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Bundoora is celebrating a second Northern Football League premiership in three years after an astonishing final-quarter turnaround saw the Bulls storm home to beat minor premier Montmorency.
Trailing by 33 points at three-quarter time, Bundoora booted 9.8 to nothing in the final term and crushed the Magpies’ hopes of a first flag since 1979, when the competition was known as the Diamond Valley Football League.
When the final siren sounded the scoreboard read 17.21 (123) to 13.16 (94).
It was an incredible finish to what had been an odd game. In the first term the Bulls looked uncharacteristically flat, struggling to get the ball into their forward half as the Magpies dominated across the ground.
When the Bulls did go inside 50, key forwards Cameron Cloke and Gary Moorcroft had little chance because of poor delivery, a number of kicks being grubbers.
It threatened to get ugly, but Montmorency was also wasting opportunities in front of goal, finishing the quarter with 3.9.
The Magpies extended their league in the second term and led by 35 points at one stage.
The Bulls’ only highlight for the term was a superb Cloke torpedo goal from about 70 metres out on a tight angle.
But skill errors continued to cost the Bulls, Alex Chiocci intercepting a handpass in Montmorency’s goalsquare and kicking a goal shortly before the siren.
The third quarter followed a similar pattern, the Magpies dominating early and jumping out to a 47-point lead at one stage.
The game appeared all but over, although Moorcroft, who won the AFL ‘mark of the year’ while playing for Essendon in 2001, showed he still has the leap by taking a screamer in the goalsquare and converting.
But moments later, when Cloke dished off a handpass to Salvatore Mamone 20 metres from goal, it was fumbled and the three-quarter time siren sounded.
With Montmorency playing only once in the previous three weeks, you’d have expected the Magpies to have the legs. But the Bulls, who started pre-season early after a disappointing straight-sets finals exit last year, made the Magpies look decidedly second-rate in a barnstorming final term.
Skipper and best-on-ground Brayden Shaw started the fightback with the first goal of the quarter (and a couple of misses). Moorcroft and Adrian Papaluca also missed before Cloke marked and goaled to cut the margin to 11. He jumped in delight, his fists pumping, and suddenly Bundoora was looking dangerous.
Montmorency couldn’t get their hands on the footy out of the middle and when Cloke and Moorcroft combined for a goal for the first time all afternoon, the Bulls hit the front.
The Magpies had little fight left and the Bulls ensured there would be no heartbreak with more goals to Trent Barbero and Shaw, the latter of whom ran past the fence high-fiving supporters with the win sealed.
Bundoora fans started the “Hey, hey, hey, goodbye” chant and Moorcroft kicked the last goal as the siren sounded.
The Bulls then broke into song after sealing the division one premiership.
