North Heidelberg breaks South Morang hearts with after-the-siren victory

Zane Souleiman lived the dream on Saturday, kicking the match-winning goal after the siren to lift North Heidelberg and break South Morang hearts.

North Heidelberg players celebrate after the final siren.

Zane Souleiman lived every footballers dream on Saturday.

The North Heidelberg young gun kicked the match-winning goal after the siren to snatch a heart-stopping five-point win over South Morang in NFNL Division 1.

With less than a minute on the clock, Hamish Murphy intercepted the ball at half-back and found Brock Chircop on the lead in the middle of the ground.

Quick hands released a charging Luke Holian, who took a bounce, before launching the ball deep to Souleiman 20m out.

The siren sounded as he walked back to take his kick, he held his nerve and slotted the goal, sparking wild celebrations as teammates and fans mobbed him.

The clutch kick secured an 18.11 (119) to 17.12 (114) victory at Mill Park Lakes Reserve.

Bulldogs coach Kasey Duncan said it was a huge result for the club’s season.

“It’s the second one in two years, Liam Barber did it last year against Banyule when he was 23rd man,” Duncan said.

“Hamish was brilliant all day, he had the job on Noah Cumberland and blanketed him, he intercepted the ball and pinned the kick into the middle to Brock.

“He had quick hands to Luke, who ran, took a bounce, and hit up Zane, and – for the second year in a row – to have a young kid nail that goal is really uplifting.

“There was a bit of pandemonium after the game because of how important it was to our season.”

After a first-quarter arm-wrestle, South Morang took control in the second term – piling on eight goals with the wind at its back – to establish a 26-point lead at half-time.

However, North responded with an eight-goal blitz of its own to take a 19-point margin into the final term.

Four unanswered goals put the Lions back in front and it looked like the home team was charging to victory, but North kicked again.

A Kobe Van Zwienen goal and Jesse Christidis behind put South back in front but it wasn’t to be, as Souleiman’s heroics claimed the four points.

“Full credit to South Morang, they were clinical when they had the wind in the second quarter, they surged the footy and got us out the back several times,” Duncan said.

Mitch Dillon in action for North Heidelberg. Picture: Josh Chadwick

“They put a gap on us and there were some stern words for the boys (at half-time), we set a goal of kicking seven or eight in that third quarter, that was the minimum.

“We looked like we were playing our best footy and that started with Ben Giobbi in the midfield, his past month has been so powerful, and Jesse Tardio as he does – they kick-started it all for us.

“It was a small forward masterclass from Cooper Bugeja, he was always in the right spot at the feet of Lachie Smith and didn’t miss.

“To then kick three into the wind in that last quarter and hold on – the captain Brody Bell has a new role and was really good – they obviously hit the front and the way it happened …”

Cooper Bugeja finished with five goals to earn man-of-the-match honours.

Murphy, Giobbi, Tardio, Bell and Brodie White also impressed.

Duncan said it was the small forward Bugeja’s best game for the club.

“Absolutely, he not only hit the scoreboard but he played that high half-forward role and gave us plenty of run,” he said.

“He had his midfield minutes as well, he was brilliant, he had a couple of weeks off and has been great since he came back.”

For South Morang, Kobe Van Zwienen was named best afield, while Mitch Kalpakis, Tyrone Leonardis and Nathan Stefanile also shone.

Josh Lansfield bagged five goals.

The Lions are still chasing their first win of the season.

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“I said to someone, I did feel kind of bad for them but I’ve got to do my job, it would put me in a bad position if we lost that one,” Duncan said.

“They’ve been pushing sides all season, they play a really good brand of footy, they haven’t been blown out, and when they put that four-quarter performance in they’re going to be really strong.”

Elsewhere in Division 1, Heidelberg saw off a strong challenge from Eltham to record a 31-point win and Banyule pipped West Preston-Lakeside by 14.

Montmorency edged old rival Greensborough by 17 points and Hurstbridge smashed Bundoora by 82.