Bundoora shrugged off a determined West Preston outfit to win a scrappy and contested affair at Yulong Reserve in Round 8.
The Roosters stuck with the Bulls for three quarters but couldn’t convert in front of goal which eventually cost them dearly. The Bulls showed poise under pressure and came out hard-fought victors 14.10 (94) 4.17 (41).
In wet and slippery conditions, the game was very contested and neither team got a hold over each other early on. But as the game moved on, the Bulls showed why they are contenders for the 2013 Division 1 premiership by being cool and collected when pressure was enforced.
Coming in as the outsider, West Preston had plenty of the early possession and applied fantastic forward pressure. However, it kicked the first three behinds and didn’t take advantage of its early dominance.
This left the door ajar for the Bulls to come back into the game and the home side took advantage, kicking the first goal against the run of play through Salvatore Mamone. It was the only major kicked in the first term with Bundoora going into quarter time ahead by three points, after the Roosters managed six behinds.
Bundoora got off to a flyer in the second quarter, getting the early clearances and kicking the first goal through Brent Marshall. The Roosters hit back with their first through Damien Smith before the Yulong Reserve lights were turned on midway through the second term to combat the poor weather conditions.
The Bulls wiped away any hope of the Roosters gaining momentum by hitting straight back with a goal of their own. A couple more goal exchanges saw out the quarter with the Bulls taking a slender eight-point lead into the second half.
The Roosters started the better side after the restart and were back within a point when Smith put through the first of the half. But Cameron Cloke hit straight back, kicking one of two goals in a row for the Bulls.
Alex Gleeson eased the margin back to four points with a goal for the Roosters – which eventually turned out to be their final major. Bundoora saw out the third term with three straight goals and a 23-point lead and all of the momentum heading into the final quarter.
It was a one-sided fourth quarter with Bundoora dominating every facet of the match. Cloke and Matthew Brown helped the Bulls boot all five goals of the final term, whilst West Preston managed a measly four behinds.
Ricky Dyson was brilliant for the Bulls in the middle, his sublime skill and extra bit of experience under pressure provided his side a great advantage throughout the afternoon. He was assisted by Chris Varsamakis and David Mitchell who were both key assets to the Bulls’ midfield.
Travis Stevens was superb down back for the Roosters, punching and intercepting any ball clear that came near him. Damien Smith kicked two goals up forward and was a weapon in the ruck whilst Alex Gleeson got plenty of tough possession and also kicked two goals.
The Bulls take on Greensborough at home in an interesting encounter after the Queen’s Birthday break, whilst West Preston travels to Bill Lawry Oval to take on reigning premier Northcote Park.
Final score: Bundoora 14.10 (94) def West Preston-Lakeside 4.17 (41)
