The New England Nomads have secured a place in their first Grand Final since 2006 with a hard fought 14-pont victory over the reigning premiers Tamworth Kangaroos at Bellevue Oval on Saturday.
The 2012 Minor Premiers led at every break, but were never clear of the persistent Roos until the last three minutes of the contest. They withstood another typical comeback from the boys from Tamworth and delivered a famous victory in front of a vocal home crowd.
The match started in perfect footy conditions with the Roos having all the early running in the opening 10 minutes. With the Roos midfield showing their class, and a couple of excellent finishes in front of goal, the Nomads were on the back foot. However, the boys from Armidale rallied and finished the quarter with all the running, booting 4 goals to 2 and setting up a 13-point lead at the first change.
The second quarter was almost a carbon copy of the first. Both sides took control of general play for periods of time, with neither really able to assert their dominance on the scoreboard. The Nomads got the better of the quarter, kicking 4 goals to 3 for the period, with the Roos left to rue a couple of easy misses late on to see themselves 18 points down at the long break.
The message from both coaches would have been similar in both dressing rooms during the break, with each team looking to maintain their own game plan and utilise their strengths out wide with pace and dash. The third quarter has typically been a strength of the Roos the last two seasons, and this occasion was no different as they started to put the Nomads under pressure across the ground. Once again, they were a little wasteful in front of the big sticks, and while managing 7 scoring shots to 3 for the quarter, they could only bridge the gap to 9 points with a quarter to go.
Knowing that they needed to strike early in the last, the Roos did just that and tied the game up with 10 minutes to go on the clock. However, buoyed on by the home supporters, the Nomads settled and got themselves back with a handy 2 goal buffer with 5 minutes left. Another Roos goal got the heart rate going, however a late settler saw the Nomads hold on to record a morale boosting victory and head into their first decider since 2006.
For the victors, Weston Whitby was unbeatable, kicking 5 goals in a best on ground performance. Caleb Dobos chipped in 3 goals, with Nathan Lambie kicking 2. Midfielders Dave Graan, Riley Connor and Jon Fruend were also strong all day. For the Roos, Matt Hodge capped off another strong performance with 5 goals while Dan Overeem slotted four. Brock Quinn was their best, with captain-coach Tim Cotter and Ryan Painter also putting in good games.
The Nomads now head into what is a history making Grand Final, with the first decider to be held that does not involve a Tamworth side since the TAFL was introduced in 1997. They will head north to face the Saints in a rematch of the Major Semi a fortnight ago.
The Roos see their season end one week early, breaking a run of three straight Grand Final appearances.
Preliminary Final: New England Nomads 14.13.97 def Tamworth Kangaroos 12.11.83.
