RESERVES GRAND FINAL REVIEW | Golden Square’s reserves fight for victory
FOUR unanswered goals sealed a dramatic victory for Golden Square’s reserves footy team on Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL grand final day.
The Bulldogs were down 9-29 nearing the halfway mark of the second quarter against Sandhurst at Queen Elizabeth Oval on Saturday.
It was the Lachie Prest-coached Dragons who had done plenty of attacking in the decider of the Drummond Golf-backed competition.
First goal of the contest was kicked by the experienced Joel Wharton for Sandhurst in the third minute.
A Wilson Butler major made it 16-2 the way of the Dragons at eight minutes to go in the opening term.
Golden Square replied through Jack Sampson as the maroon and blue led 16-8 at quarter-time.
When James Vlaeminck and Charlie Robinson capped fine team play with goals the Dragons led 29-9 and in control of their pursuit of back-to-back premierships.
A goal by Jordan Salathiel at 2 ½ minutes to go in the quarter put the Bulldogs within 14 points at half-time.
Sole goal in the third was slotted by Golden Square’s Tanner Rayner who had been joint winner of the league’s goalkicking race.
A Bulldogs’ team jointly coached by Henry Anderton and Josh Baird trailled 26-29 going into the final quarter.
A Rayner goal in the ninth minute put the Bulldogs in front by two points.
Neither team scored until the final seconds when the Dogs added another point.
Shortly after and Golden Square was celebrating a 33-30 victory.
Best for the Bulldogs were James Wilkinson, ruckman Matthew Compston, Nic Ross, Jesse Gill, Jack Sampson and Tanner Rayner.
Sandhurst’s best were Louis Banfield, Tanner Nally, Charlie Robinson, Wilson Butler, Joel Wharton, Wil Pinniger.
Co-captains Sheldon Burke and Dean Norris raised the premiership cup to cap a season in which Golden Square went 13-3 in the home-and-away series.
The Dogs’ bounced back from a nine-point loss to Sandhurst in the second semi to beat South Bendigo in the preliminary final.
A well-known name at Golden Square, Wilkinson figured prominently as James Wilkinson earnt the R.F. Turner Medal for best afield.
Golden Square’s premiership-winning team:
B: Seb Pellegrino, Sheldon Burke, James Wilkinson.
Hb: Lachlan Monti, Noah Warfe, Jesse Gill.
C: Darcy Connell, Liam Thomas, Ned Jenkyn.
Hf: Zac Tickell, Nic Ross, Jordan Salathiel.
F: Tommi Turner, Tanner Rayner, Dermott Bell.
Foll: Matt Compston, Dean Norris, Jack Sampson.
Inter: Jayden Chaffey, Thomas Dillon, Rory McCrann-Peters, Bailey Rackstraw.
Golden Square had not won the reserves title since 2022.
Back in 2015 the Bulldogs marked a 75-73 victory against Eaglehawk in the grand final.
