Bundoora claims come-from-behind win over North Heidelberg on Good Friday
A Richmond VFL young gun produces a Good Friday special to help inspire Bundoora to a come-from-behind win over North Heidelberg.
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Bundoora’s VFL connection has inspired a Good Friday comeback win over NFL Division 1 rival North Heidelberg.
Richmond VFL-listed pair Jackson Bowne and John Jorgensen, Coburg’s Nathan Howard and ex-AFL star David Zaharakis were at the heart of the Bulls’ 20-point come-from-behind victory at Shelley Reserve.
However, a nasty knee injury to star big man Hamish Shepheard saw him taken to hospital, souring the 14.12 (96) to 11.10 (76) victory.
In just his fifth senior game, Bowne particularly shone with his clean disposal and line-breaking pace on show.
The 19-year-old Northern Knights graduate secured a place in Richmond’s VFL squad this season and put his hand up for a Tigers debut with a best-on-ground performance.
Bundoora coach Michael Ryan liked what he saw from his young charge.
“He’s a very good footballer, Jacko, and it’s still early on in his senior career,” Ryan said.
“He’s going to have his moments and he’s playing probably the hardest role on the ground as that hybrid, high half-forward.
“To get reward for effort in the role he plays, we were rapt for him.”
North Heidelberg took an 18-point into quarter-time, holding Bundoora to just a pair of behinds.
Ryan accused his players of “s--ting the bed” and playing “cowboy football” and the margin only increased to 21 points at half-time.
However, the Bulls came out firing in the third quarter, inspired by Bowne and Zaharakis, piling on six goals to turn the game on its head.
Zaharakis showed his brilliance with a pair of memorable goals – the first launched from 55m after a strong tackle was rewarded and the second coming from tight on the boundary to split the middle.
“Full credit to North Heidelberg, the way they hunted the football and their attack on us forced us to turn the football over quite a bit,” Ryan said.
“It was ‘cowboy footy’ because we were taking too many 50-50 options and it hurt us on turnover.
“The big change was Sam Lloyd and David Zaharakis getting their hands on it, Zaharakis’ third quarter was huge.
“We weren’t getting the best out of David because we weren’t supporting him enough but in the third quarter guys went out of their way to get the ball into his hands and Sammy in the middle was huge.”
After trailing by 27 points just before half-time, Bundoora went into three-quarter-time with a 15-point lead – a 42-point turnaround.
Goals to Jesse Tardio and Billy Hogan had North Heidelberg within eight points in the final term but Nathan Thomas quickly restored a 14-point buffer and when Brenton Keating kicked truly after a 50m penalty the game was over.
It was a tough day for Shepheard who was taken to hospital after a freak accident.
“He’s sliced his knee open on the fence and on the back of that it looks like he’s got 15 stitches,” Ryan revealed.
“We’ve got to monitor him over the next couple of weeks to make sure infection doesn’t get into it.
“It was a freak accident unfortunately, he went into the signage on the fence, and he got a poke in the eye before that as well.”
Coupled with hamstring tightness for David Zaharakis Bundoora were left with few options in the final term.
Ryan paid tribute his team for gritting the game out and skipper Brent Marshall and Brendan Carlyon for shutdown roles on a pair of key Bulldogs.
“We knew we were compromised in terms of personnel so it was all about grit,” he said.
“The team that showed the most grit in the last 30 minutes would be the team that won and full credit to the boys, North Heidelberg came at us a couple of times, but we were able to hold on.
“The role Brendon Carlyon did today on Jesse Tardio was huge for us.
“Brendo and Nipper Marshall, the roles they played, we don’t win the game of footy if not for those two and the selflessness they showed.”
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Thomas and Jorgensen finished with three goals apiece, while Hogan, Harvey and Jared Crosbie all kicked two for North.
Tardio, Liam Nunan, Nick Matthews and Jack Mapleson were among the Bulldogs’ best.
Both teams now have a week off with Round 3 split over a fortnight.
Bundoora is on the road again with a trip to Hurstbridge, while North Heidelberg hosts West Preston-Lakeside.
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