Storm, Gisborne mark league first

TWO of the most dominant clubs of the past two decades, Strathfieldsaye and Gisborne will clash in a Bendigo Bank Bendigo Football League senior football grand final for the first time this Saturday.

The showdown of Storm and the Bulldogs at Queen Elizabeth Oval will cap what’s been a brilliant season that was dubbed by AFL Central Victoria as Play On.

It will be Strathfieldsaye’s seventh grand final appearance in eight seasons.

Storm’s streak includes premiership wins in 2014, ’15, ’17 and ’19, and runner-up in 2013 and ’18.

Gisborne has not contested a senior grand final since 2012 when it was beaten by Golden Square by three points.

The Gisborne Bulldogs ran hot in the early 2000s when premiers in ’02, ’03 ’05 and ’06, and runner-up in 2004.

This season’s meetings between the grand finalists stand at two-one in favour of Gisborne.

An 83-77 victory on Storm’s turf at Triple M Park in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane in round five was followed by a 116-58 win against Storm at Gisborne’s Gardiner Reserve in the 14th round as Pat McKenna kicked eight goals.

After finishing third in the home and away series, the Darryl Wilson and Shannon Geary-coached Strathfieldsaye was first to the grand final.

Storm charged to a 38-point win against Golden Square in the qualifying final and then marked an 83-71 victory against Gisborne in the second semi as Jack Neylon, Callum McCarty and Jake Moorhead starred.

The Rob Waters-coached Gisborne kept premiership hopes alive in a thrilling preliminary final clash with Golden Square.

Down by nine points at a quarter to go, Gisborne scored 3.2 to 1.3 in the last for a dramatic 57-55 victory.

Two of the league’s best forwards, Storm’s Lachlan Sharp or Gisborne’s Pat McKenna will raise the premiership cup on Saturday evening.