BY NATHAN DOLE
Demons, Bombers aim to cap great run
THE Winslow White Hills Demons will break their premiership drought or Leitchville Gunbower will return to the top in the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL’s senior footy footy grand final on Saturday.
The showdown between the Demons and Bombers for premiership glory will be played at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve from 2.20pm.
A huge day for White Hills includes all three footy teams chasing a rare feat of a premiership trifecta in the one season.
The Demons will start favourite to take out the seniors match.
White Hills won the round seven clash with the Bombers in Gunbower by 55 points.
In round 16 it was a great contest as White Hills fought on for a 73-67 victory on its turf at Winslow Constructors Oval in Scott Street.
After finishing the home-and-away series on a 14-2 record and top of the ladder, White Hills outplayed North Bendigo in the second semi-final to win by 64 points.
A well-rested White Hills squad jointly coached by Jack Fallon and Kaiden Antonowicz is well-poised to claim the club’s first senior footy premiership since 1988 when it beat Stanhope.
There were no changes to the White Hills team which won the second semi-final in convincing style.
The Shannon Keam-coached Leitchville Gunbower has made two changes to the team which beat North Bendigo in the preliminary final by 19 points.
Joel Donehue and Charles Hancock return from suspension.
Bombers’ co-captain Hoby Bussey will be on the sidelines for the grand final after a two-game ban for striking in the preliminary final was upheld by the tribunal.
Josh Hawken is also out of the Leitchville Gunbower team.
It’s been a roller-coaster for LG across the finals series.
A one-goal loss to North Bendigo in the qualifying final was followed by the first semi-final against Heathcote in White Hills.
The Bombers led 50-48 when the game was abandoned in the third quarter because of lightning and the ground condition.
Now the LG team is a win away from being premier after a wooden-spoon finish just two seasons ago.
It’s been a remarkable rise led by Shannon Keam who took charge in ’23 and has had plenty of support from all levels in the club.
The Bombers face a daunting task in halting a skilful Demons team.
Pressure will be the key in forcing turnovers and not allowing White Hills an easy run to the forward 50m arc where it has Kaiden Antonowicz, James Davies, Cohen Kekich and Liam Bartels to finish off the moves.
In-form players in the red and black include Thomas Brereton, Mitch Dole, Mitch Walsh, Jake Pallpratt.
A premiership victory would be a fitting reward for captain and long-time Demon, Rhys Irwin.
Those to play key roles for the Bombers on Saturday include Max Hagan, Chris Horman and Jye Keath in defence, and Blake Dye, Fraser Buchanan and Lachlan Sverns in attack.
The club’s first winner of the Sam Cheatley Medal as league fairest and best, Jobee Warde is in the ruck against the Demons’ duo of Callum Crisp and Jack Lawton.
At ground level LG has Austin Windridge, Brady Hore, and James, Will and Tom Brereton.
The Demons’ run in ’24:
Round 1: d Huntly, 128-62 at Strauch Reserve.
Round 2: d Mount Pleasant, 87-56 at Winslow Constructors Oval.
Round 3: d Lockington, 135-29 at Lockington.
Round 4: d Colbinabbin, 111-39 at Winslow Constructors Oval.
Round 5: lt North Bendigo, 101-127 at Bendigo Club Oval.
Round 6: d Elmore, 185-45 at Winslow Constructors Oval.
Round 7: d Leitchville Gunbower, 78-23 at Gunbower.
Round 8: d Heathcote, 126-34 at Winslow Constructors Oval.
Round 9: bye.
Round 10: d Lockington Bamawm United, 138-79 at Winslow Constructors Oval.
Round 11: d Mount Pleasant, 119-90 at Toolleen.
Round 12: d Huntly, 86-63 at Winslow Constructors Oval.
Round 13: lt Colbinabbin, 65-67 at M.J. Morgan Oval.
Round 14: d North Bendigo, 101-79 at Winslow Constructors Oval.
Round 15: d Elmore, 85-29 at Elmore.
Round 16: d Leitchville Gunbower, 73-67 at Winslow Constructors Oval.
Round 17: d Heathcote, 75-57 at Pigeon Park.
Round 18: bye.
Second semi-final: d North Bendigo, 130-66 at Heathcote’s Pigeon Park.
The Bombers’ run in ’24:
Round 1: lt Lockington Bamawm United, 56-94 at Lockington.
Round 2: d Colbinabbin, 60-54 at Gunbower.
Round 3: lt North Bendigo, 54-143 at Bendigo Club Oval.
Round 4: d Elmore, 96-48 at Gunbower.
Round 5: bye.
Round 6: d Heathcote, 70-63 at Pigeon Park.
Round 7: lt White Hills, 23-78 at Gunbower.
Round 8: d Huntly, 88-35 at Strauch Reserve.
Round 9: d Mount Pleasant, 82-32 at Gunbower.
Round 10: lt North Bendigo, 47-74 at Leitchville.
Round 11: d Colbinabbin, 67-61 at M.J. Morgan Oval.
Round 12: d Lockington Bamawm United, 62-50 at Leitchville.
Round 13: d Elmore, 80-44 at Elmore.
Round 14: bye.
Round 15: lt Heathcote, 26-34 at Leitchville.
Round 16: lt White Hills, 67-73 at Winslow Constructors Oval.
Round 17: d Huntly, 122-23 at Leitchville.
Round 18: d Mount Pleasant, 75-67 at Toolleen.
Qualifying final: lt North Bendigo, 53-59 at Lockington.
First semi-final: d Heathcote 50-48, play abandoned in 13th minute of 3rd ¼ because of lightning, ground condition at White Hills.
Preliminary final: d North Bendigo, 91-72 at Toolleen.
In the reserves, White Hills takes on Mount Pleasant from 11.50am.
The Demons won their previous two hit-outs with the Blues by 68 and 24 points.
A 15-1 record put the Demons on top of the ladder at the end of the home-and-away series.
White Hills marked a 50-49 victory against Leitchville Gunbower in the second semi-final.
After finishing fifth on an eight-eight record, Mount Pleasant has fought its way to the match which matters most.
The Blues won the elimination final against Huntly by 17 points and then beat Lockington Bamawm United in the first semi-final by three points.
Mount Pleasant’s run rolled on as it defeated Leitchville Gunbower in the preliminary final by eight points.
First of the footy grand finals will be White Hills against Lockington Bamawm United in the under-18s match from 9.30am.
A 13-1 record put the Demons on top of the ladder at the end of the home-and-away series.
It’s been an identical score of 42-38 in both matches White Hills and LBU have played this season.
The Demons won in round three in Lockington, and the Cats ended an unbeaten run by White Hills in the 10th round in the Scott Street den.
When they last met it was the Demons who fired up for a 50-8 win against LBU in the second semi-final.
Patrick Conlan kicked two goals to be among the best with Isaac Meersbergen, O’Malley Parker, Jackson McRae, Oliver Edmiston and Nicholas Santas.
The Cats’ best were Harrison and Patrick Keele, and Jacob Haines.
LBU kicked off its finals campaign with a 28-point win against Huntly in the qualifying final.
After the second semi-final defeat the Cats again beat Huntly, 61-51 in the preliminary final as Bowden Stone, Jacob Haines and Eddie Dudley starred on the Toolleen turf.