After a brilliant opening half where they dominated every facet of the game, North Heidelberg stopped after half-time and allowed Fitzroy Stars back into the contest to produce a closer finish.
Louis Hill led the way for North Heidelberg. He was one of the few that were consistently good over the four quarters and was a constant presence in the midfield. Stephen Saddington was also impressive and his finishing ability resulted not only in two goals for himself, but also in many more for his teammates.
The most prominent of these teammates was Shane Harvey who continued his fine regular season form with another seven goals. His six first-half goals helped set up the game for the Doggies and his second half goal ensured it didn’t slip from their hands.
The Stars will be disappointed as a group that they left their run too late. However, there were plenty of players that could hold their heads high.
Keith Morgan was one of the main instigators in the fight back. His run and carry was essential in turning the tables. Bradley Kairouz’s work was also notable and he was one of the few that provided resistance in the first half. His shutdown job on Harvey in the second half gave their forwards an opportunity to get back into the game.
However, the game was won in the first quarter. North Heidelberg blew the Stars out of the blocks with a six-goal to nothing opening term. The Doggies ran rampant moving the ball through the middle with precision and ease. They found Casey Brown over the back for two early goals and Saddington for his first. Then Harvey imposed himself on the game kicking the last three goals of the quarter.
The Doggies managed two more goals at the start of the second before Fitzroy finally got on the board through Patrick Davis. The goal at the 10-minute mark provided little respite as North and Fitzroy traded goals before Harvey slotted his fifth and sixth goals. Jake McCauley’s goal on the half-time siren gave the Stars a faint glimmer of hope.
Eight goals down at the half, to say the Stars needed the first goal was an understatement. Not only did they deliver the first, but the opening four to cut the deficit in half.
While North was able to claw back two goals late in the third, the tide of the game had changed. It was now the Stars who were applying the pressure and running on top of the ground while the Dogs could barley manage to move the ball forward.
With a Grand Final spot on the line, Fitzroy had to keep advancing in the last. After Graham Norris’ opening goal, North Heidelberg quickly answered through Saddington. Then the Stars reduced the margin to just two goals after a run of three of their own.
Under this intense pressure, North produced its most important and arguably best 10 minutes of the game trading a couple of goals with the Stars but ultimately holding them up short.
The Doggies will now head to the Grand Final to face Epping who was able to beat them by 29 points the week before. It will be a huge challenge for Leigh Gray’s men as they look to return to Division 1 after a one-year absence, but one they are capable of achieving.
Despite missing out on the Grand Final, Fitzroy Stars will be happy with their performance this season. After missing the top four last season they have come along in leaps and bounds. This season should provide a good foundation to build upon in years to come.
Final score: North Heidelberg 17.14 (116) def Fitzroy Stars 14.9 (93)
