Errant kicking prevented Lakes Entrance any chance of being competitive on the scoreboard in its round 16 East Gippsland Football Netball League clash with Boisdale Briagolong at the Lakeside Oval.
The Seagulls finished the afternoon with 3.14, while the Bombers booted 14.11 in a positive display as they locked away a finals appearance and a chance to defend last year’s premiership.
Lakes Entrance had plenty of play in the first term with the breeze, but the wastefulness was evident from the start, kicking 1.7, while Boisdale set up its afternoon with a workmanlike 3.2.
The Bombers got solid performances up forward from their medium-sized forwards with Brandon Rimington (four goals), the competition’s leading goal kicker Jim Reeves (three) and Tom Jolly (two) always looking dangerous.
As the match wore on classy left footer Jackson Glenane and co-coach Kade Renooy, enjoying more midfield time with Kelvin Porter currently on the sideline, racked up
the possessions.
The Marshall brothers – Nick and Billy – were unappeasable down back.
Boisdale set the win up with three unanswered goals in the second term as the lead blew out to 27 points.
Again the Seagulls had chances during the third quarter to chip away at the advantage, but the Bombers held firm before playing their best football in the final term, unleashing a sustained assault, kicking six goals to one to run out 67-point winners in an impressive performance. Despite the win, the jury is still out on whether can reach the heights of 2024.
Glenane, Renooy, Nicholas Marshall, Timothy Dessent, Daniel Johnson and Billy Marshall were all standouts for the Bombers.
A positive for the Seagulls was the number of up and coming young players in the best players, which contained defender Jordan Clarke, Angus Stevens, Charlie Goold, Tully Davis, George Ioakim and Sam Brown.
Goold has been a find down back in recent weeks after biding his time in the reserves, while Ioakim impressed again after backing up from the thirds.
Stevens continues to show flashes of brilliance while still developing physically.
The Bombers will finish their finals preparation with a home fixture against arch rival, Stratford, who will be chasing a big win to stay in the top four, which looks unlikely with Orbost playing Paynesville.
Either way, the Bombers won’t be keen to start a grand final defence with a loss to their arch nemesis.
Lakes Entrance will finish its 2025 campaign with an away match against Lucknow.
