DROMANA will tackle Sorrento in the Nepean Division grand final at Frankston Park this Saturday after beating the Frankston Bombers by 34 points.
In a preliminary final expected to be a close contest at Rye's Rowley Reserve, it wasn't until the 10-minute mark of the last quarter that the game broke open.
Trailing by eight points at three-quarter-time, the Tigers, kicking with the breeze towards the Melbourne Road end, booted seven goals to two points in the final 20 minutes.
Troy Docherty took two marks in the last quarter to get the Tigers within a kick and then minutes later put his side in front for the first time for the day.
Steve Downes then ran inside 50 metres and converted to stretch the margin to two majors, and the goals kept coming after that.
Paul Minchington and Steve Hamill were sensational for the Tigers and were catalysts in the
win.
Simon Goosey roamed across half-back when his side was kicking against the breeze in the first and third quarters and also helped the Tigers get back into the contest in the second quarter.
Adam Hunter played predominantly in the forward line while also helping out the back half on occasions.
Dominic Pinneri came into the side, as did Luke O'Neil. Both players had significant impacts on the game.
Andrew Bakker also entered the side.
Pinneri provided plenty of run and drive from a wing while O'Neil helped out in the ruck and was also a strong target at centre half-forward. O'Neil provided a contest and brought the Dromana midfielders into the game.
Frankston Bombers opened the game, kicking with the breeze, and went with their predictable line-up.
Brian O'Carroll spent the entire day on a back flank, Shane Vandervalk and Jay Reynolds rotated through the middle, Marshall spent the majority of the day in the ruck, Hayden Moore played across centre half-forward and, regardless of where Goosey was, Jeremy Waixel maintained his post at full-back.
The set-up worked well for the Bombers early. They kicked with the wind in the first term, had eight scoring shots to three for two majors and looked to be in control of the contest.
'Richy' Renouf was doing some damage on a wing and Jarrod Hardskeel and Luke Lewis were getting plenty of ball early.
The Bombers opened out to a four- or five-goal break early in the second term and it appeared it was going to be a case of 'how far'.
However, the Tigers got back in the contest with Goosey taking a couple of contested marks and converting. The margin was just six points at the major interval.
Dromana set up the win with a sensational third quarter.
It booted four goals against the breeze while the Bombers also converted four.
An eight-point lead heading into the last quarter was never going to be enough.
Brian O'Carroll was doing his best to communicate with the bench to go into the middle in the last quarter in the hope of getting a clearance. However, he maintained his position down back and the Bombers got spanked in the clearances in the last term.
Despite the wet and windy conditions, the game was of a good standard.
The Tigers didn't appear to get any injuries during the match and will look to have a very light week on the track this week to ensure they are ready for the Sharks.
While Sorrento and Frankston will go head to head in the seniors, the Bombers will have another crack at Dromana in the reserves after they beat Langwarrin. Red Hill will battle the Kangas in the under-18s after the Hillmen beat Sorrento in the preliminary final.
All grand finals will be played at Frankston Park this Saturday.
Preliminary final:
Dromana 0.3 6.8 10.11 17.13 (115) d F'ston Bombers 2.6 7.8 11.13 11.15 (81)
Goals: Dromana: S Goosey 3, A Hunter, P Minchington, T Docherty, L Donnelly, S Downes 2, M Gillis, D Pinneri, M Lutfi, B Allen. Frankston Bombers: J Atkins, B O'Carroll 2, R Renouf, J Reynolds, S Vandervalk, B Drake, L Lewis, D Marshall, G Masterson. Best: Dromana: P Minchington, S Goosey, S Hamill, M Hunter, D Pinneri. Frankston Bombers: D Marshall, R Renouf, B O'Carroll, J Hartskeerl, J Reynolds.
Reserves:
F'ston Bombers 6.3 7.5 12.12 16.13 (109) d Langwarrin 2.5 12.13 12.13 14.23 (107)
Goals: Frankston Bombers: P Falzon,
R Lia 3, M Longley, J Rule, Z White,
A Wright 2, S Masterson, M Perry. Langwarrin: M Poore, T Urbans 3, A Pike, H Mitchell 2,
M Naughton, B Grose, P Kelly, D Tuddenham. Best: Frankston Bombers: J Bull, J Rule,
M Longley, Z White, M Stewart. Langwarrin:
T Urbans, A Pike, M Poore, S Lindsey,
M Smith.
U18:
Red Hill 3.5 8.5 11.8 13.11 (89) d
Sorrento 3.1 6.8 8.8 10.13 (73)
Goals: Red Hill: R Blake, R Mace 3, A Mock 2, M Tardif, A Tuck, J Mitchell, H Byrt, K Hopgood. Sorrento: J Squire 3, B Bryant, D Sanderson 2, H Connolly, J McCulloch, N Warner. Best: Red Hill: J Hickey, H Larwill, F Kearney, J Graham, K Hopgood, B Duff, A Tuck. Sorrento: B McKay, S Fry, M Barton, J Wells, D Sanderson, J Stephenson.
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