BY KIERAN ILES (BENDIGO TIMES)
The lure of a fairytale finish will drive Gisborne this finals series, as the Bulldogs aim to close a successful chapter in the BFNL on a high.
With the club bound for the Ballarat league next season, Bulldogs dual premiership coach Tarryn Rymer said this year’s finals would be a touch bittersweet as their association with the BFNL comes to an end.
But as the Bulldogs prepare to face old foe Sandhurst in this Saturday’s qualifying final, Rymer says they are intent on making every last moment count.
“Whether we are leaving or not, the girls want to win no matter what; they are all competitors,” she said.
“But when you talk about it being the last time on the QEO, playing in the Bendigo league, we want to do as well as possible.”
In some respects, this year’s finals for Gisborne could be likened to a rock band on a farewell tour, trying to capture one last spark to end things on a high.
Having finished the home and away season in second spot a 13–3, including a four-goal win over Sandhurst in round 17, Rymer is certain the Bulldogs are capable of going deep into September with one proviso.
“If the girls can play their best netball,” she said.
“Flat are going to be very tough to beat; Sandhurst will be tough to beat. Eaglehawk and South Bendigo tough also.
“You also have to remember that anything can happen in finals. Sandhurst in 2023 were undefeated for a long time, but we got there.
“We’ll definitely have to string together four solid quarters, but the girls can do it and we’ll certainly give it a red-hot crack.”
The Bulldogs warmed up for finals with a convincing 58–19 win over Golden Square last Saturday at Gardiner Reserve.
Rymer, the BFNL’s senior interleague coach this season, said she would always look back with fondness at the enduring rivalries the Bulldogs had been a part of during their tenure in the BFNL and not just the obvious recent ones against 2023 grand final rival Sandhurst and 2024 opponent Kangaroo Flat – the three teams having dominated the ladder standings in the post-COVID era.
“Golden Square and Eaglehawk were super strong at times, and I remember one year where nearly every team was battling for a spot in the five – Strath, Maryborough, pretty much everyone.
“I guess the last few years, you couldn’t go past Sandhurst and Kangaroo Flat.
“I feel everyone is motivated, but as we have always known, it’s such a strong league.
“Grand finals are hard to come by in this league.
“It would be the cherry on top (winning one final A-grade flag), but you don’t take anything for granted and we’re certainly not.”
The Bulldogs will enter their final Bendigo league finals series with four members of their 2023–24 premiership double – defenders Kirby Elliott and Charlee Kemp, midcourter Emerson Lakey and young goal shooter Torie Skrijel, who was best on court in the 2024 triumph.
The new breed of Bulldogs is headed by Bendigo Strikers pair Amity Drayton and Emily Miles, fellow midcourter Dasha Taylor, young goaler Charlee Duff-Tytler, wildcard Nirvana Martin and defensive weapon Tilly Shepherd, who represented Bendigo at interleague level earlier this year in her first season back in the competition and should figure prominently in Betty Thompson Medal voting in a few weeks’ time.
Whatever transpires over the next four weeks,
Rymer said the club could look forward to an exciting new era in the Ballarat league against the likes of old-time foe Sunbury, nearby Bacchus Marsh and Darley (currently reigning premiers), perennial powerhouse North Ballarat, coached by former Castlemaine player Maddie Fitzpatrick (nee Carter), and emerging team Lake Wendouree.
“It’s in the best interests of the club for us to be in the Ballarat league, but when you look at netball especially, there is so much history in Bendigo,” she said.
“It will be sad to not be a part of a netball community we’ve built friendships, connections and rivalries in, so we’ll miss seeing everyone.
“In that regard it’s a bit bittersweet, but there is certainly an air of excitement for what’s next and the opportunity to forge new rivalries.”
