AFL Sydney Men’s Premier Division Grand Final Preview – UNSW-ES Bulldogs v North Shore Bombers

Written by Michael Shillito

 

MENS PREMIER DIVISION GRAND FINAL

Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs v North Shore Bombers

Henson Park, Saturday 2:00pm

One day in September we want to remember. Having got a full season in, something we’ll never take for granted again after the last couple of years; we’ve made it to the competition decider. And it’s a game that has plenty to look forward to, as two great clubs face off for the ultimate prize in our league.

There’s plenty of history, with two clubs that have been in the mix of Sydney footy throughout. East Sydney, one of the league’s foundation clubs, merged with Uni NSW in 2000 to form a club that has been a powerhouse. While North Shore have been in the league since the start, and have had plenty of success along the way.

The Bulldogs and the Bombers have met in Grand Finals before. The first ever Grand Final in our competition, in 1903, was between East Sydney and North Shore. On that occasion East Sydney got up by 16 points. The last Grand Final meeting between these clubs was the centenary season in 2003, which also saw the Bulldogs get up over the Bombers by six points.

And another chapter of history is to be created on Saturday.

For UNSW-ES, it’s their fourth Grand Final in a row. The Bulldogs drank from the premiership cup in 2018 and 2019, but missed out in 2020. Those three were against Sydney Uni, this time they have a new opponent.

The Bulldogs wasted no time this season in establishing themselves as a premiership contender. They’ve been top of the ladder all the way through, dropping only two games during the regular season; and the minor premiership was wrapped up long before the regular season was completed.

As minor premiers, they had the first week of the finals off and went straight through to the Major Semi Final against North Shore a fortnight ago. They found themselves in trouble, 30 points down late in the third quarter and still 24 points behind at the last change. But a stirring last quarter, in which the Bulldogs kicked five goals while holding the Bombers scoreless, got them home by seven points. Former Swans Dean Towers and Brandon Jack were instrumental in getting the Bulldogs over the line.

The win gave the Bulldogs another week off before this competition decider. Having only had one game in the last three weeks, they should be refreshed and had time to recover from any niggles; and have had plenty of time to prepare for this contest.

To get a winning score on the board, the Bulldogs will be looking for a big contribution from Kieran Emery, who has already drawn twin flags from the goal umpires 28 times this year. Around the ground, Phelan Medallist Mitch Conn will be one to keep an eye on, as he looks to pick up another prolific haul of possessions. And the big name Swans, Brandon Jack and Dean Towers, will be hard for the Bombers to keep quiet.

It’s North Shore’s first time at the big dance since 2007 when they took out their last premiership. They’ve been successful in most seasons since then but have dropped quite a few finals games in recent years, usually by small margins. The loss in the Major Semi Final was not the first time they’ve coughed up what should have been a match-winning lead.

But those concerns about performing in finals were washed away in tricky conditions at Henson Park in last Saturday’s Preliminary Final against St George. It wasn’t always pretty to watch, but one goal in each quarter was enough to get the job done. Jordan Law and Ned Campbell were outstanding for the Bombers, as they slogged away in the wet and did the hard work that had to be done.

The Bombers’ quest for a winning score will focus around Max Thomas, with the Bomber goal-sneak finding his way to 39 goals already this season; while Josh Rayner will be looking to add to the 31 majors he has already kicked in 2022. Also look for a big effort from Phelan Medallist Jake Veale; while Ned Campbell, who led the vote count by 8 votes but was ineligible, will be looking to this game to get a 2022 medal around his neck.

And so it all comes down to this last game. There doesn’t look to be much separating these teams. The last couple of clashes between them have been close, and there’s every chance this one could come down to the wire.

The best place to be on Saturday afternoon to witness this history being made is Henson Park. If that’s where you’ll be going, make sure you get online and book your ticket. If you can’t make it to Henson, you can still catch the action live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page.

This is the moment of destiny. For one team, the ecstasy of our league’s highest triumph. For the other, the agony of coming so close and having the dream ripped away from them. You’ll see both emotions when the final siren sounds; the cheering and embracing of the victors, while the losers will slump to the ground with that empty feeling.

After everything that our game, our clubs and our society have been through over the last couple of years; for the winner, this victory will be sweet indeed.

Will the Bombers fly up up? Or will the victors be those who do love to be beside the seaside? All will be revealed on Saturday, as another entry is etched into the history of our game. This game has all the ingredients to be one of our game’s classic contests; you won’t want to miss this one.