World Footy News

December saw two of the major NZAFL Grand Finals played, with the favourites coming home in both the Wellington and Auckland leagues.

In Auckland, the University Blues ran out comfortable winners over the Mt Roskill Saints, while in Wellington the Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs, with only 2 Australians in their 24-man matchday squad, gave the Wellington City Saints a 102-point hiding.

In Auckland the much fancied University Club proved much too strong for their opposition, the Mt Roskill Saints. This was despite the Saints improving hugely on the Qualifying Final when the University Club demolished them. The University Blues successfully went back to back from 2006 title winning 10.7 (67) to 4.5 (29).

The match was held in greasy playing conditions, although the ground surface remained firm. This no doubt kept the skill level down which assisted the Saints to keep the Blues within reach. Best on Ground was young Blues midfielder James Monoghan for the second season in succession.

For more on the AAFL Grand Finals at Senior, Reserve and U17 level from NZAFL CEO Rob Vanstam, and the AAFL awards, see this article.

In Wellington the highly fancied, undefeated Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs took care of business against the Wellington City Saints and showed why no team got within 7 goals of them this season.

The Bulldogs, who sport a wealth of current and former NZ representatives and only two Aussies in their team of 24 for the day, were too fired up to let this year’s premiership slip. The Bulldogs are a perennial Grand Finalist, something overseas leagues often have.

Those involved in international footy would know the type of Club that all in the League love toppling but also expect to be the team they play in the big one at the end of the season. The 3 major NZ competitions were all taken out by the benchmark Club this season which is perhaps unusual, with University taking out the Auckland Competition and the Eastern Blues winning the Canterbury competition.

These types of Clubs are the result of sustained off-field drive to create an atmosphere where people buy in for the long term and also a bit of luck at retaining enough of them over a period of time to develop the culture for each new group of players, often on an annual basis. All teams can attract equally talented rookies, it is then chance and good management whether enough of them are sold on the vision to get involved and stay long enough to make a difference.

These 3 Clubs (Auckland Uni, Eastern Bulldogs in Wellington and Eastern Blues in Christchurch) are proof that over the past decade or so that it can be done and it is usually also to the league's benefit as well. Often it is the representatives of Clubs such as these that are also trying to drive the Leagues forward as well, with their well honed organizational skill, commitment and passion for the game.

The Bulldogs took the GF by 102 points in a comprehensive display of the game which allowed former NZ Captain and Current Bulldogs and Wellington Rep Coach John Jackson to rotate the bench and give the full squad a decent run in the final. Though Jackson was confident pre-game he was also somewhat concerned as the team that took the paddock lacked International Cup players in Club Legend Al Hunter with a knee injury and young gun Guy Ferguson at a family wedding.

Goal scorers: R Leofo 3, A Eastwood, M Severinsen, J Iosefo, C Lendrum, W Harvey 2, D West, M Henderson, J Hema, T Patuawa 1

Coach Jackson started the first quarter relying on an incredibly strong half backline and a dominant centre square mixture of on-ballers which again allowed him to use International Cup 2002 Team of the Tournament ruckman Mike Severinsen to be used as a mobile forward, a role he has relished this season. For a man near 200 cm, his engine and skills below the knee are a pleasure to view and he is also one grab when in a marking contest.

Jackson’s half back line of Wellington Reps Darren West and dual International Cup player and Bulldogs captain Byron Roff flanking former NZ Falcons squad member Taoho Patuawa was a masterstroke as it gave the team not only a marvellous first line of defence but also one that created rebound. This helped to allow the Bulldogs to settle in the first quarter and keep the Saints scoreless.

The second quarter was once again all Bulldogs with 20 year old second season mobile tall Andrew Eastwood dominating the centre providing a mountain of ball to his troupe of on-ballers rotated through the guts. They included NZ Falcons Squad members Graham Rattenbury and Josh Hema, 20 year old Stanley Chung, 2002 International Cup Samoan Rocky Leofo and the very talented Johnny Iosefo. The Saints remained scoreless still at half time and the Bulldogs were maintaining their structure and style.

Bulldogs Full Back, Dallas Magpies recruit Ed Nickel, gifted the Saints their first point in the third quarter as Jackson emptied his bench letting the interchange loose. This did not stifle the Doggies scoring power with Leofo, Hema, Iosefo and Eastwood to the fore. The final quarter saw the Saints register a goal right at the end but by the then the Bulldogs' minds were on celebration as they added this Cup to the stash over the past decade or so with Premierships in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2005. This was their only recent undefeated season so by all reports the celebrations were certainly of a standard to match such a momentous achievement.

Umpires' BOG was Graham Rattenbury whilst the Bulldogs own votes saw Andrew Eastwood marginally shade Josh Hema for their best.