Lakes Entrance made it back-to-back premierships in the East Gippsland Football Netball League thirds competition, defeating a gallant Lindenow by 23 points at Bairnsdale City Oval.
The victory marked 14 consecutive wins for the Seagulls in a near-faultless season, having only dropped a match to the Cats in round four and recorded a draw with Wy Yung in the season opener.
Both coaches were nervous pre-game. Finn Somerville was looking to coach a flag in his first season after taking over the helm from Jordan Cullen, while Patty Alexander, in his second year in charge, was hoping to add to the Cats’ silverware and secure two pennants from four consecutive grand final appearances.
Alexander was upbeat yet realistic, knowing it would take something special to knock off the powerful Lakes Entrance outfit.
The Seagulls effectively decided the match in the first term, kicking four goals to one to build a 19-point lead by the first change. Lindenow battled hard to mount a challenge but could never get close enough to threaten.
A 25-9 clearance deficit severely hampered the Cats’ chances.
League best and fairest winner Thomas Graham dominated in the ruck, comfortably winning his duel with 2025 winner Titus Harrison. Graham’s tap work gave midfielders Zane Holley, Harper Davis and co-captain Riley Jenkins first use of the ball.
Up forward, Oscar Hopkins (four goals) and Max Stevens starred. Stevens demonstrated the benefits of his recent senior-level experience, with his marking, elite kicking, courage and pedigree marking him as a future star of the competition. He kicked the first goal of the game within the opening three minutes following his second mark, before combining with Hopkins shortly after to set up Archer Connally for the Seagulls’ second.
The match initially shaped up as a shootout when Malakai Hood-Marks snapped truly for the Cats.
Hopkins then kicked his first goal at the eight-minute mark after the ball fell to the back of the pack off a long kick from Davis. Lindenow tightened up and created opportunities as the quarter progressed and the inside 50 count evened out. However, a late solo effort from Davis — intercepting at the 50-meter arc and taking two bounces — established a pivotal three-goal cushion that Lindenow could not bridge for the remainder of the contest.
Holley asserted his influence in the second term, finding Hopkins twice for mixed results, while Graham became almost impossible to bypass as a sweeper behind play. He received strong support across half back from
co-captain Harrison Bennett, who backed up his exceptional performance from last year’s decider.
The Cats responded to coach Alexander’s quarter time call to take risks, led by gutsy defenders Kade Musselwhite, Draven White and Will Davidson. Jhye Ritchie and Xavier Lane were productive through the middle, but on too many occasions the Cats kicked directly to the waiting Graham. The Seagulls added behinds to their tally before a goal after the siren for Lindenow from Malakai Ritchie narrowed the half time margin to 23 points.
The Cats matched the Seagulls on the scoreboard and in inside 50s during the third term, with both teams registering 3.1 (19). Liam Irish, Nash Aquilina and Xavier Cook lifted for Lindenow, while Durome Abbey took over ruck duties as Harrison rotated through defence and attack.
Lindenow struck first in the second half when a strong tackle by Malakai Ritchie was rewarded, setting up Charlie Moss for a classy finish. Lakes Entrance answered quickly through Leroy Hayes following determined play from Stevens. Harrison then tapped the ball to himself and followed up to score an extraordinary goal from against the fence.
The momentum was short-lived, however, as Hopkins kicked his third after marking a pass from Davis directly from the next centre stoppage.
When Jake DeDonato kicked his first, the margin blew out to five goals. Cook was forced off the field in the hands of trainers shortly after before returning to action, while Seagull Jeremy Rotheram was sidelined for the remainder of the match after receiving a heavy high knock following a free kick.
Despite the setback, the Cats kept their hopes alive by kicking the final goal of the term through Archie Poore.
Alexander challenged his players at the final break to believe, and the Cats responded with grit, again matching the Seagulls on the scoreboard with 3.1 (19) despite managing only five inside 50s for the quarter.
Lindenow needed the first goal of the final term to spark a run, but Holley, Stevens, and Hopkins combined smoothly before a free kick was reverted to the goal square, allowing Hayes to kick his second and virtually
seal the result.
Tempers flared in the closing stages as umpires handed out multiple 50-meter penalties. Harrison kicked two long-range majors for the Cats to give him three for the match, cutting the deficit to 17 points with 12 minutes remaining.
After a tense arm-wrestle, DeDonato kicked his second goal off a 100-meter penalty. Aquilina again brought the margin back to 17 points with five minutes on the clock, but a clever snap from Hopkins — his fourth of the day — provided the final dagger with three minutes left to play.
Harper Davis was awarded the best on ground medal, an honour that could just as easily have gone to Stevens, Holley, Graham or Hopkins. Bennett was outstanding at half back, further cementing his reputation as a big-game performer.
For Lindenow, Musselwhite, Harrison, Jhye Ritchie, Cook, Davidson and White battled hard all morning, but ultimately lacked the extra polish of Lakes’ “Fab Six.”
FINAL SCORE
Lakes Entrance 4.2 5.7 8.8 11.9 (75)
Lindenow 1.1 2.2 5.3 8.4 (52)
GOALS – Lakes Entrance: O. Hopkins 4, J. DeDonato 2, L. Hayes 2, A. Connally 1, H. Davis 1, M. Stevens 1. Lindenow: T. Harrison 3,
M. Ritchie 1, N. Aquilina 1, M. Hood-Marks 1, A. Poore 1, C. Moss 1.
BEST – Lakes Entrance: H. Davis, T. Graham, Z. Holley, M. Stevens, H. Bennett, O. Hopkins. Lindenow: K. Musselwhite, T. Harrison, L. Irish, J. Ritchie, M. Ritchie.
