Barwon Heads suffered a heart-breaking loss to Modewarre in the Bellarine Football League grand final on Saturday.
The Seagulls entered the match as hot favourites having defeated Modewarre in the second semi-final, but it was the Warriors who emerged triumphant to claim their first ever BFL flag.
Final scores Modewarre 14.9.93 to Barwon Heads 5.16.46.
It capped off a remarkable weekend for the Warriors. Their A Grade netball team also claimed the premiership while the reserves lost by a point to Torquay.
Either way, it was going to be a fairy-tale premiership regardless of which team won.
Entering the final term trailing by 20 points, there was still hope for the Gulls, but Modda slammed on six unanswered goals to blow the margin out.
The Seagulls will have to wait to end their premiership drought, which now stretches back to 1993.
Barwon Heads just couldn’t get on the scoreboard in the second half. They went goalless in the third term.
A string of nine successive behinds after half time before a consolation goal during time on in the last term would do the minor premiers no favours.
Modda booted the first two goals of the game, but the Gulls hit back to cut the deficit to four points at half time.
And even though Barwon Heads had a week’s rest, it was the Warriors who finished the stronger of the two teams.
In fact two games in a month probably didn’t help the Seagulls. Modda had a tough final series, but continuity held them in good stead.
Barwon Heads will regroup and will fancy its chances going forward.
A plethora of young local talent has set the club up for multiple tilts at the flag in the coming years, but for now, it’s Modewarre’s turn to shine.
For Barwon Heads, co-coach Bobby Wallace was best while Mitch Gaunt played well and kicked two goals and Kyle Polley was in everything.
Co-coach and star ruckman John Meesen was best afield and led Modewarre brilliantly.
