Boomers bound for grand final

The Eaton Boomers weathered an early storm before putting on a second half clinic to brush aside Bunbury 13.13 (91) to 6.10 (46) in the preliminary final at Hands Oval on Sunday.

Key forward Jake Ferrier returned from a hamstring injury to kick three late goals and help the Boomers advance to a second consecutive grand final.

In a game remarkably similar to the qualifying final played between these two sides at the same venue two weeks ago, Bunbury began strongly and held a half-time lead before losing the midfield battle and falling away after the main break.

Bunbury was victorious in the last encounter thanks largely to a stellar defensive display but could not repeat that effort on Sunday, the Boomers finding a much easier path to goal and converting enough of their opportunities to come away with the win.

The Bulldogs and Boomers had two goals each in the opening five minutes before Denhalm King, who was outstanding in the first half, put the reigning premiers in front with a well-taken running goal after a chain of handballs.

Bunbury replied through Hayward Medallist Jesse Gribble before Brad Blake took an uncontested mark just outside the 50 and pumped the ball straight back over the heads of the Eaton defenders to give the Bulldogs a six-point lead at quarter time.

Ferrier, who did not look at full fitness but was influential early and often, kicked his second of three first-half minor scores before Trent Gribble and Clint Garlett both goaled to give Bunbury its biggest lead of the game early in the second quarter.

From that point on it became one-way traffic in the other direction, Jye Cormack putting the shackles on Jesse Gribble to stall the Bunbury engine room and Chris Atthowe breaking free of Bulldogs tagger Trent Gribble to start driving his side forward with purpose.

With Leigh Kelly handling the majority of the rucking duties, Eaton big man Brendan Page was free to roam around in the forward half where he was a destructive force for the remainder of the game, marking cleanly both near the goal square and at half-forward to lock the ball into the Boomers’ attacking 50.

After four straight behinds, Eaton goaled twice through Page and Rohan Lilly, to enter half-time trailing 5.8 (38) to 6.4 (40).

Electrifying small forward Karl Collard put the Boomers in front early in the third quarter and Eaton did not look back from there, kicking eight second-half goals while holding Bunbury without a major score for the rest of the contest.

Playing through the midfield in the second half, Jordan Adamson-Holmes toiled hard for the Bulldogs while on-baller Glen Howison was characteristically solid.

Eaton’s second half surge was led by Atthowe and half-back Kane Bloxsidge with rover Josh Bowe and forward Rohan Lilly also catching the eye.

Scoreboard

Eaton Boomers 3.3 5.8 9.9 13.13 91 def Bunbury 4.3 6.4 6.8 6.10 46

Goals:

BOOMERS – J. Ferrier 3, K. Collard, R. Lilly, K. Butcher 2, M. Battaglia, D. King, B. Page, G. Catalano.

BULLDOGS – J. Gribble, B. Blake, S. Miles, C. Garlett, T. Gribble, A. Parker.

Best:

BOOMERS – B. Page, C. Atthowe, Jye Cormack, D. King, J. Bowe, K. Bloxsidge.

BULLDOGS – J. Adamson-Holmes, T. Gribble, A. Parker, G. Howison, C. Garlett, S. Miles.

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