Sport
7 September, 2024
Bombers see off surging Swifts in tense preliminary final | HDFNL finals
Noradjuha Quantong beats the Swifts in Natimuk.
Despite a second half surge from the Swifts, Noradjuha Quantong held onto its late lead in the HDFNL preliminary final and the side has booked its place in the league's grand final.
Noradjuha Quantong's senior football coach Damian Cameron said it feels good to see his side come away with the win.
"It was a battle towards the end, and we made the hard work of it at times, but we're into Grand Final, so a win is a win on a day like this," he said.
In the game's early stages, it was the Swifts who looked in control of the contest.
The side kept strong field position for most of the first term, and kept the Bombers to only one early goal.
"In the first quarter, they just owned the footy," Cameron said.
"They won the tap outs, they won the clearances, and then they just controlled the footing, we just couldn't get our hands on it.
"It was a disappointing first quarter but after that we did a lot right for the next three."
A breeze blowing from end-to-end favoured the Swifts in the opening quarter, but when the side's changed at the first break, Noradjuha Quantong took full advantage.
The Swifts were kept scoreless as the Bombers notched up seven goals to take to the half-time break with a 14-point lead.
Cameron believes a return to to his side's usual work rate was what gave the Bombers control of the match.
"After quarter time, I feel like our clearance work was probably on top of theirs by a fair bit, and that's a start, [it gets] it in our territory, and then [we] own the ball a little bit," he said
"But the work rate was huge."
While momentum swayed through the second half, the Swifts slowly reeled Noradjuha Quantong back.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Swifts drew level with the Bombers, 71-points a-piece.
"I thought to be in front going into the third quarter, with the wind in the last might have done the job for us, but it didn't," Cameron said.
"They controlled a fair bit of play, so it was pretty tough finish."
But, Noradjuha Quantong took the lead again late in the game, and kept the Swifts out.
Noradjuha Quantong will now head to the Swifts home oval at Stawell's North Park to take on Harrow Balmoral in the grand final on Saturday, September 14.
The Swifts' full forward Paul Summers ended his season with a game-topping seven goals.
While Dylan Shelley had a day to remember for the Bombers, kicking his side's most goals (4).
The preliminary finals weren't all celebrations for the Noradjuha Quantong's footballers.
The club's reserve side saw its premiership defence end after facing a 63-point loss against Laharum, 16.6 (102) - 5.9 (39).
Laharum's joint venture under 17s side with Harrow Balmoral was picked up a preliminary final win in Natimuk.
Down by 37-points against Natimuk United at three-quarter-time, the Demons were down, but not out,
The Rams were kept to only a single point in the final quarter as Laharum scored six goals and three behinds to claim the win 14.10 (94) - 14.9 (93).
And, in the under 14s, Edenhope Apsley has made it through to the grand final after beating Kalkee 5.4 (34) - 3.7 (25).