Panthers’ Decade of Dominance

Panthers’ Decade of Dominance

If Brent Grgic was the architect of the Bell Post Hill premiership era then consider his former captain and current successor Brad Martin the master tactician.

In just his first year on the job, Martin has become the third man in the club’s history to coach a senior premiership; adding another chapter to the Panther’s decade of dominance.

Ten straight grand final appearances, four consecutive flags and now seven of the last eight grand finals conquered thanks to the Panthers’ accurate final score line 17.2 (104) to 9.11 (65).

Nevertheless this battle was won in adverse conditions, losing ball winner Luke Turner in the opening minute (broken nose and fractured cheekbone) in a head clash.

“His lower jaw wasn’t lining up straight so from the second minute of the game we were a man down and we had to use the backup plan immediately on the rotations,” Martin explained.

“We spoke about it before the game, to just keep your head over it.”

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“We brought up how quickly things can change after seeing Jack Brauman’s injury the week before, imagine how we’d need to adapt if Renn (Lovitt) broke his ankle in the first contest.”

“Ironically, I said that ‘you might end up with a broken jaw’ but that’s what you sacrifice and Luke Turner always takes that on.”

The Panthers strung five straight goals in the second term to hold an early 39-point lead and did not look back from then on despite being a man down.

Martin paid tribute to his side’s professionalism throughout the entire finals series.

“Once we had that week off we had a massive amount of confidence with both our seniors and our reserves,” he added.

“If you keep going week after week after week then you don’t really have that chance to have a proper sit down and review.”

“So the fact that we had two weeks to train on the specifics showed today around the football and our intent to hold onto it.”

Though Jayden Ettridge proved to be most accurate finding six straight goals from his nine kicks Martin continued to recognise his pupils from line to line.

“We had Rhys Burke play on Michael Best and he was at evens – that’s a win in our book given how great of a player Best has been for them,” Martin recalled.

Best, who averaged 27 disposals in his previous two finals, finished the afternoon with a lowly 15 on this day.

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“He denied Best the outside run and inside 50 entries, he just kept on running and it worked,” Martin added.

In season 2017 Martin added the role of a tagger back into his side and it paid off again on the weekend when Inverleigh star Blake Hutchinson was held to four disposals in the first half.

“Daniel Walve and Jack Yates had the role on Hutchy in the middle and they shut him down, it was great considering Walvey hasn’t played in the middle all year,” Martin said.

As the final siren sounded veterans Adrian Fantella and Shane Lymer embraced each other for their seventh premiership hug, finishing with 28 and 19 disposals respectively.

“In our previous finals our backs won, the mids didn’t and forwards were probably even but on this day all three sections won in my opinion and I think everyone has a story to share.”

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The grand final was a spectacle of cunning marks, freakish goals and brave contests before a large television audience.

And one moment will always remain to the premiership coach going into his second year of recruiting.

“I remember when Mitch Gavin (Anakie recruit) took a courageous mark down back I was thinking to myself, the game’s over he’s now another premiership player for our club.”

 

QUARTER BY QUARTER

Q1

Luke Turner is hospitalised two minutes into the match with a fractured cheekbone in a clash of heads. In just his fifth senior football game prominent Corio Bay Stingray basketballer Liam Meyrich soccers through the opening goal (5’). Michael Grozdanovski takes a superb mark and goal for Inverleigh before the siren. Adrian Fantella collects 11 of his eventual 28 disposals in the opening term while Will Hamer keeps the Hawks alive in the middle.

Q2

Casey Meehan fires back for the Hawks with a goal in the opening minute. However it’s the Jayden Ettridge show from then on as the second year Panther finds three snap goals in the space of six minutes. Joel Page joins the party 40 seconds later before Matt Lentini makes it five in a row for the Panthers. A few Hawks find some footy this quarter in Dalton Grundell (10 disposals), Michael Best (8) and Nathan Mayes (7). Jak Kennedy Hunt finds his first major right before half time.

Q3

Still an arm wrestle in some aspects with listeners tuning in to 94.7fm from as far as Canada, Europe and South Africa online. Jayden Ettridge finds the first and last goal of this term to bring his tally to six goals from eight kicks at half time. Caleb Bacely finds plenty of footy in a phenomenal ten minute patch and Jake Barlow swings back to fill in for Tim Barton (corky). Two goals to Kennedy Hunt brings him to 110 from 16 games. Are they his last in the brown and gold?

Q4

A superb set up from Mayes finds Rob Logue, who recorded 31 disposals the week earlier, for goal to trim the margin to 19-points. Blake Hutchinson is then tripped by Caleb Bacely who is reported by umpire Joshua James (8’). Nick Costello finds his second goal with his third and final kick. Barlow flies back for a mark and accidently leaves Kennedy Hunt winded with a punctured lung. Hawk Ryan Soldic finds his second major but Logue is denied the same feat when Cam Addie takes a captain’s mark on the last line of defence. Barlow finds another two majors before Mitch Gavin kicks the game’s final goal at the 33rd minute. The Panther party begins on top of the hill. Grundell finishes with 24 disposals however Ettridge is our grand final medalist.

 

BEST ON GROUND VOTES

10 votes – Jayden Ettridge (Bell Post Hill)

9 votes – Adrian Fantella (Bell Post Hill)

3 votes – Jake Barlow (Bell Post Hill)

2 votes – Dalton Grundell (Inverleigh)

 

Alex Tigani votes: Ettridge 3, Fantella 2, Grundell 1.
Dale Smythe votes: Fantella 3, Barlow 2, Ettridge 1.
Jason Doherty votes: Ettridge 3, Fantella 2, Grundell 1.
Grubby Cations votes: Ettridge 3, Fantella 2, Barlow 1.

By Alex Tigani

GDFL Media/Geelong Advertiser (17/9/2017)

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