A dream start set Lakes Entrance up for ultimate glory in the 2025 East Gippsland Football Netball League thirds grand final at Bairnsdale City Oval.
The Seagulls went into the match against Lindenow as warm favourites, losing just one match for the season and having accounted for their grand final opponent, Lindenow, in relatively easy fashion in the qualifying final.
With the conditions ideal and the wind not a factor – an unwelcome hinderance in so many finals at Bairnsdale’s premier football facility – the Cats got off to an encouraging start with two positive inside 50s, including a snap at goal which went the wrong side of the post from elimination final hero Archie Irish.
With Harper Davis, Bill Prior and George Ioakim prolific at the coalface and in general play, Lakes Entrance kicked four goals in first eight minutes, opening up an early 23-point advantage in the blink of an eye.
Giant forward Charlie Graham (four goals)
was the common threat in all four goals, kicking three of those and dishing the other to the rampant Ioakim (two), who finished cleverly around his body.
Charlie Graham’s third goal was from an
undisciplined reversal and resulting 50 metre penalty, which became a theme for the Cats whenever the drew close enough to possibly threaten the Seagulls.
Lindenow worked back into the match as the stanza progressed as Xavier Cook and Kane Callaway began to have an influence, working in well league best and fairest winner Titus Harrison (two), who bounced back after his Seagulls opponent, Thomas Graham, had his measure in the first final.
Most Cats forays forward were cut off by
Max Stevens, Harrison Bennett and Davis, who were getting plenty of support from Harrison Bennett, who took home the AFL Victoria medal for player of the match.
Kade Musselwhite was already a standout for the Cats, a pillar of strength on the last line of defence, blanketing the dangerous Oscar Hopkins.
Lindenow got its first goal 15 minutes in after some outstanding tackle pressure, as the inside 50s began to even up and they began to settle after a nervous start.
Kaian Ritchie slotted a clever direct shot from deep in the pocket, narrowing the margin to 16 points at the first break with the Cats showing in the final 10 minutes of the term they were more than capable of matching the Seagulls, but
their delivery inside 50 would need to improve if they were to make a significant impact, Stevens and Harrison Bennett picking the ball of much too easily.
Charlie Graham marked strongly in the opening minute of the second term, but missed from point-blank range.
The match became a real contest as the combatants kicked three goals each, Lindenow tightening up around the stoppages, Ioakim and Davis still getting their hands on the football but not allowed to stream forward, which created more 50-50s.
Harrison kicked the first of the term, shortening the lead to just 11 points, Ritchie finding the agile big man who had two bounces through the middle and converted stylishly from 45 metres.
A superb kick from Stevens found Charlie Graham who kicked his fourth for the half from 35 metres.
Isaac Zagami extended the lead to more than 20 points shortly after, Harrison Bennett utilising another 50 metre penalty, getting the ball forward where Zagami read the play beautifully to snap from 40 metres.
The Cats were rewarded for their tackling intensity shortly after when Harrison marked strongly while resting forward and made no mistake.
Late in the quarter Jarrell Hood made a statement for the Lindenow, capitalising on a sloppy throw from a Seagulls defender, narrowing the margin to 14 points which pleased the Cats’ coaching panel.
But they were disappointed at the centre clearance when Thomas Graham palmed directly to Ioakim, a clearance genius, who streamed forward with Samuel Ditchburn running onto a lose ball and slotting it through with authority.
The Cats came hard in the third term as the Seagulls weren’t as clean as they were in the
first half, a spilled mark resulting an early goal to Ryan Hine.
Archie Irish, Thomas Faithfull and Callaway all had chances for Lindenow as Harrison and Baxter Bennett proved a constant stumbling block across half back.
Ditchburn hit the post from point-blank range, Lakes 15-point leaders which was back out over 20 shortly after with Baxter Bennett marking the kick out and converting from the goal line after another 100 metre penalty.
Frustration was evident as tempers flared, Musslewhite and Faithfull again working tirelessly in defence for the Cats, the latter fighting back strongly after Charlie Graham kicked four goals on him in the first half.
Ioakim took advantage of a lack of focus in the highlight of the match, gathering on centre wing, handballing to himself, before taking four bounces and converting from 40 metres, making the margin 28 points.
He was given another kick at goal before the ball made it’s way back to the middle, missing from 35 metres, the margin 29 points at the final change.
Both camps were upbeat at the final change, Lindenow coach Pat Alexander encouraging his players to believe and follow what has been successful for them all season, while Seagulls mentor Jordan Cullen, was keen to see the
big marks from the forwards, clearance domination and reiterated that one goal will break
the opposition.
Lindenow’s hopes of a last-term revival were dented significantly at the break with key playmaker, Xavier Cook, sent off and reported by a boundary umpire for a strike.
Charlie Graham went back in the final term with Stevens employed forward, where he took the mark of the match, but couldn’t convert, the only goal of a lacklustre final term kicked by Xavier Pepper at the 12-minute mark as the both sides went through the motions in the final eight minutes, the Seagulls ecstatic at the final siren, running out 38-point winners in a contest that certainly wasn’t all one-way traffic.
The Cats were left to lament some undisciplined periods, which ultimately cost them dearly on
the scoreboard.
Best for the winners were Harrison Bennett, Ioakim, Charlie Graham, Davis, Max Stevens
and Prior.
Musselwhite was a standout for the Cats,
while Harrison, Callaway, Simpson and Ritchie all tried hard.
FINAL SCORE
Lakes Entrance 4.0 7.4 9.8 10.12 (72)
Lindenow 1.2 4.2 5.3 5.4 (34)
GOALS – Lakes Entrance: C. Graham 4, G. Ioakim 2, I. Zagami 1, X. Pepper 1, S. Ditchburn 1, B. Bennett 1. Lindenow: T. Harrison 2, R. Hine 1, J. Hood 1, K. Ritchie 1.
BEST – Lakes Entrance: H. Bennett, C. Graham, B. Thomson, G. Ioakim, B. Prior, S. Ditchburn. Lindenow: K. Musselwhite, T. Harrison, K. Callaway, O. Simpson, K. Ritchie, L. Irish.
BEST-ON-GROUND: Harrison Bennett, Lakes Entrance.
