Despite losing four players to injury across the game — including star Tatura product Brayden George to a suspected ACL tear and Shepparton Swans young gun Max Clohesy to a groin injury — the Bushies showed great character, with a blistering final term almost having them snatch a famous victory.
But the class of the Dragons won out in the end, as the Melbourne-based team kept its season rolling for another week with an 11.11 (77) to 10.7 (67) victory.
Despite the disappointment of losing the game, Bushrangers coach Mark Brown said he was incredibly proud of his team’s efforts.
“From our point of view we were really proud of the boys,” Brown said.
“Sandringham are obviously a very talented opponent and it was a fantastic game of footy to be involved in.
“Over the course of the day we lost four boys to injury, so we essentially played with only two rotations and the last quarter with one.
“So to rally off the back of that and kick five goals in that last quarter to their one and get within nine points, we were really pleased with the effort and it was as competitive and combative as they’d been all season.”
Faced with blustery conditions at Williamstown, the Murray boys were competitive throughout the first half, keeping the talent of the Dragons well contained to trail by nine points at the main change.
But kicking with the breeze in the third term, Sandringham capitalised, piling on four goals to the Bushies’ one to have them well and truly on the brink.
With just one rotation heading into the last term, the Bushrangers would have been forgiven for being blown away.
However, the character of Brown’s team took over, booting five goals to give the highly-fancied metro side a major scare.
“At three-quarter time we were thinking the lack of rotations may have caught up to us, but to the boys’ credit we swung Jedd Longmire forward and they really lifted,” Brown said.
“We got our hands on the ball, started pumping it deep and ended the game full of running which was really pleasing.”
Although it was a day filled with positives for the Bushrangers on the field, there was the overwhelming negative of George’s knee injury, with the projected first round draft pick going down with a serious knee injury.
Brown said it was a disappointing way to end the season for the Tatura product, who proved himself to be one of the most impactful underage footballers in the country in 2022.
“He had a meniscus operation on his knee 12 weeks ago, and he rehabbed brilliantly to come back to the track really strongly,” he said.
“We were conservative with his return, he played a half at Bendigo last week and looked really good and we were confident he’d put in a good performance against Sandringham.
“Unfortunately he just came up at the footy, took a mark and came down awkwardly and his other knee went, so it’s just footy being its cruel self.
“The medical staff suspect it’s an ACL, which is a massive blow for the young man, but he’s done an amazing job all year and this won’t affect his draftability at all.”
