BY NATHAN DOLE
SANDHURST will be aiming to hold its number one status when it plays Gisborne in the Drummond Golf reserves footy match on Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL grand final day on Queen Elizabeth Oval.
The Dragons are chasing back-to-back premierships against a club which was runner-up two years ago.
It’s an 11.50am start for the reserves contest.
After finishing the home-and-away series on top of the ladder on a 14-2 record, Gisborne could not stop Sandhurst’s charge to a 36-28 victory in the second semi-final.
Best for the Dragons were Wil Pinniger, Darcy Mills, Rory Ellett and Brodie Montague.
Gisborne’s best were Boyd Nalder, Ed Williams, Rohan Nicol and Jacob Murphy.
The Bulldogs bounced back to a score a seven-goal win against Strathfieldsaye in the preliminary final.
Hayden Doricic and Tom Wood kicked two goals as Kane Minns, Lachlan Nesitt and Zach Paterson were best.
It was one-all between the Bulldogs and Dragons in the run to the finals.
Sandhurst won the round two clash on the QEO turf by 14 points.
Gisborne dominated the round 11 match on its ground to mark a 74-13 victory.
A previous winner of the competition’s leading goalkicker award on 43 goals in 2022, Jasper Stewart leads Sandhurst’s attack on 20 goals.
A tally of 39 by Hayden Doricic earned the league’s goalkicking award for this season.
There are plenty of Alan McDonald Medal winners as the competition’s fairest and best in Gisborne’s line-up which is coached by Jeremy Pennefather.
Bulldogs’ on-baller Jacob Murphy won this season’s medal after being joint winner with clubmate and ruckman Boyd Nalder in 2022.
Nalder was league fairest and best last season, and Hayden Doricic claimed the medal in 2019.
Since it was runner-up to Gisborne by 69 points in the reserves grand final of 2011, Sandhurst has won all five grand finals it has played in since then.
The Dragons were victorious in 2012, 14, 16, 18, and last September.
The R.F. Turner medallist as best afield in the grand final win of six years ago, Brodie Montague will again play a key on-ball role for the Jake McLean-coached Dragons on Saturday.
It’s a huge day for McLean who will play half-forward or wing in the seniors grand final.
Key players in the Dragons’ reserves team include ruckman Wilson Butler, Jed Zimmer, Alex Wharton, Conor and Patrick O’Farrell, Martin Leyden, and Oscar Perez.
Gisborne will look to Adam Brancatisano, Matthew Barake, Elijah Brerethon, Rohan Nichol, Michael Steinbach and Leon Thiner to lead the way to victory.
Sandhurst:
B: Campbell Rowland, Tom Calvert, Conor O’Farrell.
Hb: Martin Leyden, Matt Campbell, Tanner Nally.
C: Jack Keating, Jed Zimmer, Wil Pinniger.
Hf: Patrick O’Farrell, Alex Wharton, Oscar Perez.
F: Jasper Stewart, Luke Crawford, Wilson Butler.
Foll: Rory Ellett, Charlie Robinson, Brodie Montague.
Inter: Jameson Barber, Tom Dunham, Hayden Gillingham, James Vlaeminck.
Coach: Jake McLean.
Gisborne:
B: Alonzo Rovere, Elijah Bretherton, Max Ramsay.
Hb: Kane Minns, Rohan Nicol, Harry Manders.
C: Harry Thomas, Patrick Trotta, Zach Paterson.
Hf: Michael Steinbach, Matthew Barake, Darcy Young.
F: Ed Williams, Hayden Doricic, Tom Wood.
Foll: Boyd Nalder, Jacob Murphy, Leon Thiner.
Inter: Adam Brancatisano, Heath Simpson, Luke Weber, Brodie Andrews.
Emerg: Tyer Collings, Lachlan Nesbitt, Jacob Grinter.
Coach: Jeremy Pennefather.