Orbost Snowy Rovers caused the first major shock of the East Gippsland Football Netball finals series, eliminating reigning premier Boisdale Briagolong in a game that wasn’t short of controversy at the Bairnsdale City Oval last Sunday.
Blues skipper Braden Ross won the toss and opted to kick to the town end, which was getting a helpful hand from a stiff breeze.
The Bombers began the match with their “A” grade midfielders, Kelvin Porter, Jackson Glenane and Kade Rennoy in the centre square, with the Blues starting Jordan Ross in the ruck where he and Will Walker would wear Boisdale big man, Matt Wilkinson, down over four torrid quarters.
The battle for the clearances was relatively close, with the Bomber onballers getting plenty of football, but with not a lot of marking targets inside the forward 50, the Orbost backs led by Curtley Nettleton, Max Welsh and Kieran Vickey started most Blues forays forward was their superb kicking skills.
Orbost opened the scoring with a goal after a sensational long pass from the prodigious Welsh found Hamish Nettleton, who kicked the first of his three goals.
Not to be outdone, Boisdale Briagolong skipper Jimmy Reeves (three goals) marked and kicked a major a short time later to restore the equilibrium.
The Bombers began to find the football after that with ease, as the prolific Porter, Tom Jolly and majestical Glenane racked up the possessions, Luke Pratt, Tim Dessent and Reeves kicking behinds as the Blues struggled to find a target when exiting from kick outs.
When Porter hit Reeves on an exquisite lead and he threaded the needle, the margin was out to nine points and a one-sided match looked to be unravelling.
Orbost had its first bit of luck for the day when Charlie Mein floored Daniel Johnston off the ball with a huge forearm.
Luke Pratt slotted a major as order was restored off the ball. Things could have got worse for Orbost shortly after when Glenane ran from the centre square and found premiership coach, Sam Bedggood, who didn’t make the distance against the breeze from 20 metres out.
Orbost gained some much-needed momentum as Curtley Nettleton marked and kicked to Max Herbert and he ran 40 metres and handballed over the top to Hamish Nettleton for his second.
Jordan Stubbe was starting to work into the game for the Bombers as their supporters came alive when Jack Dennis was laid out by Wes Russell in a marking contest and no free kick was forthcoming.
A clever Welsh (two) snap got the Blues back within two points as the quarter time siren approached, Russell missing just prior, cutting the lead in half.
Orbost players seemed keen to get under Daniel Johnson’s skin, but he was loving playing on the edge.
Blues coach Peter Seal rammed home the positives at the first break, emphasising that “it’s a big ground and you have to work hard, but the big games are played here and the rewards are huge”.
The second term began similar to the first, with a Boisdale mark and goal, this time to Brandon Rimington.
The umpires were making sure the players held onto the ball before awarding a mark, which infuriated some sections of the crowd, while players and coaches were frustrated with a number od pushes in the back that went unawarded.
Zac Webb got the Blues back within a point when he snapped truly, which was almost answered immediately by a long shoot from Jolly, however it sailed left late.
Play was stagnant on the museum wing for considerable time before Renooy broke the shackles after some creative play from Pratt.
Disaster for Orbost came as Reeves kicked another behind, with key playmaker Mein carried off with what looked to be a serious knee injury which will end his season.
Nick Marshall cleaned Kieran Vickery up shortly after as the ex-Bairnsdale half back racked up the possessions, working in well with Curtley Nettleton, Welsh, Sean Nippress and Clancy Bennett.
Russell missed the resulting downfield, before Dessent guided one through for the Bombers on the rebound as the lead went out to nearly three goals.
Curtley Nettleton was starting to take the game by the scruff of the neck, pulling down a huge mark only for it to be reversed for an illegal shepherd, Reeves adding another behind.
Herbert got up gingerly shortly after, the crowd divided on whether it was a dangerous tackle or holding the ball.
The Bombers attacked strongly late in the term, only to be thwarted on multiple occasions by Curtley Nettleton.
Tom Smith left the field with a blooded nose just before half time after being pinged for holding the ball, as the intensity hotted up again in a willing contest.
Play was delayed on resumption when Bombers skipper Reeves and coach Renooy were called in by umpires, the latter given a yellow card and reported for striking Welsh in the second quarter by an observant boundary umpire.
Interestingly Renooy only served 14 of his 15 minute sin bin ban before he was allowed to return to the fray.
The Blues went on the attack, trying to whittle away at the 16-point margin while Boisdale were a player short.
Max Welsh went forward and goaled shortly after, which was followed by a great Jarrah Nettleton tackle rewarded with a free and goal, the margin back to four points and the Blues on the attack.
As Russell left the field for running repairs on a cut head, Porter finished with style to give the Bombers a clear advantage once again.
Shortly after Jayden Price and Porter collided as tempers again became flared.
Herbert struck back for Orbost before Reeves struck again, Jolly and Smith missing late in the term for their respective sides as the Bombers held an eight-point advantage at the final change.
Both coaches asked their troops for the ultimate effort in the final term and Seal was rewarded with key forwards Russell and Hamish Nettleton plucking eight contested marks between them in the final term.
Russell who had worked hard all day was rewarded as he marked twice with one hand, his confidence growing immensely.
He found Hamish Nettleton early in the term, who did the unthinkable, missing from the top of the square, which could have rocked the Blues but it didn’t. Instead they sensed victory, the wind even turning around to the end they were kicking.
Boisdale went forward several times in search of their go-to man, the inspirational Reeves, but Nippress was playing him tight and Curtley Nettleton was never far away.
The Bombers got some much-needed breathing space as Renooy goaled after receiving a free for too high, which many thought was holding the ball.
Russell marked strongly and converted shortly after, the margin back to seven points.
Wilkinson was now playing two kicks behind the play, as Porter, Jude Scriven and Stubbe forced the ball forward for the Bombers with behinds the only result.
Russell was in the action again finding Smith at the 16-minute mark. He nailed a clever goal from a boundary throw in, the margin reduced to three points as spectators began to ponder extra time for the second consecutive day.
Welsh kicked a behind, before Hamish Nettleton got a free and kicked his third and most important of the season.
Welsh had another chance, as did Brunt at the other end for Boisdale, before the siren sounded – Orbost Snowy Rovers home by four points in a thrilling match that had it all.
Best players for the Blues were Curtley Nettleton, Vickery, Sean Nippress, Jordan Ross, Hamish Nettleton and Russell, while the Bombers were well served by Scriven, Matthew Hinks, Porter, Will Brunt, Jolly and Dennis.
There is no time to dwell for Orbost Snowy Rovers with a six-day back up, taking on the Wy Yung Tigers for a spot in the 2025 grand finale.
The Bombers areb left to ponder the what if, bombing out in the first week of the finals, that switch that everyone suspected they would flick when the time was needed never to be found.
They will do plenty of soul searching hoping to land a power forward in the Daniel Bedggood or Cal Calwyn mould to assist Reeves, who is a lone hand at present.
Seal was elated with the victory.
“It was exciting, through to our first preliminary final since 2017. We worked hard, had some luck and now we need to knuckle down and refocus,” Seal said.
