Heidelberg claims Northern Division 1 premiership, defeating Bundoora
In the driving rain and Preston City Oval mud, Heidelberg showed its class to claim the Northern Division 1 premiership on Saturday.
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Even in the driving rain and Preston City Oval mud, Heidelberg’s class shone through.
The Tigers secured a first NFL Division 1 premiership since 2016 with a hard-fought 15-point win over Bundoora in Saturday’s grand final.
A clash that promised so much – a sequel to the epic semi-final a fortnight ago – was stripped of end-to-end excitement but instead delivered a gripping, uncompromising conflict.
The 6.11 (47) to 5.2 (32) victory delivered Heidelberg its 29st senior flag and 21st top flight Northern Football League title.
It also broke the Division 1 semi-final curse, the Tigers becoming the first team in nine years to win the flag after having the week off.
Grand final medallist Matt Smith, Lachie Wilson and Sam Gilmore drove the Heidelberg engine all day and Josh Minogue proved his brilliance with three goals and ability to take contested marks when no one else could.
Already a Tigers great, coach Danny Nolan ascends to the highest echelon of club legends becoming a premiership player and coach.
The now six-time premiership winner said the weather actually made him more confident heading into the game.
“I think just reward for our efforts … it was a tough game, it was 50-50, Bundoora a quality side,” he said.
“Believe it or not, it made me feel more confident, I just thought our game on the ground would be good.
“It’s sort of strange, Bundoora’s aerial game had been really good in the last few games, so when it started raining I was happy with that.
“I thought we controlled the majority of the game, our tackling pressure was good – so was Bundoora’s – and I thought we were cleaner when the ball came our way.”
Despite the weather, a large crowd packed into Cramer Street for the blockbuster between the best two teams of the season.
Heidelberg started the stronger, holding Bundoora scoreless in the first quarter, but took until the 18th minute for Minogue to kick the first goal of the game.
The Tigers led by 10 points at quarter-time with inaccuracy denying it a more sizeable lead.
The Bulls hit back in the second term, John Jorgensen taking just two minutes to open the Bulls account and Jesse King splitting the middle, either side of a Brayden Sier major, to reduce the margin to five points at half-time.
Bundoora hit the lead in the opening minutes of the third as Jorgensen soccered through a goal, Lionel Messi would have been happy with.
The Bulls looked to have the ascendancy before Minogue stamped his authority on the game.
The Tigers spearhead launched a 50m bomb to retake the lead before Kyle Green responded with a long-range goal of his own.
Minogue then took what was probably the first contested mark of the game, flying through a pack in the Bell Street End forward pocket.
He snapped truly from the tightest of angles to give his team the lead once more and it proved permanent.
Tempers flared briefly after Bailey Thompson’s set shot after the three-quarter-time siren didn’t make the distance and Heidelberg took a six-point lead into the final change.
Nathan Honey put his side 12 points up inside two minutes of the final term and Kai Kearns sealed the game with a classy finish on the run.
Jesse King booted his second with only minutes remaining as Bundoora pushed until the final siren but it was not meant to be.
Nolan said he made a simple request of his players at three-quarter-time.
“I asked for them to keep the ball moving forward, scrap it forward,” he said.
“I thought they were making some ordinary decisions when running for the ball and trying to pick it up, I said just get it forward.
“It came our way at the end, we kicked it off the ground a few times it went from inside their 50 to inside our 50, it’s common sense but they did it well.”
Smith was rewarded for his brilliant match with the best-on-ground medal, adding to his second straight Coaches’ MVP award won on Wednesday night.
Midfield partner Lachie Wilson and skipper Sam Gilmore were both critical in the win, while Sean Martin’s leadership across half-back was outstanding.
Nolan could only marvel at his midfield trio.
“Matty has been fantastic for our footy club, he’s helped me, he’s got a really good footy brain, and it’s well deserved, he was fantastic today,” Nolan said.
“I thought Lachie was unbelievably clean given the conditions.
“Sam probably rucked 95 per cent of the game … he had a bit of a rough week two weeks ago, probably Shepheard got the better of him.
“He’s only been beaten once before this season and the rebound game he did the same to that ruckman and I think he answered back again today. A really good club captain, I couldn’t have been prouder of him.”
Bundoora were far from disgraced.
The Bulls have arguably been the best team across the cancelled 2021 season and 2022, winning 24 of 33 matches.
Captain Brent Marshall was near best-on-ground to half-time as he and Neville Jetta patrolled the half-back line, stopping a host of Heidelberg attacks.
In the slippery conditions, talls Hamish Shepheard, Jesse King and John Jorgensen still made a significant impact.
Coach Michael Ryan congratulated his rivals on their season and the whole league.
“Well done to Danny and Heidelberg, they’ve had a great season and were the better team today,” he said.
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“I think every coach and club should be congratulated for making it through this season and playing some fantastic footy every week.”
The Bulls didn’t go home empty-handed, winning the reserve grade premiership for the third season in a row.
Bundoora claimed a dominant 52-point win over Heidelberg, 10.13 (73) to 3.3 (21) to split the day’s games. Nathan Howard was awarded the grand final medal.
In the under-19s, Montmorency came from fifth to claim a thrilling three-point victory over Heidelberg, winning 6.8 (44) to 5.11 (41) in a grand final boilover. Brock Binion was adjudged best-on-ground.
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