Tom Hayes
WITH everything on the line, the North Gippsland football elimination final was a one-sided affair on Sunday.
Sale City and Heyfield filtered into fourth and fifth respectively after 18 rounds, having to play each other for progression in the finals picture.
Heading to the Rosedale Recreation Reserve, the fifth-placed Kangaroos stole the show, dominating the Bulldogs 18.16 (124) to 9.12 (66), setting up a first semi-final against Woodside this Sunday at Glengarry.
The intensity between the two teams was high as the game got underway. Both sides went inside 50 without a score, perhaps showing flashes of what was to come.
Four minutes into the opening term, Heyfield ran coast-to-coast on the far wing, as the kick inside 50 found Kyle Graham on the run, who ran inside and snapped truly around his body for the first score of the game.
The Kangaroos doubled their lead just minutes later, and all of a sudden Sale City’s intensity was gone, about five minutes into the first quarter. The Bulldogs’ intensity was replaced with hot temper, which cost them dearly.
Heyfield made it three straight when a downfield free kick on the goal line made for the easiest of conversions.
With all of the run, Heyfield’s Liam Heasley rebounded from defence after the following centre bounce, kicking long inside his forward 50. A bump on the possession sent a free kick downfield again.
Sale City players became frustrated, forcing a physical nature upon Heyfield which cost them another 50-metre penalty. Heyfield kicked its second from the goal line and fourth for the game after just 12 minutes was played.
A quick kick out of the pack found its way through the big sticks for the Kangaroos minutes later. Even when it looked like they weren’t trying to score, they were.
Eighteen minutes into the first term, and Heyfield was first to the ball every time. Shaun Humphreys was excellent on the lead, marking out in front, and converting from the arc to make it six straight for the Kangaroos.
It was getting ugly for Sale City now, who were beginning to take the form of witches hats, and only 20 minutes had surpassed.
The Bulldogs barged their way forward for a rare inside 50, which was marked by Sale City coach Jacob Schuback. When it finally looked like they would have their first score, his kick drifted across the face, hitting the top of the behind post.
Five minutes later, the Bulldogs continued to put in work, making it more difficult for Heyfield to stretch upon their lead. But their good work would be undone by split-second decisions that would hinder their progress.
An arrant push in a ruck contest gave away another free kick to Heyfield in front of goal, as the Kangaroos nailed their seventh in a row.
With the siren nearing, Heyfield continued to surge inside 50 with every opportunity, and when they did, they went deep to the square.
Seemingly out-marking Sale City at every instance, Heyfield’s Daniel Burton decided to jump head and shoulders above the rest, taking a monster mark in the goal square on the back of the Bulldogs’ defenders. He slotted it, with the siren sounding shortly after and the game reaching a tipping point already – Heyfield led 8.4 (52) to nothing.
At quarter-time, the message was clear to the Bulldogs who had a mountain to climb. Schuback told his troops to lift their intensity and begin to take risks through the corridor. Shouts of “reset” and “chip away” sparked some fight in the Bulldogs as they entered the second term.
The game began with a first quarter blitz, followed by a somewhat even contest. However the second quarter began with Heyfield picking up exactly where it had left off.
Sale City won the first clearance, but it was intercepted by Heyfield defender Thomas Marchesi, who took off as he frequently did throughout the day. The Kangaroos transitioned from defence to attack in a matter of seconds, with Finn Stephenson converting his set shot.
Minutes later, the Bulldogs finally got on the board, but it was only a minor score. Sale City’s Flynn Read was intervened with in a contest, but his set shot sprayed wide. Nonetheless, their scoreboard had moved.
As the quarter moved toward the midway point, scoring had hit a lull, which was a positive for Sale City, but still they weren’t chipping away at the margin.
Both sides entered their forward 50s on multiple occasions without a score, but Heyfield would take full advantage of another defensive error, when Humphreys had his arms chopped 15 metres out, directly in front, kicking his side’s 10th straight goal.
Despite being 66 points down midway through the second term, Sale City made it difficult for Heyfield to get much further away, finally kicking its first goal of the game 21 minutes into the second quarter.
The Bulldogs’ momentum continued, with repeat entry after repeat entry, yet minor scores were the only ones ticking.
Another forward 50 entry to the Bulldogs saw Kane Martin mark on the siren. He went back and made no mistake to keep the game alive at half time, the score reading 10.8 (68) to 2.7 (19).With the chance to ice the game in the third quarter, Heyfield certainly started as if that was the plan.
Tyson Birss got things going with a snap around the body under pressure by Sale City defenders. The Kangaroos had two in five minutes when Humphreys broke another chain of Bulldogs’ run with another snap going through the big sticks. Heyfield began to run away with it, leading by 63.
Minutes ticked by with no majors. Sale City assumed much of the possession, slowing the game down with the ball in its hands, when the Bulldogs possibly should’ve been sending Hail Mary’s to cut the margin down.
Graham slotted another against the run for Heyfield midway through the quarter, as Sale City continued to miss its opportunities, while the Kangaroos oppositely weren’t.
With the quarter coming to a close, scoring started to free up a bit more. The Bulldogs had their chance to kick their first for the quarter, but Martin’s shot went wayward – out on the full. Heyfield ran coast-to-coast from the turnover, ending with Graham kicking another around the body.
With not a lot of stoppage in the third quarter, the siren was expected a bit earlier, but it didn’t come when expected. Sale City still had time.
From the centre bounce, the Bulldogs surged forward, forcing a ball-up inside 50. From the stoppage, the ball was palmed down and expertly converted for the Bulldogs’ first of the quarter.
They added another through Ostin Waugh in the goal square, following a Heyfield turnover as they attempted to exit its defensive 50.
Moments later, as the siren was about to sound, Sale City best-and-fairest Cooper Whitehill kicked another from a stoppage, completing a three-goal run in four minutes before the siren sounded.
Heyfield led by 60 at three-quarter-time, but it was on the brink of being much worse.
The message at the Heyfield huddle was to finish the Bulldogs off and to win the last quarter, while for Sale City, it was told a similar message to that of quarter time – roll the dice.
The floodlights turned on as clouds began to cover the reserve, rain was on its way.
Burton got the party started for the Kangaroos with the first goal within the opening minute of the final term, dribbling one through an unattended goal square.
Sale City pegged a couple back in the next 10 minutes through Martin, but Graham continued to find himself in handy positions, cancelling out the Bulldogs’ scores.
During the final 15 minutes, the game was well and truly iced. Both sides kicked two goals each as the game opened up a tad more, but the result was set in stone.
Heyfield claimed a massive win over one of the in-form teams in the competition to keep their season alive.
Kyle Graham was best-on for Heyfield, kicking six goals. Also highlighted was Robert McMillan, Heasley, Humphreys, Isaac Wheeler, and Marchesi.
For the exiting Sale City, Hudson Tollner, Whitehill, Chris Kelf, Martin, Bradley McKay, and Mitchell Evans were stand-outs.
