Picture gallery: Point Cook v Westbourne Grammarians
Point Cook earned more than just four premiership points last weekend.
The Bulldogs survived a testing examination from rivals Westbourne Grammarians to earn local bragging rights in the Victorian Amateur Football Association division 4.
The Dogs’ undefeated record is intact, the third of three in the young season.
There was a buzz in the air as supporters crammed into the clubrooms for the club’s sponsors’ day.
This day was, above all, a chance for players of both sides to pay their respects to the fallen Diggers on Anzac Day.
Bulldogs coach Ian Denny told Star Weekly the national day of mourning was respectfully observed.
“It was a big occasion for both clubs. It was well done, well respected, so it was a good day.”
Several players has attended the dawn service at the Point Cook RAAF base beforehand. It was a long day for them, starting at 5am before they ran onto the field at 2pm.
The link between the Point Cook RAAF base and the football club undoubtedly grew stronger on Saturday.
“The Point Cook area, with the RAAF base really close, there’s a bit of an affiliation there,” Denny said.
“We had a representative from the RAAF base come to our game to lay a wreath.
“The reserves and seniors lined up together and a couple of our juniors players gave a reading.”
Westbourne’s Simon Corcoran got the elevation but couldn’t clear the head of Point Cook’s unsuspecting Will Dawson on the way down. Photo: Damjan Janevski
Point Cook started the game slowly, their backs against the wall as the Warriors kicked away to a 20-point quarter-time lead.
A late goal just before quarter-time from Cory Lucas energised the Bulldogs before players headed into the huddle.
“They moved the ball really quickly and we couldn’t go with them; we just couldn’t get our match-ups right,” Denny said.
“For the first 10 or 15 minutes, they had four goals without us getting anywhere near it.”
When the rain intensified in the second term, the message from Denny was to win the scrap and revert to old-fashioned, get-the-ball-on-the-boot-at-all-costs footy.
“We just hunted the footy,” Denny said.
“Our head was over the ball first and we were rewarded for that. That was probably the telling part of the game.”
By half-time, Point Cook had cut the deficit to just three points. It was an arm wrestle thereafter but one the Dogs won, keeping the Warriors to just two goals over the final three quarters.
Two big last-quarter goals from opportunist forward Daniel Sidwell, who finished with a game-high three goals, sealed a famous win for the Bulldogs.
“We were up for the challenge and had the run in the legs late in the game,” Denny said.
Jake Perrins most typified the Anzac Day spirit. The onballer was ferocious at the contest and lifted his side when it was trailing.
“He was sensational as far as his tackle count,” Denny said.
“He’s only a lightly-framed fella; he’s only small, but you don’t want to get on the end of one of his tackles … he’s like a junkyard dog.”
The Bulldogs are now well placed in second spot at 3-0, but they face a rampaging North Brunswick away at Allard Park on Saturday.
North Brunswick is top the ladder with a percentage of 481.01.
