Eagles ease past Tigers to secure flag

Gordon 15.18 (108) defeated Springbank 6.7 (43)

AFTER a shaky start, Gordon have flexed their muscles to win the 2022 Central Highlands Football League premiership in a comprehensive 63-point victory at Mars Stadium last Saturday.

Breaking a 34-year drought, the Eagles have capped off not only an impressive season where they only lost one game, but two year period during which they utterly dominated everyone in the competition.

Mick Nolan was named best on ground and in the thick of things all afternoon, showcasing his mercurial foot skills across half back.

The swingman sat out the qualifying final with a hamstring complaint but didn’t look to miss a beat over the last two weeks in a return to form across the half forward and back line.

The Tigers won the toss and elected to kick with a slight breeze towards the Creswick Road end, but it was the Eagles who settled first with a flying shot from Ethan Crackel from 40 meters drawing first blood.

Nolan started forward but as the Tigers wrestled control through Todd Finco in the midfield, he dropped behind the footy to stem the bleeding.

Springbank’s Stephen Staunton was always going to have a say in this match one way or another with a couple gettable markers missed by him costly, but he did claim a late opening term goal to mean his side trailed by a single digit at the first break.

Now with the wind at their back the Eagles were able to find their mojo in the second as they slammed home six unanswered goals to take a commanding 40-point half time lead.

The Tigers had no answer for Gordon tall forwards, as Adam Toohey and Brendan Sutcliffe dominated their aerial battle with Luke Gunnell and kept Patrick Glanford accountable.

Springbank battled back with goals to their dynamic duo of Staunton and Zak Bozanich getting them within striking distance but a final quarter blitz from Gordon secured the premiership.

Toohey, unlucky to not get the medal with a six-goal haul and game that saw him take mark after mark at the vast expanses of MARS Stadium, but nevertheless an ecstatic coach with a premiership medallion the only real reward the superstar needed to cap off the perfect season.

In the reserves it was Springbank that saluted with a 10.4 (64) to 8.12 (60) win over Skipton.

The under 18s again saw Springbank lift the trophy in a 6.5 (41) to 4.9 (33) effort against Gordon.

Lastly Buninyong took the under 15 premiership, getting the job done 7.6 (48) to 2.11 (23) over Daylesford.