Page 84 - AFL Queensland 2015 Year in Review

NT THUNDER WINS GRAND FINAL BY A POINT OVER ASPLEY
NT Thunder snatched victory by a single point over defending premier Aspley in a nail-biting NEAFL Grand Final in front of a league record 5,889 fans at TIO Stadium.
Scores were level at the 28-minute mark of the final qua er as the Hornets came from 31 points down at the nine-minute mark to almost run over the top of the home side.
Gibson Turner scored consecutive points to put Thunder in front before Gavin Grose had a shot from the boundary to win the game.
It only registered a point sho ly before the siren sounded as Thunder won 11.15 (81) to 11.14 (80).
NT Thunder forward Chris Dunne won the Andrew Ireland Medal for
best-on-ground a er his four-goal pe ormance.
Hornets star midfielder Ma Payne collected 23 disposals, 13 clearances and a goal while Jon Williams was also prolific with 22.
Cameron Ile and Richard Tambling (21 each) were NT Thunder’s leading possession winners.
Thunder led by 11 points at qua er- time but Aspley turned the tables to lead by four points, before Thunder steadied to restore the lead at the main break.
Thunder found four goals to two in the third and fu her stretched the margin to 30 when Turner goalled early in the last before the Hornets came home hard.
2015 NEAFL GRAND FINAL
NT THUNDER 3.2 6.8 10.10 11.15 (81) ASPLEY 1.3 4.10 6.11 11.14 (80)
GOALS – NT THUNDER: C Dunne 4, D Ewing 3, M Hagan, J Lockwood, G Turner, L Patrick.
ASPLEY: E Hipwood 3, C French
2, T Dickinson, G Grose, M Payne, C Stevenson, N Jackson, E Sansbury, J Nelis
BEST – NT THUNDER: B Rioli, C Dunne, D Ewing, C Ile , J Beugelaar, T Motlop
ASPLEY: M Payne, M Hutchinson, J Wagner, C Stiller, J Williams, G Grose
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