It was fourth time a charm for former Deniliquin man Doug Bond, as his St Mary’s side secured the Geelong Football Netball League seniors Blood Toyota Cup on Saturday.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
After losing in the grand final the previous three seasons, St Mary’s finally broke through for their first premiership win since 2008, defeating Colac by two points in an absolute thriller.
Bond, who last won a senior premiership with the Deni Rams in 2011, played a pivotal role in the win kicking four majors for the day.
After leading most of the game, St Mary’s were overrun by Colac with about 10 minutes to go.
As time wore on it looked as though it would be a fourth consecutive grand final loss for St Mary’s.
With his side trailing by five points Bond had the opportunity to kick a match winner in the dying stages of the game.
Taking a shot at goal from about 40m out, Bond looked to have secured the win for his side as the ball was on track for a goal, before a St Mary’s teammate touched it before the line in a marking attempt to rush it through for a behind.
What happened next will go down in footy folklore, with the kick-out seeing a loose ball tapped on from St Mary’s player Tom Lang to teammate Nick Connors.
Connors put the ball on the boot from 50m out, sending it through for a match-winning goal with two seconds to go in the game.
Final score, St Mary’s 10.14 (74) to Colac 10.12 (72).
Bond said it was a feeling of relief and elation when the siren sounded.
‘‘We were up all game apart from the last 10 minutes and the thought of ‘not again’ did start to creep in,’’ he said.
‘‘It happened to us last year (against St Joseph’s) where we led most of the day and then let it slip.
‘‘I thought that I had kicked the match winner until it was touched, but that doesn’t matter now, I’m just glad we got over the line.
‘‘To finally get success with the club after four long years was just incredible.
‘‘I was a part of the two’s flag St Mary’s won in 2017 but there’s nothing like a senior flag.
‘‘This current group has been through a lot in the last four years, but we’ve stuck together and finally got there.’’
It was a fairytale finish to what was a dramatic season for St Mary’s.
The eventual premiers were sitting seventh on the ladder after a 65 point loss to Colac in round 14, with eight wins and six losses to their name.
St Mary’s went on a winning streak from that point on, not dropping a game for the rest of the home and away season to finish fifth on the ladder with 12 wins for the year.
Bond and his teammates had a dominant start to the finals series with a 90 point win over Leopold and a 60 point win over Newton & Chillwell in their first two games.
St Mary’s led from start to finish in their preliminary final against reigning premier St Joseph’s, defeating the Joeys by 26 points to book their spot in the decider.
Despite suffering a heavy loss the last time they met Colac, St Mary’s went into the grand final with confidence, being only one of two teams to defeat the Tigers during the 2019 season.
‘‘We had a close win against Colac earlier in the year so we knew it was achievable,’’ Bond said.
‘‘We were also coming into the grand final in ripping form, having played each week in the lead-up and winning well.
‘‘To be able to kick four goals in a grand final was pretty good, but I wouldn’t have cared if I kicked none, the important thing was team success.’’
Bond had plenty of support at the game with his parents Ricky and Lyn Bond, brother and sister in-law Cliff and Kelsey Bond, and sister Lily Bond all in attendance for the day.
The 24 year-old was quite appreciative of the efforts made by his family, particularly his mother and father.
‘‘Mum and dad have travelled down most weekends to watch me play and they absolutely love the club,’’ Bond said.
‘‘It’s a big effort for them to make it each week and I can’t thank them enough for their support.
‘‘I’m not too sure what’s next for me with my footy, I haven’t quite decided whether I’ll stick around at St Mary’s, but for now I’m just going to enjoy the premiership win.’’
16°C