BATHURST Giants turned up ready to put on a show in Sunday’s Central West AFL under 16s grand final.
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Giants were on the front foot from the outset at George Park as they ran away to a 7-17-59 to 2-3-15 win, in the process completing an undefeated season.
Bushrangers couldn’t find a way onto the scoreboard in the opening quarter and the Giants restricted their opponents to just a single behind up until three quarter time.
The Bushrangers were able to find a pair of goals in the final quarter but by that time the Giants had done the damage.
Charlie Moses and Jack Goodsell each kicked two goals for the Giants.
Giants coach Shane Broes said, despite the scoreline, his team had to put in the hard yards to earn their success.
“The boys had to work pretty hard. The Bushies came out to play,” he said in a post-match interview.
“In the end we prevailed and started to play a bit of the footy that we could. It was a great result. The boys played really well.
“They’re a great group of kids who have worked really hard all year. We got a good start with two or three early goals and we were able to go on with it from there.
“We lost Aiden Macauley in the first quarter with a broken arm and had another player come off with a bloody nose, so we were in the wars for a while there, but the boys who were still there settled in and did a great job.”
Broes was full of praise of Reilly Mitchell, who was one of several Giants players to boast senior football experience this season.
“Reilly’s just gone from strength to strength over the years,” he said.
“Obviously playing senior footy this year has helped his cause. He’s obviously a talent for the future of the club.
“The great thing is that we lose only five players from this team next year.”
The Bushrangers scored a consolation prize – outscoring the Giants for the last quarter.
Bushrangers coach Tony Fisher said his team should be proud of the way they played out the entire four quarters of football.
“I was really pleased with their efforts. By three quarter time you could say that the game was certainly over, but I changed a few things around in the last quarter and they put in a big effort,” he said.
In the end we prevailed and started to play a bit of the footy that we could. It was a great result. The boys played really well.
- Shane Broes
“We tried really hard, especially in that first quarter, but they put both Nic Broes and Mitch Taylor in the back line and that was very hard for us to get through.
“I had four under 14s stepping up to play for us. Connor Lynch was probably the smallest guy out on the ground and he showed a lot of guts.”
Fisher said his boys shouldn’t be discouraged by the result.
“I really proud. They tried they hardest all day, kept tackling and tried their hardest to get their hands on the footy. All I could ask for was for them to give 100 per cent and that’s what they did,” he said.
“Charlie Flude was outstanding, as usual, and I had a lot of boys playing for the first time this year who did a great job.”