Cudgewa’s unbeaten 27-game run came to a shuddering halt in the biggest match of the year when Bullioh stormed home in the Upper Murray grand final on Saturday for a commanding 5-point victory.

The Bulldogs flew the blocks in the first term with the aid of a brisk breeze and six-goal hero Ash Murray was proving a handful for the Cudgewa defence.

However, goals were proving elusive in the fluky wind and after consecutive ‘posters’ from Ben Hall and Adam Prior, Murray kicked truly and then Dogs’ coach Clint Brunnenmeyer goaled from 30 metres out followed by a clever mark and six-pointer from Murray to establish a three-goal lead at quarter.

It was brutal in the clinches and Cudgewa’s tackling was being rewarded by the umpires, providing them with repeat forward entries and when Adam Prior posted two majors in the first minutes of the second quarter the Blues were back in it. Co-coach Josh Bartel then stepped up for two consecutive goals including a trademark torpedo from outside 50 metres. However, Brunnenmeyer added another goal for the Dogs, restricting the Blues’ half time margin to 11 points.

Nick Brockley opened the scoring for the Blues in the third term with an early goal but the Dogs lifted their intensity at the stoppages to pile on five majors in a row in quick time with Murray leading the charge with three.

The Blues still held hopes of back-to-back flags at the last break knowing they had overhauled similar deficits against Bullioh three times this season but the Dogs maintained the pressure from the first bounce in the last quarter, resulting in a goal from inspirational captain Clayton Bosman and followed soon after by six-pointers from Brunnenmeyer and Murray to extend the margin to 40 points.

However, there was to be no ‘get-out-of-gaolfree’ card for the Blues this time round as Bullioh went for the jugular, at one stage extending the lead to 40 points before a late Blues’ goal trimmed the margin to 35 points at the final siren.

Bulldogs’ coach Clint Brunnenmeyer was ecstatic with the victory after four near misses during the season.

“I’ve said all year that we had the team to beat Cudgewa and we just has to put it together on the day,” he said.

“We just had to be tight on our opponents, play smart and work hard when we had the footy.

“I couldn’t fault our performance in the second half.

“Murray was awarded the VCFL medallion for the best player on the ground.

The Dogs made it a double with a win over Cudgewa in reserve grade while the Blues were successful in both the Under 14s and Under 12s.

In A Grade netball Cudgewa defeated Bullioh by 12 goals to make it back-to-back flags.

In an intense first half, the Dogs took it right up to the defending premiers and were in a position to end Cudgewa’s unbeaten run in 2024.

However, the Blues lifted after the mid-game break and with Sophie Greenhill dominating in the scoring arc, they edged away from a gallant Dogs’ side for victory.

First-year coach, Ava Kennett (21), said “I’m so proud of the girls this year, we’ve really stepped it up and they’ve been so good to me.”

The Blues’ dynamic midcourt general, Megan Nankervis, led the way with her hardness at the ball and creative play and was named as ‘best on court’.

Cudgewa defeated Bullioh in B Grade; Corryong snared the C Grade title by three goals over Bullioh; Tumbarumba easily accounted for Bullioh in D Grade; and in the closest contest of the day, Cudgewa outstayed Tumbarumba by a goal.

Results football seniors

Bullioh 3.4, 4.4, 10.7, 13.13 (91) d Cudgewa 0.4, 5.9, 6.10, 7.14 (56)

Goals:

• Bullioh – Ash Murray 6, Clint Brunnenmeyer 3, Clayton Bosman 1, Lachie Meehan 1, Jye Hodgkin 1, Jesse Wellington 1.
• Cudgewa – Josh Bartel 3, Adam Prior 2, Nick Brockley 1, Ben Hall 1.

Best:

• Bullioh – Ash Murray, Kelvin Wallace, Jake Curran, Clayton Bosman, Clint Brunnenmeyer.
• Cudgewa – Jack Gilbee, Josh Bartel, Jack Ross, Darcy McKimmie, Brayden Carey.

Reserves

Bullioh 2.4, 3.4, 6.7, 7.8 (50) d Cudgewa 2.2, 5.5, 6.5, 6.7 (43)

Goals:

• Bullioh – B Harrison 4, A Barnes 1, N Macauley 1, W Shannon 1.
• Cudgewa – J Hudson 2, J Whiteley 1, D Wheeler 1.

Best:

• Bullioh – Nash Macaulay, Jack Wilson, Peter Paton, William Shannon, Brady Harrison.
• Cudgewa – Jayden Pryse, Keiran Lawrence, Riley Bloom, Rhys Terry, Sean Swinnerton, Kyle Jarvis.

Under 14s

Cudgewa 4.1, 8.2, 13.5, 17.10 (112) d Corryong 0.1, 0.2, 0.2, 2.3 (15)

Goals:

• Cudgewa – H Mulligan 4, M Bloom 4, J McInnes 2, M McInnes 2, J Turnbull 1, I McVean 1, C Wray 1, D Faithfull 1, R Pierce 1.
• Corryong – C Kemp 2.

Grand final results

Best:

• Cudgewa – Jackson McInnes, Maison Bloom, Heath Mulligan, Mitchell McInnes, Beau Mulligan, Declan Faithfull.
• Corryong – Charlie Kemp, James Yule, Chaise Heinjus, Caius Harmer, Michael Boers.

Under 12s

Cudgewa 0.3, 2.3, 3.3, 4.4 (28) d Corryong 0.3, 0.5, 1.6, 3.8 (26)

Goals:

• Cudgewa – A Jackson 2, R Pierce 1, C Wray 1.
• Corryong – B Johmstone 2, N Stevenson 1.

Best:

• Cudgewa – Ryder Pierce, Mackinley Klippel, Connor Wray, Harry McVean, Mitchell McInnes, Axel Jackson.
• Corryong – Bentley Johnstone, Hunter Musgrove, Brady Nicholas, Noah Stevenson.

Netball

• A Grade:- Cudgewa 37 d Bullioh 24 (Best: Megan Nankervis)
• B Grade:- Cudgewa 46 d Bullioh 34 (Best: Lil Fair)
• C Grade:- Corryong 33 d Bullioh 30 (Best: Chrissie McKimmie)
• D Grade:- Tumbarumba 45 d Bullioh 24 Under 15s:- Cudgewa 33 d Tumbarumba 32 (Best: Laynee Clothier).

See all the photos in the issue.
This article appeared in the Corryong Courier, 29 August 2024.