Riddell advances to RDFL grand final after beating Broadford in another thriller

RIDDELL has set up a grand final showdown with Diggers Rest after clinging on to another nailbiting win in the Riddell District Football League.

RIDDELL has set up a grand final showdown with Diggers Rest after clinging on to another nailbiting win in the Riddell District Football League on Saturday.

A week after edging Macedon by three points in their semi-final, the Bombers scored a four-point victory over Broadford in the preliminary final at Lancefield Park, 8.6 (54) to 6.14 (50).

“It was probably very similar to last week,” Riddell coach Jamie Elliott said.

“Their good players really stood up late and our younger blokes probably ran out of legs a little bit on that bigger ground which was fairly heavy after the rain. But we just hung on.”

The Bombers appeared in control for most of the match, both around the ground and on the scoreboard in the low-scoring affair.

They led by 22 points at the main break and extended the margin to 28 points midway through the third quarter before Broadford found another gear.

The Kangaroos kicked the last goal of the third term and the first two majors of the final quarter to get back within a kick.

But a “huge” Brian Ruffell goal at the 20-minute-mark of the final term steadied the ship for Riddell.

Romain Grenville bagged a major for Broadford at the other end minutes later, but the Kangaroos could not find the big sticks again after that as desperately as they tried.

Riddell’s defence was key to the win, with Ben Sonogan restricting Broadford’s Rex Hickman to one goal and Tim Walsh once again starring.

“Tim’s had a fantastic year. I think he’s been the best back in the league this year and he stood up again when it was needed,” Elliott said.

Scott Walsh, Michael Treweek and Paul Sahlberg were other standouts in the triumph.

Elliott said Diggers Rest — which has lost just one game this year — loomed as a formidable grand final opponent but added his side had matched up well against the Burras in two previous encounters this year, falling by just eight points in Round 16 and 31 points in Round 1.

“They’ve obviously got some really good players with AFL experience and VFL experience and they’ve got a lot of local talent that are going well too,” he said.

“So we’ll have to be on our game, there’s no doubt about that.

“But I think we’re a chance. We’ve pushed them twice and we’ve been in front at three-quarter-time on both occasions, it’s just they’ve ran over the top of us.

“But hopefully we’re in the contest and we’ll see how we go from there.”

The grand final will be staged at Romsey Park from 2.45pm on Sunday.