BEYOND THE BOUNDARY – SEPTEMBER 16
Torquay and Queenscliff have settled on one change apiece for tomorrow’s (Saturday) Bellarine Grand Final at Grinter Reserve.
The Tigers will welcome back ruck Spener Meagher from injury for his first appearance since dislocating a shoulder early in the Round 16 win over Portarlington.
He replaces the unlucky Jack Thompson, who returned to the senior team in Round 17 and featured in the finals wins over Geelong Amateur and the Coutas.
“He’s had the shoulder injury, and then just had a bit of a delay in the lower back,” Torquay coach Dom Gleeson told K rock Football’s Beyond the Boundary podcast on Wednesday.
“The shoulder’s fine – it’s just the back that we’re a little bit worried about.
“I think he did enough throughout the course of the year to put his hand up.”
Gleeson also considered Jesse Dawson, who has sat on 199 senior matches since being left out of the side for the qualifying final win over Geelong Amateur.
“It plays on my mind,” Gleeson admitted.
“Jesse’s been one of those warriors from the very start for me.
“He is actually a player I had to let out of the side in 2015.
“This year he’s sort of been a little bit in and out just through the depth we’ve got.
“He’s a proven player; I’d love to be able to play him.”
Queenscliff will back in the fitness of Izaac Grant, who has been monitored by Geelong Football Club’s head physiotherapist, Jarrad King, during the week.
The BFNL team of the year forward pocket missed last week’s preliminary final win over Ammos with a groin issue.
He takes the spot left open by a hamstring injury suffered by Jordy McIvor-Clark, bringing a premature end to a season riddled with injury for the former North Melbourne VFL player.
“He got a broken jaw against Modewarre early in the year, but he also had ‘hammy’ issues early,” coach Heath Jaimeson said.
“You’ve seen those players before… where they just can’t get a run at it, unfortunately.
“He’s so likeable. The group loves him. When he plays, he’s a very good player, but we just haven’t had him at all for the last couple of years.
“He just can’t get a run at it and it’s annoying and it’s the thing that you hate about footy but there’s always hard luck stories this time of the year.”
The grand final meeting is the fourth meeting between the two clubs in 2026.
Queenscliff ruined Travis Boak’s homecoming in winning the Round 2 clash at McCartney Oval by 15 points.
Torquay handed the Coutas their only home loss of the season, claiming a 30-point victory in Round 13.
In the second semi-final at Portarlington Recreation Reserve, Tigers beat Queenscliff by 31 points.
Tomorrow’s clash will be the third Bellarine grand final meeting between the clubs.
Torquay won the competition’s inaugural decider in 1971, while Queenscliff made the Tigers its second victim in 2012 on its way to a hat-trick of flags.
For the first time since 1975, the Coutas have both their seniors and reserves playing on Grand Final Day.
The seconds, who haven’t won a premiership since 1990, will face Modewarre.
The day starts with the AFL Barwon under-18 Division 2 decider between Leopold and Torquay (2).
The young Lions will start as slight favourites after beating the previously unbeaten Tigers in the second semi-final.
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