A Sam Bourke masterclass has helped St Mary’s deliver a fairytale Geelong Football League premiership.
The crafty forward booted four goals and defied the wet conditions that swept over GMHBA Stadium in the third quarter.
With rain teeming down, Bourke snapped up the ball from the deck and threaded through a classy right-snap halfway through the third term to give Mary’s a 25-point lead.
The Saints held on in the last, winning by 15 points.
St Mary’s had a mass exodus of players during the off-season and was expected to struggle, but finished in fourth spot on the ladder and produced a barnstorming finals run.
The nucleus was always there and with several promising youngsters making their claim, St Mary’s was too good.
Joeys looked the better side in the first quarter, but St Mary’s had deserved reward for persistence, taking a four-point lead into the break thanks to late goals, one a brilliant dribble goal from Bourke and other courtesy of double 50-metre penalties. Lewis Antonac was taken high, but the umpire adjudged it holding the ball and with a 100-metre paid, was taken to the goal square where he kicked truly.
Conditions dried up for the last term, which was St Joseph’s best chance of pulling off a come from behind win.
They made a run with successive goals to Luke Webb via a nice dribble kick and then Joe Chaplin with a calm set shot at the 20-minute mark to reduce the margin to 18 points.
Joeys had a sniff now, but Bayley Cockerill, one of Mary’s off-season recruits, replied immediately to push the margin out to four goals.
St Mary’s ability to snuff out St Joseph’s challenge was impressive. They simply refused to let this one slip away.
Hamish Bourke was magnificent in keeping Joeys’ ace Paddy De Grandi to one goal, but also provided run and marking power in defence.
Keidan Rayner won the Frank Fopiani Medal for his job on young gun Hunter Lewis while Jack Blood was everywhere and Ryan Pendlebury shrugged off an early injury scare to make a massive contribution.
For Joeys, Chaplin always looked dangerous while Webb caused the Mary’s defence some headaches.
St Mary’s won the reserves premiership, coming from fifth to defeat Newtown & Chilwell by 23 points with Sam Christensen best afield with four goals.
It was a superb effort from Christensen, who put aside the disappointment of being left out of the senior side to be the difference.
South Barwon defeated Ocean Grove by 77 points in the Under 18 Division 1 decider with Zach Barnes best in ground for his four-goal effort while Samuel Meaney also booted four.
Both teams gave their senior sides a lot to forward to with a stack of talent sure to filter through to higher honours.
GRAND FINALS
SENIORS
St Mary’s 3.1(19), 6.2(38), 8.5(53), 10.8(68)
St Joseph’s 2.3(15), 3.6(24), 4.9(33), 7.13(55)
GOALS: St Mary’s – Sam Bourke 4, Matthew Copley 2, Elijah Wales, Elliot MacDonald, Jack Blood, Bayley Cockerill. St Joseph’s – Mitch Chafer 2, Paddy De Grandi, Joseph Chaplin, Lewis Antonac, Luke Webb, Felix Henderson.
BEST: St Mary’s – Sam Bourke, Hamish Bourke, Keidan Rayner, Ryan Pendlebury, Jack Blood, Chris Jansen. St Joseph’s – Joseph Chaplin, Alex Hickey, James Gow, Luke Webb, Joel Edwards, Liam Betson.
RESERVES
St Mary’s 1.7(7), 1.3(9), 5.7(37), 7.10(52)
Newtown & Chilwell 0.1(1), 2.2(14), 4.2(26), 4.5(29)
GOALS: St Mary’s – Sam Christensen 4, Cooper Hosking, Harry Segrave, Oliver Flynn. Newtown & Chilwell – Tom Beckworth, Michael Condy, Zach Barnes, Ashton Lovell.
BEST: St Mary’s – Sam Christensen, Henry Cook, Oliver Flynn, Noah Biggs, Harry Segrave, Thomas Soraghan. Newtown & Chilwell – Rory Diamond, Nelson Browne, Michael Condy, Casey Morrissy, James Gard.
UNDER 18 DIVISION 1
South Barwon 4.2(26), 7.5(47), 12.7(79), 18.10(118)
Ocean Grove 1.2(8), 3.3(21), 3.4(22), 6.5(41)
GOALS: South Barwon – Zach Stevens 4, Sam Meaney 4, Patrick Shirlow 3, Jai Hobson 2, Tyla Handscomb, Blake Boreham, Jai Natonewski, Jaxon Elzinga, Damien Hewson. Ocean Grove – Lenny Honner, Max Saltalamacchia, Byron Hansford, Zach Casamento, Fraser Stow.
BEST: South Barwon – Zach Stevens, Blake Boreham, Samuel Meaney, Jaxon Elzinga, Jai Hobson, Mitchell Ringin. Ocean Grove – Edward Clark, Charlie Confoy, George Every, Zach Casamento, Lenny Honner, Taj Burgoyne.
