It wasn’t quite Leo Barry in the 2005 AFL grand final, but Jack Driver’s mark in the dying stages of today’s GFNL elimination final will be long remembered by the South Barwon faithful.
After Bell Park’s Tyler Pidgeon kicked a goal at the 28-minute mark to cut the margin to three points, Dragons midfielder Ben Worme was awarded a free kick in the middle of the ground following the ruck contest.
He fired a handball to captain Lachie Patten, who drove a kick inside Bell Park’s forward 50, looking for a mark.
With the pack converging on him, Driver did what he does best, taking an intercept mark and repelling the Dragon’s thrust.
South scored a behind from the forward foray to push the margin to four points.
Despite the best efforts of Bell Park to attack the corridor from Isaac Wareham’s kick in, the Dragons’ first finals appearance in seven years ended at the first hurdle.
The Swans booked a meeting with St Mary’s in next Sunday’s first semi-final with a 5.9 (39) to 4.11 (35) victory.
“I was slightly concerned about the big boys that were coming behind me,” Driver told krockfootball.live.
“I was due to do something good for the team there in the second half.
“They came so hard late.
“It comes down to those moments. And I think in the moments, we did really well there at the end.”
GFNL: SCOREBOARD – FINALS WEEK ONE
In a contest impacted by a northwesterly wind and rain that hit during the first half, South Barwon appeared in control when it led by 12 points at half-time after keeping Bell Park to one goal in the first half.
That lead became 19 points when Jonty Broughton kicked his second goal 26 minutes into the third quarter.
However, that was quickly followed by the first of Pidgeon’s second-half majors, which helped the Dragons pull the margin back to 12 points at three-quarter time.
Some Jack Sarcevic brilliance cut the deficit to six points early in the last quarter.
However, the Dragons wouldn’t get any closer – Sarcevic may feel unlucky with an effort from a tight angle that was adjudged as a point – until Pidgeon’s effort late in the quarter.
Former Calder Cannon Blair Huggins, Rupunyap recruit Lachie Weidemann, and the experienced Chris Hughes were South Barwon’s best.
Big man Ollie Bridgwater was named Bell Park’s best after waging an engrossing battle with Swan Ben Kellett.
Defensive duo Ben Lloyd and Matt Jones, who found himself battling star Swan Fraser Fort at crucial moments, were also important for the Dragons, who last won a final in 2013.
X: @krockfootball
