GISBORNE clipped Eaglehawk’s wings in a six-goal turnaround to win the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL senior footy preliminary final on Saturday.
The Rob Waters-coached Gisborne set up another grand final showing with Sandhurst as it charged to a 71-51 victory against the Hawks at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
As Gisborne prepares to make one last hurrah from the Bendigo competition it also denied the Borough’s quest for back-to-back premierships.
The Hawks were in control as a hat-trick of goals gave them a 41-26 lead nearing half-time.
Gisborne’s only major in the second term was through some Brad Bernacki brilliance.
In the third quarter Gisborne’s intensity at the contest, ability to work to outside runners and find team-mates in space was outstanding.
Back-to-back goals by Pat McKenna and another by Shane Clough put the Bulldogs up, 46-43 by three quarter-time.
Just as it had done in its elimination and first semi-final wins, Gisborne’s pressure did not ease.
A running goal by Clough was followed by a Matt Merrett snapshot and then a set-shot from Clough on the boundary line in the Faith Leech Aquatic Centre pocket to lead 69-44.
Eaglehawk’s only goal of the second half was a snap by captain Billy Evans which bounced through at just under 13 minutes to play.
The Bulldogs were dealt a massive blow just minutes later when Brad Bernacki left the ground clutching at his jaw after a contest on the grandstand wing.
Gisborne’s leading goalkickers as it charged to another grand final were Clough and McKenna on three each.
What Rob Waters described as a fantastic team performance was led by captain and key defender Zac Vescovi, Will Elliott off half-back, on-ballers/mids Dylan Johnstone, James Gray and Brad Bernacki, and young ruckman Lucas Carnell.
The Hawks’ attack was led by Jacquin Mifsud on three goals as Oscar White kicked two.
Best for an Eaglehawk team coached by Travis Matheson and Clayton Holmes were Noah Wheeler, Oscar White, Jacquin Mifsud, Callum Heath, Dylan Hanley and Jack Donat.
Four clubs will feature in Saturday’s grand finals.
Eaglehawk won through to the Drummond Golf reserves as it fought from 17 points down in the second quarter of the preliminary final clash with South Bendigo to mark a 47-37 victory.
On the rebound from its loss to Sandhurst in the second semi-final, South Bendigo led 17-13 at quarter-time.
The lead was increased 90 seconds into the second quarter when three efforts by Cohen Balnaves to chase, win possession, run to receive a handpass and then goal on the run was one of the plays of the day.
A bouncing kick by the experienced Regan Harvey put South Bendigo up, 29-13 in the fourth minute.
Eaglehawk then hit back as it forced mistakes and also began to limit turnovers, especially through midfield and across the half-forward line.
A classy finish on the run by Cahal Blandthorn cut the deficit to 11 points in the 10th minute.
When co-coach Ryan Wellington was freed in marking contest and kicked truly from the scoreboard pocket at the city end the Borough was back in the game.
The Hawks added two more behinds as a South Bendigo team coached by Jack Nalder and Caleb Nitschke led 30-29 at half-time.
In the third it was Eaglehawk which often found team-mates as the Bloods racked up hurried high kicks under pressure and was often forced sideways on the big ground.
A great tackle by Corey Roberts earnt a free kick from which he goaled for Eaglehawk to led 39-32 in the 17th minute.
The Hawks had scored four unanswered goals as the Bloods began to rue missed shots on goal.
A Mitchell Ronchieri snapshot on the run gave the Two Blues a two-goal buffer in the 15th minute.
It was to the final goal of the game as the Ryan Wellington and Rhys Foster-coached Eaglehawk advanced to a grand final showedown with Sandhurst.
Ronchieri led the Hawks’ attack on two goals as Cahal Blandthorn, Isaiah Phillips-Adams, Corey Roberts and Ryan Wellington were also on target.
Goalkickers for the Bloods were Cohen Balnaves, Regan Harvey, Austin Long and Will Purcell.
Best for the Borough were Sam Dean, Jaxon Vroom, Jack Leersen, and Alan McDonald medallist and captain Ethan Hanley.
The Bloods’ best were Toby Hardingham, Cohen Balnaves, Tait Rojewski and Wil McCaig.
It’s another appearance for Sandhurst in the Sportspower under-18s after the Dragons beat South Bendigo by 14 points.
The Darcy Mills-coached Dragons led 36-13 at half-time before the Travis Eddy and Mark Kramer-coached Bloods upped the pressure to surge to a 44-40 lead at a quarter to play.
Inspired by Tommy Byrne, Drew Warren and Thomas Smith it was Sandhurst which lifted its game to charge to a 66-52 victory.
Luke Cameron led the attack for the maroon and blue with three goals as Kingston Uerata added two.
Other goalkickers for Sandhurst were Miller Armstrong, Carter Reid and Drew Warren.
The Bloods’ attack was led by Logan Howell on two goals as Chriswin Daniel, Lachlan Magee, Harry Purcell, Zavier Ralphs and Harry Warne added one each.
Best for the Dragons included Luke Cameron, Jaxon Kelly and Carter Reid.
South Bendigo’s best were Rylan Newman, Zavier Ralphs, Campbell Wood, Eamon White, Jacobi Kramer and Lachlan Magee.
