SANDHURST held off a surging Gisborne in the final quarter to win Saturday's Bendigo Football Netball League senior premiership. or signup to continue reading For the second year in a row BFNL fans were treated to a grand final that went down to the wire, with Sandhurst this time on the right end of the result. Last year the Dragons desperately tried to chase down Golden Square, but fell agonisingly short, going down by six points.
Twelve months on the role was reversed as the Dragons clung to the lead in the final quarter and in a tense last term that lasted a tick over 34 minutes held on to win by four points, 10.8 (68) to 10.4 (64) at the QEO.
The win capped a premiership trifecta for the Dragons, who earlier in the day won both the under-18s and reserves flags also. Sandhurst captain Lachlan Tardrew put the icing on what will go down as one of the great individual seasons in BFNL history by ending the day with both a premiership and the Nalder Medal for best on ground around his neck to accompany the Michelsen Medal he jointly won six days earlier. And team-mate Lachlan Wright also had two medals around his neck post-match, earning the AFL Victoria Medal for his game in defence where he was a constant thorn in the Gisborne side throughout with his intercept marking.
Ultimately, it was the second and third quarters - both against and with the wind - that proved decisive in the Dragons' victory. The Dragons were on the back foot at quarter-time when despite kicking with the.