In the most dramatic of finals, Heidelberg have advanced to the Melbourne Greyhounds Division 1 grand final after prevailing by six points over Bundoora during extra time.
It was a heart pounding back and forth contest where teamwork, composure and fatigue would be tested throughout. So much was the intensity of the match that the two teams couldn’t be separated at time full time siren.
Extra time was just as dramatic as with scores still level in the dying stages, Joshua Minogue won a free kick inside 50, before converting the set shot on the buzzer to secure a 10.10 (70) to 9.10 (64) triumph, sending the Tigers to their first grand final since 2016.
Tom Schnerring and Matthew Smith continued their season of excellence by rejuvenating the ball movement through the midfield, providing aid to strong performances by Ben Tardio and Zane Barzen. Brayden Sier put on a heroic display and was named among the top of Heidelberg’s best.
The Bulls would find their footing through their defence, as Brent Marshall, Jackson Davies and Joel Fitzgerald held down the scoreboard well enough to all be named in Bundoora’s best while Kain Proctor and Sam Lloyd helped fuel the fire in attack.
Each team looked to struggle with their scoring early on, with the Bulls calling on their leading goalkicker in John Jorgensen to register the first major of the game.
Luke Bunker proceeded to begin the scoring with a goal for the Tigers, while Proctor helped Bundoora bounce back into the lead with a goal of his own just before the quarter time siren.
The Tigers were prone to score with the ball continuing to be locked inside the forward 50 and would do so through a goal by Kai Kearns to take the lead in the second term.
Danny Nolan’s side continued to be adamant in attack, with goals coming from the likes of Lachlan Wilson and Samuel Wright, who both converted set shot attempts, ensuring the minor premiers had a ten-point lead at half time.
The start of the second half looked to be a continuation of much of the term before, with Sier coming out of interchange to immediately stride through for a major to extend the lead for Heidelberg.
However, the Bulls would have other plans in mind. Joel Fitzgerald would run in for a major that would make way for more from the likes of Daniel Younan and Lloyd to suddenly give Michael Ryan’s men the three-quarter time advantage.
Forward Joshua Minogue looked to turn the gears back in the direction for Heidelberg in the last quarter, running and snapping through for a goal that would be followed by Sier in similar fashion to go up by four points.
The Bulls would show no signs of backing down though, as a 30-metre bending kick from the boundary thanks to Ryan Sturgess gave Bundoora a massive chance. Jesse King kicked his second to put Bundoora in front.
Down by six points with minutes ticking, it would be Sier that produced a piece of magic, snapping truly just moment before the siren to force extra time.
Both sides kicked one major each in the two periods of additional time, meaning scores were still level in the closing stages of the match.
With just seconds remaining, Kearns would send an entry inside for Minogue who won a free kick 40 metres out. He would sail it through on the siren to put his Tigers into a grand final.
