Rising to the occasion: Panthers playing-coach Nicholas Spencer rises high in his side’s qualifying final win over Bright. Photos: Garry Jones.
Was it ever in doubt?
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Benalla All Blacks have locked in their first grand final appearance since 2017 with a comprehensive 17.13 (115) to 7.14 (56) win over Bright at the weekend.
A resounding qualifying win, following their superb 17-1 minor premiership campaign, will see the Panthers play for the club’s first Ovens and King premiership in more than 40 years.
The All Blacks, as they have done all year, ran over a hapless Bright outfit at Tarrawingee Recreation Reserve on Saturday, claiming a dominant 59-point win
But the Mountain Men didn’t make it easy for the Panthers, especially early, with both sides trading majors in the first quarter.
All Blacks coach Nicholas Spencer said he was expecting a tight contest early in the piece.
“We knew they were going to bring the heat early, they’re a fast-starting side, the three times that we’ve played them they’ve started really well,” he said.
Breaking lines: Jackson Hourigan weaves through traffic with Lachy Thompson in support.
“We were prepared to withstand that first quarter and backed our legs in to get us over the line.
“There was never any doubt from any of our boys at the end of the first quarter being down by four points, we planned to be near them.”
The Panthers flexed their muscle in the second term and seized control of the game with a six-goal blitz.
Harry Moran came to the fore with a big day out around the big sticks and kicked six, while Cody Crawford (three goals), Lachlan Thompson and Chris O’Connor (two) helped keep the scoreboard ticking over.
With Benalla’s forwards taking care of business, Spencer said his side had its back six to thank for keeping the Bright forwards quiet.
TOTY performer Harry Ellis took out best-on-ground credentials for his efforts across half-back.
Surging forward: Harry Moran wheels away from a defender.
“In the second quarter our midfield got on top and our backline was rock solid,” Spencer said.
“Harry Ellis was an absolute star — he probably played his best game for the year.”
Up by 33-points at half-time, the All Blacks maintained their stranglehold on the game after the main change.
After sharing just two goals in the third term, the Panthers well and truly took the game away from Bright in the final term with six-goals-to-two.
A win sees Spencer’s side through to the big dance, but the All Blacks will have to wait longer than expected to take to the field at WJ Findlay Oval for the decider.
A serious injury suffered by a reserves player in the match between Greta and Milawa on Sunday resulted in the cancellation of the seniors semi final between Bonnie Doon and Greta.
With that match likely to be replayed at a later date, preliminary final and grand final dates are expected to be shuffled, with the league yet to announce what the remainder of the finals series will look like.
Hunting it: Jackson Hourigan goes after a loose ball.
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