Harper Sercombe
Point Cook is through to the Western Region Football League division 1 grand final.
The Bulldogs got off to a flying start against Altona on Saturday afternoon booting five unanswered first term goals.
The reigning premiers finally hit the scoreboard in the second term, out scoring the Bulldogs three goals to two. However, the Bulldogs were still able to take a 25 point lead into the main break.
The Bulldogs regained ascendancy in the third term but were inaccurate kicking 2.5 while the Vikings were kept to just the one behind, with the Bulldogs extending their lead to 41 points at the three quarter time siren.
In the last term the Vikings began to mount a comeback, booting five goals in the last. However, it was too little too late, with the Bulldogs winning by 22 points in the 11.11 (77)-8.7 (55) clash.
For the Bulldogs, Alex Grigg and Max Rouvray booted two each. Nicholas Buykx, Daniel Burton, Shaun Wyatt, Jim Botsaris, Sam Darley and Lochlan Allen all slotted one each.
The grand final is the first one at this level for the Bulldogs.
“It was good to follow up after last week’s disappointing loss to Werribee [Districts] and to come out and play the way we did yesterday was great,” coach Clay Smith said.
“[The five goal opening term] makes my job a little bit easier that’s for sure, we spoke about how we needed to work on starting well, and it was a lot better than what I expected.
“The first was a great effort in offence but also defensively to keep them goalless.”
With Werribee Districts now the focus in the grand final, the Western Bulldogs premiership player said his side will be able to take a lot out of their loss to the Tigers last week.
He said it’s pretty exciting.
“It was good to get some finals experience in some of the boys, it was probably the biggest game that they’ve been a part of, last week,” he said.
“We were a lot better more for the moment yesterday [Saturday] and I think it will be really good to play them again next week and really looking forward to the challenge.
“We reviewed the things we needed to do better and the things we didn’t do [from the clash with the Tigers].
“Making sure that the boys have the belief that when we do play we want to play it stands up.
“So we’ve got a good week on the track this week and I dare say the morale will be pretty high, it’s a pretty big occasion for the footy club, first division 1 grand final.
Last week when the Bulldogs faced the Tigers they lost by 51 points, with the Tigers have clearly been the side to beat throughout the year, only losing one game to Point Cook Centrals in round 15.
The sides will face off at Avalon Airport Oval at 2.30pm on Sunday afternoon.
