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GORDON PURPLE PATCH ENOUGH TO TOP PURPLE AND GOLD

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By David McPherson

Nathan Gordon has propelled Balwyn to a fourth grand final win in five years with a stunning first quarter outburst.

Gordon’s five goals and Cliff Tomkins/Blue Ribbon medal-winning performance highlighted the Tigers’ 10.10 (70) to 7.16 (58) victory over Vermont at Bayswater Oval.

Gordon struck three times within the first six minutes of the game and kicked all four first quarter goals to single-handedly drag the Tigers to a 25-point first-change lead.
The former Richmond Tiger slotted them from all over Bayswater Oval, snapping his first from deep in the pocket before slotting two set shot goals and swooping on an errant handball for his fourth inside 17 minutes.

Vermont struggled to find a target while Balwyn transitioned smoothly from defense into attack with a number of uncontested chains from kick-outs. Taylor Gilchrist and Kris Pendlebury were prominent early as the Tigers’ defense picked off the Eagles’ misguided ball use with ease.

Vermont struggled to get their hands on the football, losing the contested ball 31 to 24 in the first stanza, with Tom Schneider finding the football on just one occasion.
The Eagles took until the seven minute mark of the second term to find the goals as Kyle Emley was the final link in a defensive transition that resulted in him kicking truly on the run from 25 meters.

Jake Best was busy up forward and snapped a wonderful goal from the boundary to steady the ship, but wasted guilt-edged opportunities to kick four accompanying behinds at the major change.

The Eagles entered the sheds trailing by 25 points, but rallied during the break to come out much stronger defensively.

Jake Best ran rampant to open the term as Vermont ventured inside 50 on six occasions to the Tigers’ one in the opening ten minutes, and corrected his earlier waywardness to find the goals twice.

Best’s second of the term and third for the game set hearts pounding as he kicked truly from congestion in front of the Vermont faithful and turned to face the crowd with a fistful of jumper.

Sam Wadley had the chance to close the gap even further but sprayed his shot wide with a crucial miss when running into an open goal halfway through the third term.
The Tigers then responded with three of their own in the space of three minutes to pour cold water on any notion of a comeback.
Bain, Chivers and Gobbels were the goal scorers responsible for stretching the margin back to 34 points at the final change.
Joel Perry kicked his first within the opening minute of the last term, however it was a case of too little too late for the Eagles, despite Andrew Ellis and Sam Wadley also finding the big sticks in the last.

VERMONT 7.16.58
BALWYN 10.10.70

GOALS-
BALWYN: 5 Gordon, Gobbels, Frazer, Bain, Meesan, Chivers
VERMONT: 3 Best, Emley, Perry, Wadley, Ellis
BEST-
BALWYN: Gordon, Gilchrist, Chivers, Watts, Cross, Gobbels
VERMONT: Best, Perry, Emley, R. McComb, L.McComb

 

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