EAST Gambier has claimed a Western Border football grand final berth with a decisive victory over Casterton Sandford at Millicent on Saturday.
It was a stunning performance by the Bulldogs, with co-coach Matt Scanlon leading the charge with eight goals in the 51-point victory.
Apart from the third quarter, the Cats were never really in the game, with the Bulldogs controlling the contest from the first bounce.
But it was not just Scanlon who served his side well, with no passengers throughout the contest.
The first goal of the day came from the boot of Kev Thomson and the long set shot had the Bulldogs up and about early.
The Cats were working hard to gain some forward momentum, but Jayden Eldridge was making his mark early, patrolling the back line, along with Frazer Scanlon, ensuring any threat was rejected.
Mark Kieselbach was in charge in the ruck contest, with Sam Broomby struggling against the big Bulldog.
Kieselbach’s work gave his running players first use, with the likes of Jack Dawe, Jesse Fry and co-coach Matt Willson feeding on the fast pace of the game.
While the Bulldogs continued to attack, Cats utility Josh Stephenson was finding minimal possession and few others were having an impact, with nerves resulting in fumbled possessions in the attacking zone.
Coach Hamish Jarrad banged the ball forward and Stephenson managed to take possession and snap a goal to settle somewhat, but it was short-lived.
The Bulldogs hit back soon after, with Eldridge chipping to Frazer Scanlon, on to Thomson, to Mark Rumbelow, then to Matt Scanlon for long shot.
The set shot drifted wide, but Eldridge stood up as the Cats attempted to clear the danger zone, intercepting on the wing, with Matt Scanlon chipping over to Matt McCallum for an easy goal.
When Dawe received a hand ball over the top inside the goal square for an easy major, the Bulldogs were 20 points up and the Cats were struggling at the first break.
The Cats pushed forward early in the second term, but Frazer Scanlon was fast becoming a road block.
Thomson banged a long ball forward from the wing to Rumbelow, who chipped into Matt Scanlon for a shot on the boundary.
Scanlon followed up soon after with another major and suddenly the Cats were looking done.
But they upped the intensity and looked to hit back, with Jarrad, Dylan Ryan and Michael Cummings driving the ball down the ground.
But Thomson and Matt Scanlon combined once more, with the East coach playing on for another goal.
When he added his fourth for the term the Bulldogs were up by 44 points and there was little hope the Cats could hit back.
The Cats continued to step up the intensity, with Trent Nesbit, Michael Jarrad and Killey up the ground, closing the Bulldogs attack down.
However, in a big blow for the Cats, mid-way through the term Stephenson was stretchered from the ground.
From there the Bulldogs were again on top, with Matt Scanlon claiming his fifth for the quarter and all-but sealing the game.
Tempers began to flare and the officials debated one of two free kicks that had been awarded near the Bulldogs’ 50-metre zone.
Fry was eventually awarded the free, with a 50-metre penalty making for an easy major and a big nine-goal lead at the long break.
From there it was all over, with Scanlon’s five-goal quarter sealing the Cats’ fate.
But there was still half a game to play out and Casterton Sandford ensured East would earn the victory.
Dylan Ayton and Travis Robertson were working hard in defence and Dylan Ryan eventually claimed a mark just inside the Cats forward 50, but the wind held it up and the ball dropped short.
Again the Bulldogs were away, with Willson switching play across the ground, but the Cats resisted the run and it was Billy Galpin who claimed the next major of the game.
The pressure continued to pay dividends, with Tynan Shannon goaling late in the term to add some respectability to the scoreline, but the Bulldogs were not about to rest on their laurels, with
Brad Rathjen chipping over the top to Willson, who banged a long ball over the head of Scanlon, who claimed a clever mark and subsequent goal.
While the Cats had the better of the term, they still trailed by 49 points at the final break and were unable to break the back of the Bulldogs as the game wound down, despite two early goals in the final term.
In the end the Bulldogs remained focused on the job and ran the game out to earn a hard-fought but comfortable victory.
Scanlon’s eight goals were complemented by Thomson’s two, with Dawe, Fry, McCallum, Rumbelow and Dempsey all adding majors.
For Willson, the day panned out as he had hoped.
“We wanted a fast start and I think we probably turned around our start from the week before where we let North get a couple of early goals,” he said.
“It was tough contested footy and we wanted to win the first quarter.”
Willson said the relentless pressure of the Bulldogs was what he expected in finals football.
“In finals footy you have to step up,” he said.
“We probably have a number of guys who have played finals footy for a few years now.
“They are really coming into their own and stepping up to the pressure.”
Willson said Matt Scanlon’s effort in front of goals was “fantastic”.
“He was terrific,” Willson said.
“That has probably been on the cusp of happening for a number of weeks.
“It was a terrific individual performance by him in a final.”
Willson said he backed his side’s running game, with the hard ball coming out to runners.
“It was about winning that contested footy inside where Casterton are so good,” he said.
“We have a lot of good ball users and a lot of leg speed, so we knew if we could match them in that area we were pretty confident we could get it into a bit of space.”
East last contested a grand final in 2009, with 1988 the last time the team held the premiership cup aloft.
But with that in mind, Willson said there was a huge task ahead.
“We come up against it in a super-strong team in North Gambier this week,” he said.
“It is a tremendous job in front of us.”
