Noble Park’s Kris Barlow, above, was in tears after missing a set shot at goal late in the grand final against Vermont, as was Daniel Kennedy, left, who was comforted by outgoing Bulls coach Shane Burgmann.By Marc McGowan
IT is the moment every footballer dreams about – the kick after the siren that will win their team the grand final.
Noble Park’s Daniel Kennedy had the opportunity to live out the dream in the Eastern Football League Division One decider against the Vermont Eagles at Bayswater Oval on Saturday.
With time rapidly running out and the Bulls trailing by five points, Daniel Norman sent the ball deep into attack and Kennedy was, somewhat controversially, awarded a mark as the final siren blew.
Kennedy, who had already drilled through three majors, found himself less than 15 metres out from goal and on a slight angle, and looked set to reverse last year’s EFL grand final result.
But his hesitant attempt went across the face and only registered a behind, handing the Eagles a four-point victory and their third straight flag.
Kennedy slumped to the surface in tears and was quickly surrounded by disbelieving team-mates, who tried to console him.
Noble Park star Kris Barlow, who played for Hawthorn and Vermont, was another to be reduced to tears after missing a similarly straightforward shot from the top of the goal square only minutes earlier.
Despite the Bulls having a multitude of chances to steal the contest in the final term, the Eagles were the deserving winners after dictating play for most of the day.
Vermont full-forward Matthew Greig began the match on 98 goals after booting 1.7 in his team’s come-from-behind seven-point success over East Ringwood in the preliminary final the previous weekend.
Tim Hansford was Greig’s surprise minder at the first bounce and it did not take long for the lanky forward to have an impact.
Two quick leads and marks only resulted in points, with Greig’s shaky kicking again on display, but his intent was obvious.
Noble Park, which fielded 11 different players to last year’s losing grand final side, kicked the first two six-pointers of the afternoon through Kennedy and gun midfielder Craig Anderson, before ruckman Brad Hall opened the Eagles’ count.
Greig brought up his ton with two late goals in the quarter, but it was the Bulls who held sway by 13 points at the first break through the performances of Anderson and resolute defender Lloyd Williams.
A new Vermont emerged from the huddle, and two more majors to Greig and another to Kire Talevski saw the team snatch the lead.
The Bulls rallied, but their disposal let them down, and with Ryan Mullett continuing to dominate in the middle of the ground and Greig adding his fifth, the Eagles’ buffer was 16 at half-time.
The margin was quickly slashed by six points after the resumption when David Velardo’s wayward kick forward landed in the arms of Kennedy, who made no mistake from close range.
Ashley Froud, who became increasingly influential across half forward the longer the outing went on, was Vermont’s lone goal-scorer in the third stanza, but it was enough to maintain the half-time edge.
The fourth term was a battle royale as Noble Park made its charge.
Heath Black converted the first of his two majors to kick start the Bulls’ revival, and when Benn Logan goaled on the run, the difference was just five points.
Vermont’s Leigh Morse pushed it back out to 12 points before Barlow’s horrid miss moments later, but Black bobbed up with a mark and goal to make it a five-point game.
Kennedy’s final shot ended the clash and Noble Park’s tilt at a third EFL premiership.
Eagle Nathan Henley won the Cliff Tomkins Medal for the best player in the grand final.
Bulls coach Shane Burgmann, who has resigned from his post for work and family reasons, was thoroughly disappointed after the match.
“It was pretty gut-wrenching,” the former Melbourne player said.
“The boys fought hard enough to get back in that situation of being able to kick (for victory) after the siren, but it just didn’t work out for us.
“We should never have gotten ourselves into that situation.
“It’s always sad when it comes down to one decision like that, and he’s feeling it and that’s the sad thing …
“It doesn’t make last year any better because you hate losing. It sits in your guts and I hate it.”
