Bulls ready for fight

By Paul Pickering
ON THE eve of Noble Park’s return to the Division One grand final, club president Kevin Wright has one regret about hiring senior coach Mick Fogarty this season.
“We just wish he’d been available last year.”
Wright freely admits that “it all went a bit pear-shaped” at Moodemere Street in 2009, when the Bulls lost their way under the polarising influence of high-profile coach Alan Ezard.
The decision to appoint Fogarty, a former premiership player who was working as an assistant to Shannon Grant at VFL club Frankston, was a statement of the club’s desire to revive the culture that had made Noble such a force.
Football manager Rob Clancy, who played a key role in Noble’s back-to-back flags in 2003 and 2004, also returned as part of a core group of past players to head up the footy department.
Nobody thought it would pay such handsome dividends so soon, least of all Fogarty himself.
“We knew we had a hell of a job this year,” he reflects.
“It was all about stabilising the club and getting the Noble Park culture back.
“We’ve achieved that, and the bonus is we’ve played some bloody good footy along the way as well.”
That they have, and in no small part because of an influx of talented young recruits.
Fogarty’s friendship with Grant, who took over at the Bendigo Bombers during the summer, was the key to signing ex-Dolphins best-and-fairest winner Tory Dickson and emerging Bendigo ruck/forward Lachie Delahunty.
They’ve kicked 135 goals between them this year; Delahunty booting 27 in between stints with Bendigo.
Ex-Sandringham duo Jarrod Plymin and Sam Monaghan – among a handful of former VFL-listed players – has added plenty of class to a side that already boasted some of the league’s most talented ball-users. Monaghan is likely to get the job on Scoresby star Joel Cross again on Saturday, having taken the points in that duel in Noble’s 63-point demolition of the Magpies in the semi-final a fortnight ago.
The minor premiers recaptured their mojo in the third quarter of Saturday’s preliminary final against Balwyn, kicking seven goals to the Tigers’ one on their way to a 21-point win.
Noble, under the leadership of mainstays Craig Anderson and Peter O’Brien, will start as a narrow favourite to claim its third Division One premiership.
The Bulls faithful will be hoping to erase the memories of the club’s last grand final appearance in 2007, when Daniel Kennedy’s infamous after-the-siren miss handed Vermont the flag.
The club has, not surprisingly, preferred to reflect on past triumphs this week, organising 2003-2004 premiership coach Dennis Knight to speak to the players at training tonight (Thursday).
Supporters will also gather at the Bullring for a barbecue before Saturday’s game, with a coach leaving at around 1pm for Bayswater Oval.
Reservations can be made by calling the club on 9546 0653.
Win or lose, there will be a function at the club on Saturday night, while the best-and-fairest vote counts will be held from 11am on Sunday.