By David Nagel
Phillip Island will play in a remarkable fifth consecutive West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC) grand final after an ‘ugly’ second semi-final victory over Cora Lynn on Saturday.
Even 44 of the finest football talents in West Gippsland failed to get a handle on a very-strong blustery breeze that ruined the game as a spectacle.
The wind blew diagonally from the main entrance at Nar Nar Goon’s home ground at Spencer Street, to a ‘dead-pocket’ at the opposite end that saw roughly 70-percent of the day’s action.
Phillip Island simply defended the scoring end better in the second half; overcoming a three-point half-time deficit to record a stirring 7.11(53) to 5.11(41) victory.
The wind was incredibly strong, making it almost impossible to move the ball cleanly, as the ‘defending’ team in each quarter sent numbers to the contest to negate the opposition’s advantage.
It was Cora Lynn that was forced to defend first, with Phillip Island kicking to the scoring end in the first quarter.
Bulldogs skipper Jack Taylor kicked the first of the afternoon, courtesy of one of many free kicks that were paid on the day.
Several free kicks seemed borderline at best, but the umpires did a good job to keep the game as open as possible on a day when stoppages ruled the roost.
A two-minute burst from superstar midfielder Hayden Bruce opened up a 21-point lead for the Bulldogs, before a magnificent answer from Cory Machaya gave the Cobras some impetus heading to the first break.
Kicking into the breeze, Machaya started the ball roughly five-metres left of its intended target before the wind took hold and bended it back through the big sticks.
The Cobras suffered a blow, late in the first term, when winger Gus Da Costa suffered a high-blow and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
The first quarter was tight and tough, with a rundown goal-saving tackle by Jimmy Munro on Jack Taylor showing the desperation levels of both teams.
Just 15 points adrift; it felt like Cora Lynn had the better of the opening exchanges.
Phillip Island coach Cam Pedersen sensed the danger at quarter time, moving his skipper Jack Taylor to a loose man in defence.
Munro was the best player on the ground in the second term, and his mark and goal after four minutes of play brought the margin back to seven points.
The Cobras squandered their opportunities in the second stanza; having 11 scoring shots to three, but follow up goals to Matt Ryan and Machaya would be the only major output in a 3.8 to 1.2 quarter.
The Cobras kicked out to a nine-point advantage at one stage, but a goal to Zac Walker – similar, but as good as Machaya’s first-quarter masterpiece – saw the margin cut to three points at the major break.
Munro’s tackling was a feature, as was his ability to find himself being lifted from the bottom of packs throughout the majority of the afternoon.
Former Phillip Island skipper Jaymie Youle would play an important stopping role on Munro, in a second half that was even more affected by a gradually increasing breeze.
Cora Lynn coach Shaun Sparks gave Tristan Warkuss the task of quelling the dangerous Hayden Bruce, and he would have been happy with the beginning to the third term.
The Cobras defended strongly, but a right-foot snap from Orlando Kane-Gillard gave the Bulldogs a four-point lead.
A lucky goal to Tom Baulch, who shanked a snap but watched it bounce over goal-line defenders, extended the margin to 12, but the Cobras still felt ahead; given their wind-advantage in the final term.
But that all changed when a late set shot to Daniel Bourke stretched the margin to 18 points at the final change of ends.
Phillip Island defended brilliantly in the last period of play, with the strength of Youle keeping Munro under wraps at the stoppages and Jesse Patullo keeping Nathan Gardiner goalless for the very first time this year.
Patullo was a surprise selection to play on the back-to-back century goal-kicker, but the decision proved a masterstroke for Pedersen and his coaching team.
It took 27 minutes for Heath Briggs to kick the only goal of the final term, by which time the Bulldogs had already punched the first ticket to the big dance.
The wind ruined the game as a spectacle, but the Bulldogs fully deserve their prize after defending better for longer in the second half.
Patullo and Youle were clearly the Bulldogs best, while two goals to Hayden Bruce, and fine efforts from Walker, Alex Duyker and Charlie Bruce, played important roles in the victory.
Duyker’s experience and cool head in a crisis were particularly important after half time.
The Cobras didn’t do much wrong; and will probably blame their second-quarter inaccuracy for their defeat.
Billy Thomas was huge in the ruck for the Cobras, either holding in or trying to spread the stoppages – depending on the wind – while Munro, Luke Ryan, Luke Black and Jett Edwards were strong contributors for four quarters.
Matt Ryan was the best aerial presence on the ground, while defender Lachie Peluso was staunch and resilient in defence.
The pressure now rises for the Cobras, who take on near-neighbours Nar Nar Goon in a potential classic preliminary final showdown at Dalyston on Saturday.
The good news is, for the first time since the qualifying final of 2019 the Cobras lose a final and their season doesn’t come to an end.
They only have to wait a week to back up and try and earn a place in their third WGFNC grand final; following on from 2017 and ’19.
The prize for Phillip Island; well, it gets to sit back and watch the action; freshen its legs, and be cherry ripe for its fifth consecutive grand final.
A third premiership is still to be won; but five grand finals in a row is a remarkable achievement in itself.
