Tigers down Hawks, eye GF clash with Anglesea

THIS year’s Bellarine Football League (BFL) Grand Final will be a Surf Coast showdown, with reigning premiers Torquay defeating Drysdale in today’s (Saturday, August 31) Preliminary Final.

The Tigers will play neighbouring rivals Anglesea next Saturday at Leopold’s Memorial Park following their 32-point win over the Hawks, 12.21 (93) to 8.13 (61).

Drysdale looked promising in the opening term despite star midfielder Ben Fennell being a late out, leading at the first break 10-20 and outkicking Torquay three goals to one.

Torquay responded in a big way with eight second-quarter goals. Reef Page and Chase Loftus starred early for Torquay with two apiece at this stage of the game, the Tigers leading 62-31 after an hour of play.

The Hawks kicked an inaccurate 1.5 to half-time, while the Tigers’ lead was a product of a 41-point turnaround.

Neither club could find scoring success coming out of the main break, with five behinds tallied before the third quarter’s first major in the 12^th minute by Ben Henderson provided a momentum boost to the Hawks.

Drysdale then went on a mini-scoring blitz, with Tom Ruggles, Jye Hawkins and Christopher Tainton all kicking goals in a 10-miute period, quickly bringing the margin back to within four points.

It set up a grandstand finish in the fourth quarter with only a kick separating the sides.

Torquay used the wind to its advantage, kicking the only three goals of the final term thanks to Matthew Boag, Charlie Ham and Jesse Dawson.

The final siren sounded with the margin just beyond five goals with Dom Gleeson and Torquay going to another Grand Final, their third in three years.

Boag, Dawson, Reef Page and Loftus each finished with a pair of goals each, as Ham, Tom Diamond, Clay Page and Max Hurley kicked one goal apiece.

Hargreaves and Tainton kicked two each for the Hawks. Ruggles, Henderson, Breust and Hawkins were lone goal-kickers.

Drysdale’s quest for a flag will have to wait another year, with the club last winning the senior premiership since 2010.

Torquay now gets a chance to rectify last week’s loss and claim ultimate Surf Coast bragging rights when it meets Anglesea in the Grand Final in a week’s time.

Torquay is looking to secure its 10^th BFL premiership and its second in as many years. Anglesea will attempt to win its fourth flag in the club’s history and its first since 1999.