of the things we were trying to do against Lexton last week, and we had a few out, which you can’t blame, as everyone had injuries,” he said.
“We have a massive week on the track. I know it’s country footy, but the conditions that we played in, a six-day turnaround will mean a lot for our players to get their bodies right.”