Bulls charge into finals

By Paul Pickering
NOBLE Park ticked all the boxes in its emphatic final-round win over Knox on Saturday.
The Bulls stunned the hometown Falcons with a seven-goals-to-one first term and increased that margin at every siren.
With an 80-point victory, the visitors cemented third spot on the Division One ladder and secured the all-important double chance in the finals.
And the minor victories didn’t end there.
Given Noble’s recent history of lacklustre openings, Saturday’s explosive start was a particularly promising sign.
The Bulls also welcomed the return of injured playing-coach Kris Barlow and match-weary ruckman Andrew Gilbert, and both played a significant role in the dominant four-quarter display.
Barlow’s first-up form came as no surprise, but it was Gilbert’s return from a one-week layoff that provided most encouragement for the Bulls.
In the absence of fellow big man Matt Skehan, Gilbert’s prominence around the ground left the Bulls coaching staff with little doubt that he is ready to tackle the rigours of a finals series. He found plenty of assistance at his feet too, with the likes of Robbie Ferraro and Peter O’Brien cutting a swathe through the Falcons at the stoppages.
The Noble running brigade revelled in the vast expanses of Knox Gardens Reserve, and the swift ball movement gave forwards Dean Kelly (eight goals), Daniel Donati (five) and Heath Black (one) every opportunity to shine.
The success of the Kelly-Donati combination suggested that the Bulls have now overcome the spacing issues that plagued them mid-season.
That pair can also look forward to the likely return of injured spearhead Dave Velardo – and maybe Skehan – for Saturday’s qualifying final against Vermont.
Defender Daniel Rigg and the damaging Stewart Kemperman are also tipped to return from illness and injury respectively.
With all those positives, it’s no wonder Barlow was upbeat about his team’s performance on Saturday.
“We were pretty happy with the way the season ended up, playing at Knox on a nice big ground – similar to the grounds we’ll be playing on in the finals,” he said. “We approached Saturday’s game as part of our finals campaign, so it was good to get off to a quick start the way we did.”
Noble will now return to Bayswater Oval – the scene of last year’s agonising grand final loss to Vermont – on Saturday.
While the Bulls have looked vulnerable at times this season, Barlow is confident his charges are peaking at the right time.
“Going into the finals, we’ve got close to everyone available, so we should be fairly flexible in the way we set up,” he said. “We’re pretty happy with where we’re at, and we don’t fear any of the teams we’ll be playing in the finals.”
Indeed, Noble has already beaten second-place Vermont twice this season and split its clashes with ladder-leader Balwyn.
If the Bulls lose on Saturday, they will play the winner of Sunday’s elimination final between Blackburn and East Ringwood in the first semi-final.
A win would see the Bulls play Balwyn for a direct passage to the grand final.