No fairytale ending for TSL star as North Hobart climbs off bottom of table with thrilling victory

The stage was set early for one final Jaye Bowden masterclass as Glenorchy jumped North Hobart, before the fleet footed Demons turned the tables to derail Pie celebrations.

Glenorchy Jaye Bowden leaves the ground after losing to North Hobart in his farewell match. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

• Jaye Bowden to play final match for black and white
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THE script was on track before a cruel plot twist crushed Jaye Bowden’s hopes of a fairytale TSL ending as North Hobart spoiled the celebrations at league headquarters.

In the last match of his glittering career for Glenorchy, Bowden threatened to sign off in spectacular fashion after he helped engineer a blistering start which saw the Pies open up a 25-point buffer at quarter time.

But the Demons — winless since round three — turned the tables with nine of the next 11 goals before holding off one last gallant comeback to register a thrilling 10.10 (70) to 10.7 (67) win.

Glenorchy Jaye Bowden marks during the game against North Hobart at North Hobart Oval. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

The result lifted the Demons off the bottom of the table while also keeping their faint finals hopes flickering, as Glenorchy was relegated to the doldrums.

All went to plan in the first 25 minutes, with Bowden kicking two goals in the opening stanza and having a hand in another two as the Pies started brightly.

However with Julian Dobosz (five goals) firing at the other end of the ground the hosts stormed back into contention in the second term, with Bowden booting his side’s only major.

North kicked the first four goals after the main break to complete a 38-point turnaround and when skipper Nathan McCulloch kicked truly two minutes into the last quarter the margin edged out to 20 points.

North Hobart celebrate a goal against Glenorchy at North Hobart. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Desperate to farewell Bowden on the right note Glenorchy refused to wilt, cutting the gap to two points deep into time on through a pair of Matthew Joseph goals and another from Sam Rundle before time ran out to complete the perfect script.

“It is a bit of a strange feeling and something you can’t really prepare for, it only happens the once, bit weird but quite emotional,” Bowden said after the defeat.

“You think about all the things that have happened during your career and all the people in the room and how they’ve helped you.

“It felt a bit like a grand final, everyone was wishing you well and congratulating you. It is spring and other people are playing finals, it felt like we were in another granny.

“The result wasn’t great … we were really good in the first quarter but credit to North Hobart, they got the ascendancy back through the midfield.

“We did fight back late, back to a couple of points so I went back to the goalsquare thinking it might be the fairytale but it wasn’t to be.

“We had a crack, you win some and lose soon and I’ve won more than I’ve lost over my career so I can only be happy with that.”

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