Australian Football

Match Report

In the Second Semi-Final the Bulldogs met up with the Redlegs. This match is one that has been won every single time for the past 12 seasons by the Bulldogs, including the last one against Norwood last year on their way to their ninth premiership. The scorecard for the 2011 season puts the Dogs ahead 2-1, the one-point loss at The Parade in Round 10 just one of three Central losses for the year. The Redlegs confidence would have been up somewhat, although the Eagles gameplan last week didn't really trouble Norwood in the least. It probably didn't faze Bulldogs coach Roy Laird either. But whoever would drop this one would probably have to study the game tape of the Eagles' match before hand given their efforts in breaking the 1st Semi apart after half-time. This is what would greet the loser of this match in the Preliminary Final... the other would proceed straight into the Grand Final, a path the Bulldogs know extremely well. Its how they've won their nine from 11 premiership deciders!

The Bulldogs wouldn't take long to bag their first goal, within the first minute Ian Callinan would kick off the scoring. The Redlegs finally answered that score with a major of their own through Luke Brown at the eighth minute mark, but that would be the only goal Norwood would get in the opening quarter. The Dogs would kick two more goals through Ryan Williams and Trent Goodrem -- that last goal right on the siren -- to set the scoreboard at 3.1 to Norwood's 1.2, an 11-point gap at quarter-time. The second term was all about the pressure on the body that scores, the goals pretty hard to come by as both sides got defensive. Central's first goal for the term came as a result of a judgement error on the part of Alexis Georgiou, pushing the ball out of play deliberately to hand a goal to Eddie Sansbury. To add injury to insult, during that passage of play Will Young would go off on a stretcher with an ankle injury after a Jason Sutherland tackle. Then to prove bad things come in threes, despite being under some pressure, Darren Pfeiffer's rushed behind saw a deliberate rushing call issued and a cheap goal to Williams. Cam Shenton finally put a goal through for the 'Legs just before the half-time siren, at the long break the Dogs held a 17-point lead.

When play resumed, the same mentality seen in the second quarter was there again in the third term, defensive football and pressure football where scores were at a premium. Norwood had an opportunity for a quick goal early on, but indecisiveness kept them from getting within striking distance. More injuries came the way of the Redlegs, Bryce Campbell's knee injury bringing the stretcher out for a second time after clashing with the body of James Gowans who was getting down for the loose ball. The 'Legs continued to squander opportunities on goal with three shots going wide, but finally the goal-drought was broken at the 19th minute as Matt Fuller bagged a major. But the Dogs would add two more, including a potential goal of the year to Callinan. Their 2.2 to Norwood's 1.3 put the gap out to 22 points. The Redlegs wouldn't trouble the Dogs any further after this, Centrals would add another 5.1 to a paltry 1.3 in the final term to run out 44-point winners and book a 12th Grand Final in-a-row.

The Dogs named captain Paul Thomas as their best, while the Redlegs voted in Kieran McGuinness as their standout.