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.<\/p>\n
The showdown of Storm and the Bulldogs at Queen Elizabeth Oval will cap what\u2019s been a brilliant season that was dubbed by AFL Central Victoria as Play On.<\/p>\n
It will be Strathfieldsaye\u2019s seventh grand final appearance in eight seasons.<\/p>\n
Storm\u2019s streak includes premiership wins in 2014, \u201915, \u201917 and \u201919, and runner-up in 2013 and \u201918.<\/p>\n
Gisborne has not contested a senior grand final since 2012 when it was beaten by Golden Square by three points.<\/p>\n
The Gisborne Bulldogs ran hot in the early 2000s when premiers in \u201902, \u201903 \u201905 and \u201906, and runner-up in 2004.<\/p>\n
This season\u2019s meetings between the grand finalists stand at two-one in favour of Gisborne.<\/p>\n
An 83-77 victory on Storm\u2019s turf at Triple M Park in Strathfieldsaye\u2019s Tannery Lane in round five was followed by a 116-58 win against Storm at Gisborne\u2019s Gardiner Reserve in the 14th round as Pat McKenna kicked eight goals.<\/p>\n
After finishing third in the home and away series, the Darryl Wilson and Shannon Geary-coached Strathfieldsaye was first to the grand final.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The Rob Waters-coached Gisborne kept premiership hopes alive in a thrilling preliminary final clash with Golden Square.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Two of the league\u2019s best forwards, Storm\u2019s Lachlan Sharp or Gisborne\u2019s Pat McKenna will raise the premiership cup on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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\u2019s been a brilliant season that was dubbed by […]<\/p>\n