By Bruno Visentini
The Coburg Lions are back on the winners list for the third time this season after a spirited 13-point win in a fiery contest against the Northern Bullants at Piranha Park on Sunday in front of an extremely healthy crowd. The win sees the Lions bring home the cup in the Battle of Bell Street for the first time since 2015.
In a competition that has lost and gained many clubs and taken on different forms while expanding into three states, one constant has remained for almost 100 years and that is the close proximity of the Lions and the Bullants. Just 3 kilometres separates the final two standalone clubs in the north of Melbourne and even through a name change, both sides entering and exiting alignments with AFL clubs and circumstances that nearly saw both sides cease to exist over the years, the rivalry between the two sides has remained as strong as ever.
Across 159 contests between these two clubs, the Bullants sat ahead 81 to 75 with 3 draws also having occurred. The last time Coburg had beaten the then-Northern Blues in 2015 was by a mere 2 points. With plenty of close clashes in between, including last year’s 7-point thriller, the hunger was well and truly there to bring home the cup.
In the lead up to the 160th clash between these two clubs, Coburg legend Phil Cleary spoke with the team about the importance of this clash and provided that extra rev-up needed for such a big clash with the old enemy in a season where both teams occupy a similar position on the ladder. A large gap in percentage had Coburg higher on the ladder leading into the match, but with both teams level on two wins so far, an important leg-up was at stake in Sunday’s match.
Early on it was the Bullants who got the upper hand in what was a slow start to the quarter. After two goals they lead 14 to 1 but a quick end to end chain of play had the Lions on the board 30 seconds later when Braedyn Gillard slotted Coburg’s first of the day. Momentum was well and truly in Coburg’s favour and the Lions continued to storm to the front. Josh D’Intinosante notched up his first goal of the game to tie up the scores at 14 apiece.
It wasn’t long before the Lions hit the front thanks to a crafty effort from Flynn Gentile who snatched the ball from his opponent’s clutches and ran through for a goal. Tempers began to flare and a scuffle broke out, and another scuffle shortly after saw the Lions win a 50 metre penalty that put Joel Trudgeon directly in front to extend the lead out to two goals. At the first change the Lions lead by 12 points but certainly could’ve been ahead by more. Remarkably, despite the Bullants’ deficit, their star Jean-Luc Velissaris had notched up 20 disposals in a quarter of footy and he looked a threat to keep the Bullants in this contest.
The second term almost began perfectly for Coburg but debutant Ben Major under heavy pressure could only get a toe to the ball quickly and the ball curled into the post. The Bullants became a stronger force, but their inaccuracy saw them follow the two behinds that ended the first term with four more, temporarily preventing the Lions from serious trouble. That trouble reared its head eventually in extra time when the first goal of the quarter was scored by Christos Kosmas who shrunk the margin to just three points. Fortunately for the Lions, a goalless quarter was avoided when Kyle Weightman intercepted an errant kick in the Bullants’ backline to slot a beautiful set shot late in the term and push the Lions’ lead to 10 points at the main break.
The second half began as a tussle, Josh D’Intinosante kicked his second of the match but the Bullants were able to reply with one of their own to keep the margin more or less where it was. After more of an arm wrestle, Ingo Dammersmith was found behind a pack of defenders to take a mark and kick an important set shot. The flood gates began to open when Davin Cameron took a great mark and kicked a set shot of his own, and if the match wasn’t all but sealed yet, Flynn Gentile became a multiple goal kicker with an accurate snap kick that ignited another clash. Gentile’s jumper was ripped almost completely and saw him return in the final quarter sporting the number 47 instead of his usual 4.
The Bullants almost notched a second goal for the term, but strong defensive efforts saw the ball rushed through, showing that the Lions could do it all on both ends, and were determined to bring home the win against the old enemy. A four-goal quarter had the Lions ahead 9.9 (63) to 4.8 (32) with only a quarter to play, but the lead was nowhere near secure enough to put the cue in the rack just yet, with both sides equally determined to take home the four points.
It was almost sealed early on in the quarter when Flynn Gentile’s kick looked like a goal to almost everyone in attendance, but the goal umpire signalled that the ball had hit the post, much to the relief of the Bullants. Eventually the Ants had a chance at goal, but a backwards diving effort from Deacon Kalpakis was enough to rush the ball over, showing the youngster’s importance in the backline this afternoon.
The Bullants did however score the next goal, with a free kick putting Caleb Franks within range to score his second of the match. Thankfully for the Lions, Will Bella got onto the scoreboard with a goal putting the margin at a game-high 32 points. The Bullants’ desperation to win saw them almost gain ascendency to end the game, and when Rohan McKenzie kicked a goal off a free kick it seemed as though the game could go either way. Kyle Weightman almost put the nail in the coffin with a set shot, but a free kick was called which saw no score recorded, much to the dismay of the Coburg faithful.
The Bullants controlled the flow of the match with more possession, but the Coburg backline stayed strong to prevent the margin from being slashed too much. Two late goals to the Bullants only did so much, and as the final siren sounded, a Northern Bullants behind saw Coburg win the match with a score of 10.12 (72) to the Northern Bullants 8.11 (59).
The Harold Martin Medal for the best on ground went to Deacon Kalpakis, whose commanding role in the backline was crucial to holding on in this match. His stats included 25 disposals and a match-high 15 marks. Coburg captain Jesse Corigliano lead the Lions for disposals with 33 as well as 10 marks.
The Lions move to 17th on ladder with 3 wins and 8 losses, and will take on the Brisbane Lions on Saturday at Brighton Homes Arena in Ipswich, Queensland. Fans can attend the club function at The Sporting Globe Northland to cheer on the team with their fellow Coburg fans.
