Newlyn are 2003 premiers in CHFL

[goaldrush]

Congrats to Newlyn Football Club on winning the 2003 CHFL Grand Final yesterday.

They defeated Buninyong in a low scoring and very scrappy conditions.

[you_idiot]

Great crowd there, too. Was very impressed, even with the article I wrote earlier in the week in the Ballarat Courier forecasting such.

And that article was just one in a vast series in what was a very, very, very busy week of deadlines for me. :)

I think about 10,000 packed their way into the Northern Oval, although the official figures for the match in terms of attendance and gate receipts won't be available from the CHFL until Tuesday night.

As Suzi said, yes, it was a very scrappy game, and when it was a pretty affair, Newlyn's midfield just were better at disposal, setting things up for their forward line to take strong marks on the lead and convert those into goals.

Once they kicked six goals on the trot, including four in a row in the second term, there was no way back for Buninyong. Buninyong was down by 42 points at this stage, until they cut back the arrears with a goal (which was good for cosmetic effect going into the main break).

Andrew Venner was spectacular in the ruck and going up the ground for Newlyn, and he kicked a game-high three goals.

Final score was Newlyn 8.10 (58) to Buninyong 3.3 (21).

And if you're fortunate enough to get the paper in your area, be sure to read the complete coverage by yours truly (mostly) in the Ballarat Courier on Monday! :D

[you_idiot]

And here's my report...

http://www.thecourier.com.au/detail.asp?class=sport&subclass=local&category=general%20sport&story_id=254478&y=2003&m=9

Cats purring after dominant display
By William Olson
Sunday, 14 September 2003

NEWLYN has won its first Central Highlands Football League premiership since 1992, and its 11th flag, with a comprehensive 37-point win over Buninyong on Saturday at the Northern Oval.

http://www.thecourier.com.au/images/story/jpgs/254478.jpg

"This is a hard feeling to describe, really. You can never count your chickens, and we came here today knowing that it was going to be a hard contest, especially without (forward) Nick (Preston), and I'm just rapt with the boys with the way that we played, they were just terrific," said Greg Cosgriff, Newlyn's premiership-winning coach after the game.

Cats ruckman Andrew Venner's three goals and strong display all over the ground gave him the best-on-ground award.

Newlyn's on-ballers and midfield controlled the game and never gave Buninyong a chance to get close in the windy and slippery conditions.

"We kept winning the ball out of the centre, and on a windy day like this, that's going to put you about 40 metres in front most of the time," Cosgriff said.

"I can't say enough about Andrew (Venner) and Damien Stewart today, with the games that they played. And Luke Faull, Tristan May, Scott McKay, all those on-ball fellows, they were just brilliant, all of them," Cosgriff added.

Buninyong started out as the stronger team, as Jensen Spencer's opening goal from a set shot propelled them to an eight-point lead inside the opening minutes of the first quarter.

But Newlyn soon took over the match with devastating consequences, as goals from Venner and Craig McCahon enabled the Cats to lead at the first break by just one straight kick.

Chris Dwyer stepped in for ankle injury victim Nick Preston and took some strong marks on the lead, helping inspire Newlyn to kick six consecutive goals en route to taking a 28-point lead at the main intermission.

Marks and goals kicked by Dwyer and Michael Sacco were the result of some dominant work in the Cats' midfield by Luke Faull and playing co-coach Damien Stewart, play which continued effectively in the third term.

McCahon, impressive all afternoon, and Venner added goals to give Newlyn its largest lead of 42 points at three-quarter time before Aaron Beaumont gave Buninyong a small consolation with the only goal of the final quarter.

Overall, Cosgriff praised his team's complete effort and resiliency on and around the ball.

"When we won the semi-final, our attack on the ball was so good, and we had to stick to playing in that manner. With the windy conditions, and being in front, if we knew that we could keep going hard at the ball, we knew that's where the game had to be won," he said.

"Endeavour-wise, our blokes were terrific all day. And our little blokes did use the ball well all game long. We were pretty fresh, and we ran and ran and ran," added Cosgriff.

Buninyong coach Chris Maple, who led his team to championship-winning glory last year, offered no excuses for his squad's shortcomings on the day while giving complete congratulations to Newlyn.

"They (Newlyn) were first to the footy, ran the ball a bit better than us, got first use of the ball out of the ruck from Venner, and they were pretty much dominant over much of the ground," Maple said.

"We could have been more accountable, and we could have used the ball a bit better. I know the conditions were poor, but we should have been first to the ball more often as well," he said.

I also wrote lots of other content for Monday morning's CHFL Grand Final coverage, but you'll have to see that in the actual physical hold-it-in-your-hands edition of the Ballarat Courier. :D