An under-siege St Mary’s has emerged victorious from today’s GFNL elimination final, holding off a relentless Bell Park by eight points, 8.15 (63) to 6.19 (55).
The Saints booked a return meeting with Round 18 opponents Newtown & Chilwell in next Sunday’s first semi-final after holding firm as the Dragons threw everything at trying to end a finals-win drought dating back to 2015.
In a contest impacted by a strong northerly wind, where no goals were kicked to the Melbourne end of the ground, two late goals from St Mary’s duo Paddy Dowling and Charlie Sprague during the third quarter pushed their team’s lead to 23 points at the final change
The Dragons opened the last term with five consecutive behinds, and when talisman Dowling showed his class with the only goal at the northern end for the day at the 17-minute mark, the Saints appeared home.
However, Euriah Hollard and Hamish Lucas were able to find much-needed majors for Bell Park to reduce the deficit to 12 points.
Finding the next goal to put pressure on St Mary’s proved more elusive, with the Dragons kicking four behinds to round out the contest and exit at the elimination final stage for the second consecutive year.
“We didn’t think, as coaches, that our lead was probably enough at three-quarter time to purely be a defensive-lockdown type mode from the get-go, which we pretty much did in the second quarter,” co-coach Luke Rayner told K rock Football.
“We changed our thinking a little bit there, and to the boys’ credit, we probably had half a dozen reasonably good passages of play in that last quarter, in terms of some genuine chain and some method going forward.
“To the boys’ credit, that’s a bloody gutsy win.
“Full credit to Bell Park as well. They certainly had their chances, as we did throughout the day.
“As we’ve said most of the year, there’s not too much between the top five.
“But to hang on for 36 minutes and 16 seconds into a howler, when you probably don’t think you’ve quite done enough, that play and that goal was pretty bloody important.”
Despite the disappointment of again falling at the first September hurdle, Bell Park coach James Saker was remaining positive after talking briefly with his players.
“I did say we’d digest and review it in a bit of detail at some stage during the week,” he said.
“But, ultimately, it was just pretty disappointing.
“I mentioned briefly (that) we have taken some strides this year. Compared to 12 months ago, we’re a much better team.
“But, we didn’t get the reward today, and that’s the hard part.”
Jack Sarcevic was the lone multiple-goalkicker for Bell Park, with his first of the day unlikely to be topped as goal of the year.
Hemmed into the left forward pocket at the Church Street end by two St Mary’s defenders, the talented Dragon somehow danced his way in and out of trouble before producing a left foot banana that found daylight between the goal posts.
ST MARY’S 4.9, 4.9, 7.14, 8.15 (63)
BELL PARK 0.1, 4.9, 4.9, 6.19 (55)
GOALS: St Mary’s: P. Dowling 2, J. Garner, M. Rudd, C. Sprague, E. MacDonald, J. Blood, H. Bourke
GOALS: Bell Park: J. Sarcevic 2, E. Hollard, E. Pearce, O. Hicks, H. Lucas
BEST: St Mary’s: J. Blood, B. Ham, M. Rudd, N. Connors, S. Bourke, P. Dowling
BEST: Bell Park: F. Marris, M. Jones, Z. Mirkovic, L. Patten, H. Lucas, I. Wareham
GDFNL
Bell Post Hill is one win away from its first grand final appearance since winning its most recent premiership in 2017 after sending an inaccurate Belmont Lions packing from the premiership race.
The Panthers, who featured in the final three in 2023, booked a meeting with East Geelong in next week’s preliminary final following a 12.9 (81) to 6.16 (52) result at St Albans Reserve.
After both teams kicked three goals with their first use of the breeze in the opening half, Bell Post Hill took the contest away from the Lions with an eight-goal-to-two third quarter.
The Lions did all they could to eat into the margin with the breeze in the final quarter, but could only manage 1.8.
In a momentous day for the Panthers, veteran forward Nick Costello kicked four goals, with his third of the afternoon early in the second half bringing up his 500th GDFNL goal.
Ruck Liam Meyrich and best-on-ground Dyl Witney finished with two majors apiece.
James Beasley kicked three goals for the Lions and was named among their best, along with big man Noah Houtsma.
BELMONT LIONS 0.1, 3.6, 5.8, 6.16 (52)
BELL POST HILL 3.6, 3.7, 11.9, 12.9 (81)
GOALS: Belmont Lions: J. Beasley 3, S. McNamara, B. Michell, J. Wilson, A. Wylie
GOALS: Bell Post Hill: N. Costello 4, L. Meyrich 2, D. Witney 2, J. Norman, B. McNamara, L. Wilson, F. Jones
BEST: Belmont Lions: N. Houtsma, J. Beasley, S. McNamara, L. Slorach, B. Michell
BEST: Bell Post Hill: D. Witney, D. Godwin, S. Quinn, Z. Jones, J. Yates, L. Meyrich
X: @krockfootball
