By Alice Barker
Bribie Island held the QFA Division 5 Grand Final trophy high in their much deserved 18-point win over the Marcellin Old Boys at Voxsan Oval, capping off a spectacular season on the green.
Both sides had a shot at taking out the season’s title on Friday night, but it was the Bulldogs who prevailed, defeating the Old Boys 10.9 (69) to 7.9 (51).
This win is sweet for the Bribie side following their unsuccessful finals campaign last year which saw them being knocked out in the Preliminary Final by Yeronga in an agonizing 15-point defeat.
This year, Bribie have had a strong season with only three losses for the year, and entered the big dance in better form having beaten the Old Boys by 57-points a fortnight ago.
The Bulldogs entered the clash with a two game to three advantage, having defeated the Old Boys in Round 3 and 13 of the regular season including handing down a massive 160-point victory to the significantly unmanned Marcellin side in Round 13.
The Grand Final was their fifth meeting of the season and the Old Boys were out for redemption from the first bounce.
They dominated much of the play but accuracy faltered when they really needed it most, resulting in them missing big opportunities at goals early on in the term.
Neither team managed to put a major on the board until the 18th minute of play, and it was Bulldog’s young gun and leading goal kicker Joshua Bear who scored for the home team putting them in a comfortable position entering the first break.
The second term was when the game really began, within the first two minutes Matthew Trewhella booted two majors putting his front foot forward for the Old Boys.
The Bulldogs didn’t take long to respond, as the man of the minute Joshua Bear booted two majors while Daniel Scott added his two cents kicking another major all before the ten-minute mark.
Signs of the Bulldogs’ seasoned experience was evident in the second half as they lifted and began to pull away from the pack, but it was the Old Boys defense which kept them in the race.
The Bribie Island team sealed their fate in the fourth term, making severe impact to the scoreboard proving too good for the away team.
The Old Boys left their mark on the Bribie team, with former QAFL ruckman Anthony Penny giving his team many opportunities as Matthew Trewhella made significant impact to the scoreboard.
Stand-out performances were seen from Tyler and Tate Gilmore and Jake Hedley, while Joshua Bear claimed the best on ground medal in the win.
For the Marcellin team they’ve still had a victory climbing their way from eighth place on the 2018 ladder to making their way to the Grand Finals this year.
GOALS – Bribie: J. Bear 4, J. Bentley 2, T. Gilmore, D. Scott, T. Gilmore, J. Macgregor, T. Wagner. Marcellin: M. Trewhella 4, B. O’Brian, A. Cullen, Z. Caughey.
