Leopold won the Geelong Football League premiership on Friday September 27 at GMHBA Stadium. The Independent’s Justin Flynn was there and saw it all unfold.
2.04pm: Leopold’s Marcus Thompson wins the toss and chooses to kick to the Joel Selwood stand end first.
1st QUARTER
45 seconds: The first score of the game goes to South Barwon with skipper Matt Caldow missing a snapshot he would normally kick. Leopold (L) 0.0 vs South Barwon (SB) 0.1
1 minute: Fraser Fort misses from 45, on the boundary. SB’s big guns have gotten their hands on the ball early. L 0.0 vs SB 0.2
2 minutes: Fort grabs the ball out of the ruck and snaps truly for the opening goal of the game. L 0.0 vs SB 1.2
4 minutes: Jake Pitt marks strongly and kicks well from 10m out on a slight angle. First goal for the Polders. L 1.0 to SB 1.2
6 minutes: Connor Giddings marks well and runs around the mark and goals. L 2.0 vs SB 1.2
10 minutes: The Swans’ Jack Driver cops a heavy knock, but is a tough nut and plays on.
12 minutes: Brock Williamson goals with a great snap for Leopold’s third. L 3.0 vs SB 1.2
15 minutes: Sam Scott with Leopold’s first miss for the afternoon with a banana/checkside. L 3.1 vs SB 1.2
20 minutes: Riley Stone bobs up with an opportunistic goal and the Lions lead by 17 points. L 4.1 vs SB 1.2
21 minutes: Doyle Madigan plays on to get some extra distance, but it’s off the hands of the pack for a behind. L 4.1 vs SB 1.3
24 minutes: Jonty Broughton misses from a tight angle. L 4.1 vs SB 1.4
27 minutes: Jackson Carmody kicks from 50m after a free kick and the Swans needed that one. L 4.1 vs SB 2.4
29.59: It’s quarter time and Leopold leads 4.1(25) to South Barwon 2.4(16) in a high-standard game. The kicking skills in particular are impressive from both sides.
2ND QUARTER
4 minutes: Broughton gets a free and kicks well from 30m on a slight angle. L 4.1 vs SB 3.4
8 minutes: Patrick Kelly goals from a set shot 30m out. South Barwon back in front. L 4.1 vs SB 4.4
11 minutes: A rushed behind for the Swans. L 4.1 vs SB 4.5
14 minutes: a huge tackle by Stone is rewarded and he kicks from 50 but hits the post. 4.5 to 4.2
15 minutes: Giddings kicks his 2nd for the day from a set shot 30m out on a slight angle. Leopold regains the lead. L 5.2 vs SB 4.5
18 minutes: A good passage of play ends in Billy Ritchie leading well for set shot from 35m. He dobs it. L 6.2 vs SB 4.5
19 minutes: Fort misses from 20m. L 6.2 vs SB 4.6
22 minutes: Scott misses narrowly from a set shot. L 6.3 vs SB 4.6
27 minutes: Caldow misses from long range. L 6.3 vs SB 4.7
28 minutes: South Barwon looks certain to score, but Tevan Nofi takes a massive defensive mark and clears for Leopold.
27.55: The siren sounds to end the first half. It’s anyone’s game as Leopold leads by eight points, 6.3(39) to South Barwon 4.7(31)
3RD QUARTER
3 minutes: Luke Justin never looks like missing from 30m, slight angle. Nice mark, too. At full stretch. L 7.3 vs SB 4.7
5 minutes: massive tackle from Lachie Noble results in a free. Kicks beautifully from 45m and makes no mistake. Only eight points in it. L 7.3 vs SB 5.7
7 minutes: Scott miskicks straight up in the air, but James Edmonds pounces and snaps around his body to goal. L 8.3 vs SB 5.7
8 minutes: Wow! A massive clash between Scott and Tom Bartlett sees Scott leave the field. He’s hurt by that one.
10 minutes: Ethan Borys goals from 30m after a mark. The Swans needed that one. Back to eight points. L 8.3 vs SB 6.7
11 minutes: Trent Thomson with a smart kick to Giddings, but he misses. L 8.4 vs SB 6.7
13 minutes: The first 50m penalty of the game and Nofi ends up with the ball in defence.
16 minutes: Logan Wagener to Ritchie with some smart play. He kicks from 50m on the boundary and it’s the hands of the pack for a behind. L 8.5 vs SB 6.7
20 minutes: Thompson grubs one through after a good passage of play and lets his opponent know all about it. L 9.5 vs SB 6.7
23 minutes: a rushed behind for Leopold. L 9.6 vs SB 6.7
28 minutes: Thompson almost pulls off a miracle dribble goal but it was saved right on the line.
27:53: one quarter to go and the Polders hold a 17-point advantage. The first goal of the last will be very important. L 9.6(60) vs SB 6.7(43)
4TH QUARTER
1 minute: Borys looks like he has hurt his ankle and is really struggling to move.
2 minutes: Edmonds gets the vital first goal from a set shot. L 10.6 vs SB 6.7
5 minutes: Tom Feely has a long-range shot but it’s off the hands of the pack. L 10.7 vs SB 6.7
7 minutes: South Barwon dominates for what seems like ages, but a goal-saving smother by Jett Matthews just might be the ‘big’ moment for Leopold.
9 minutes: Will Sheahan misses on an angle from a mark. South Barwon are just holding on. L 10.8 vs SB 6.7
12 minutes: James Edmonds runs down the wing, baulks and bounces, but looks to have done a hamstring.
12 minutes: Giddings misses narrowly. The margin is 26 points now and it’s slipping away for the Swans. L 10.9 vs SB 6.7
14 minutes: In a captain’s moment, Thompson smothers and forces a ball up.
16 minutes: Caldow takes a mark and/or free kick after some good play from Jack Driver. He goes back and nails it. There’s a pulse. L 10.9 vs SB 7.7
18 minutes: Blair Huggins takes a big defensive mark.
20 minutes: Ritchie runs into an open goal and the Polder fans roar. Surely that’s the game? L 11.9 vs SB 7.7
21 minutes: The crowd figure is shown on the scoreboard with 10,242 people attending. Throw in a couple of thousand for the netball and it’s been a big day.
21 min: The Swans with a centre clearance and Fort replies instantly with a big goal. L 11.9 vs SB 8.7
23 minutes: Driver goals with a superb kick after a good mark running back with the play. The Swans’ crowd comes to life. They couldn’t, could they? L11.9 vs SB 9.7
25 minutes: A rushed behind after a real chance sees Leopold hanging on by 13 points. L 11.9 vs SB 9.8
27 minutes: rushed behind to Leopold. L 11.10 vs SB 9.8
28 minutes: Understandably wanting to move the ball quickly, Lachie Weidemann kicks out on the full. Thompson puts it to the top of the square where Pitt marks and goals. That’s the ball game folks. L 12.10 vs SB 9.8
30 minutes: Pitt to Wagner, who misses. L 12.11 vs SB 9.8
29.46: That’s the siren. Leopold has won consecutive flags with a 21-point win in a terrific game, 12.11(83) to 9.8(62). The Polder army celebrates as do players and coaches. Coach Garry Hocking bows out with successive premierships.
4.57pm: Brock Williamson (Leopold) is announced as the inaugural Frank Fopiani Medallist. He is presented with his medal by Frank’s son Connor.