Schedule for Saturday’s grand finals at Queen Elizabeth Oval in View Street, Bendigo:
Sportspower under-18s at 9.15am: Strathfieldsaye v Sandhurst.
Drummond Golf reserves at 11.50am: Sandhurst v Eaglehawk.
Bendigo Bank seniors at 2.20pm: Sandhurst v Gisborne.
In the netball action………SANDHURST’S experience in the big matches was to the fore on Saturday as it surged to another Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL A-grade netball grand final.
The Tamara Gilchrist-coached Sandhurst took on Gisborne at Queen Elizabeth Oval to earn a place in the season decider against the unbeaten Kangaroo Flat.
A fortnight earlier and the Tarryn Rymer-coached Gisborne scored a 55-52 win against the Dragons in the qualifying final at Harry Trott Oval in Kennington.
Across the season the scores had been 44-40 both times as Sandhurst won on Gisborne’s court at Melbourne North Truck Centre Oval at Gardiner Reserve, and the Bulldogs took the points at the QEO in 17th round.
The Gisborne line-up was determined to rebound from a 51-37 loss to Kangaroo Flat in the second semi as the Dragons stayed in the race after a 72-56 victory against South Bendigo in the first semi.
Spectators were again treated to a top contest between what was to be the final A-grade match between two of the league’s greatest rivals.
It was goal-for-goal for most of the 60 minutes.
When the siren sounded it was Sandhurst which led 47-43.
Sandhurst coach Tamara Gilchrist said the team’s play in the “big moments” was superb.
“This was the best 60 minutes we have played this season,” Gilchrist said.
Key players in the victory included Meg Williams at wing attack, Heather Oliver at wing defence, and Ruby Turner at goal defence.
“Their experience in finals really shone through,” Gilchrist said.
“The way they were able to control the flow of play was outstanding.”
For Gilchrist it will be a seventh A-grade grand final as coach where the record is four-two.
South Bendigo won through to the A-reserve grand final after a five-goal win against Gisborne in the preliminary final.
The Lauren Bowles and Amanda Walters-coached Bloods showed they had learnt plenty from a 49-50 loss to the Bulldogs in the qualifying final.
After bouncing back with an 18-goal win against Sandhurst in the first semi, South Bendigo took on the Bulldogs who were beaten in the second semi clash with Kangaroo Flat by five goals.
The Bloods worked incredibly hard to score a 41-36 victory on preliminary final day against the Kayleen Elliott-coached Gisborne team.
As it has done for many seasons, Gisborne will feature on grand final day as its B-grade and B-reserve teams take to the court.
The Bulldogs will take on Strathfieldsaye in B-grade.
Storm won a 35-34 thriller against Kangaroo Flat in the preliminary final.
It had been one-all between the teams in the home-and-away series.
The Jo Artavilla and Carlie Brennan-coached Strathfieldsaye won the qualifying final against South Bendigo by 17 goals, but Gisborne controlled a lot of the play to win the second semi against Storm by nine goals.
The Chelsea Sartori and Kate Newman-coached Kangaroos had made their way to preliminary final day from the elimination final with wins against Sandhurst, 41-35; and South Bendigo, 29-26.
In B-reserve, Kangaroo Flat dominated the preliminary final clash with South Bendigo.
On the rebound from a 34-46 loss to Gisborne in the second semi the Nina Cass-coached Kangaroo Flat charged to a 52-26 victory against the Bloods.
The Roos had beaten the Sarah Dennis and Katie Richmond-coached South Bendigo in the home-and-away series by 16 and four goals.
Sandhurst won its way into the 17-and-under grand final against Strathfieldsaye .
The Carol Cathcart and Rose Gallagher-coached Dragons met Golden Square in the preliminary final after Storm won the second semi against Sandhurst by four goals.
It was one-all between Sandhurst and the Jody Richards-coached Golden Square in the run to the finals.
A 38-29 victory in the preliminary final meant Sandhurst stayed in the title race.
Preliminary final day began with a one-goal thriller between South Bendigo and Golden Square in the 15-and-under match.
It was a superb effort by the young Bloods to claim a 40-39 win as Golden Square had defeated them by 25 and 22 goals in the home-and-away series and by 10 goals in the qualifying final.
The Bulldogs were on the rebound from a 14-goal loss to Sandhurst in the second semi-final.
A South Bendigo team coached by Rox Hayes had won the first semi against Eaglehawk by 12 goals and the Bloods pressure went to another level in its fourth meeting with the blue and gold this season.
The Golden Square team was coached by Clare Hope and Sharni McPherson.
Five clubs will feature in next Saturday’s grand finals on the netball court at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Kangaroo Flat and Sandhurst will be represented by three teams as Gisborne, South Bendigo and Strathfieldsaye have two teams chasing premiership glory.
Schedule for Saturday’s grand finals at Queen Elizabeth Oval in View Street, Bendigo:
15-and-under at 8.15am: Sandhurst v South Bendigo.
17-and-under at 9.40am: Strathfieldsaye v Sandhurst.
B-reserve at 11.05am: Gisborne v Kangaroo Flat.
B-grade at 12.30pm: Gisborne v Strathfieldsaye.
A-reserve at 1.55pm : Kangaroo Flat v South Bendigo.
A-grade at 3.20pm: Kangaroo Flat v Sandhurst.