Sport
11 September, 2023
Lion kings ready to defend their throne with dominant victory over Trentham
Harcourt are back in the decider, with an undefeated season in their sights thanks to a commanding 51-point victory over Trentham. It was a very fast start for the Lions which helped set them up for the afternoon, allowing them to control the pace...
Harcourt are back in the decider, with an undefeated season in their sights thanks to a commanding 51-point victory over Trentham.
It was a very fast start for the Lions which helped set them up for the afternoon, allowing them to control the pace of play right from the outset.
They led for virtually the entire game, with Jed Rodda putting through Harcourt’s first goal within the first two minutes, before Baxter Gurd, and Rodda’s second, allowed Harcourt to hold an 18-point lead after just seven minutes.
Trentham got a much-needed boost soon after from Mark Strickland, who got the Saints on the board, but almost as if it was a sign that it was set to be the Lions’ day, Alex Code responded immediately from the bounce, restoring their three-goal lead. Further goals from Brayden Frost and Kristian Bruce ensured the Lions would lead by 27 points at the first break.
In their last meeting, Harcourt had managed a fast start, before the Saints almost reeled them back in.
When Jake Keogh kicked the first goal of the second term, there would have been some nerves among the Lions faithful, but co-captain Tom Walters eased that with an important captain’s goal, before Bronson Martin got on the scoreboard with a goal from a 50 metre penalty to give the Lions a 32-point cushion.
The common theme of the day was the Lions meeting every Trentham challenge. When Joel Dovaston soon got on the board, Martin kicked his second of the quarter almost immediately.
To Trentham’s credit, they did win the quarter, and sat 25 points behind at half time.
Upon resumption, Dovaston kicked his second goal of the day at the 10-minute mark to reduce the Harcourt lead to 19 points.
But that was as good as it got for the Saints, as the Lions took control in all facets of play to put the game away.
Goals to Darby Semmens, Frost, Rodda and Kal Huntly meant that Harcourt had suddenly extended the lead to 44 points by the final change.
The last quarter went as planned for Harcourt, with an impressive performance from Ben Leech around the ground rewarded with two final term goals, while the Saints mustered up two goals.
The 51-point win for the Lions was set up by multiple commanding performances.
Joshua Hogg played a fine game, as did Mark Noonan, who set the tone early. Martin played well as an undersized ruck option, while Semmens, Cameron Anderson and Edward Coulthard were also named in the best.
A fine individual game from Dovaston saw him named as Trentham’s best, with Harrison Knight, Joel Cowan, Dylan Holden, Mitchell Peeler and Ryan Thiesz named in their best.
Harcourt coach Dan Wridgway kept things low key in the washup.
“I’m feeling good. It’s great to get the result and get another chance to play off in a grand final,” he said.
“We got off to a good start against them last time, but we took the foot off the pedal a bit and they got back into the game. But credit to Trentham, they are a really good team. We didn’t want to give them a sniff at all once we got off to a good start.”
It was a 26th consecutive win for the Lions, but Wridgway says it doesn’t mean much if they don’t secure back-to-back premierships next week.
“We don’t look into the records too much, as to us, it doesn’t mean much if we don’t convert it. We are giving ourselves the best opportunity to go back-to-back, and we’re sure it will be a cracking game,” he said.
Wridgway praised the performances of Martin and Leech.
“Bronson Martin played very well, shouldering a bit of the ruck load. He’s improved every single game. His willingness to improve is incredible, he always asks for feedback and he works hard on the training track. I’m proud of his efforts,” he said.
“Ben Leech is another I’m happy with. He’s added another string to his bow, moving up the ground a little bit more. He is a great field kick, so we are trying to utilise that a little bit more.”
Wridgway expects that there will be a full list to pick from for the grand final.
“There are a couple of blokes that were unlucky not to take the field for the preliminary final. We anticipate a full list to choose from on Thursday night,” he said.
