It’s been the story of the year for Bundoora . . . it never got going at the right times in the Northern Football League division 1.
Last year’s premiers struggled with injuries and form all year, but finally had its strongest team at the end of the home-and-away matches and looked like challenging for another title.
That dream lasted only one quarter of the finals, with the Bulls kept scoreless in the opening term of the elimination final against Macleod at Preston City Oval on Sunday.
From there the Bulls were left to chase Macleod’s tail and went down 11.18 (84) to 8.10 (58).
Bulls football manager Daryl Richards said it wasn’t just the first quarter that cost them, but the first half.
“We were outrun, outsmarted and outplayed,” he said. “In the change rooms before the match I thought we were ready to play but it didn’t happen.
“Macleod had a five-goal breeze in the first quarter and we were happy with them kicking four goals. But we never got near them and they kept a five-goal buffer for the rest of the match.”
The Bulls hopes of a last-quarter comeback weren’t helped when key forward Cameron Cloke injured a quad and an ankle and ended up on the bench.
Cloke’s forward line partner, Gary Moorcroft, kicked five goals.
Richards said the Bulls’ season never reached the heights they expected.
“A lack of form and injuries ruined it [but] we made finals so we got excited,” he said. “We got all the players back but perhaps some of them were underdone.”
Richards said the club would now start recruiting for next year.
“We have to advertise all coaching positions as per club policy, but I’d be surprised if there were changes,” he said.
In the qualifying final, Greensborough beat Montmorency 10.13 (73) to 8.12 (60).
Greensborough now faces Heidelberg in the semi-final, while Montmorency faces Macleod.
