Six appeal: St Patrick's College players celebrate their win.
Dominant: St Patrick's College soundly beat Ballarat and Clarendon College in the Ballarat Association Schools First XVIII grand final. PICTURE: JUSTIN WHITELOCK
Dominant: St Patrick's College soundly beat Ballarat and Clarendon College in the Ballarat Association Schools First XVIII grand final. PICTURE: JUSTIN WHITELOCK
Dominant: St Patrick's College soundly beat Ballarat and Clarendon College in the Ballarat Association Schools First XVIII grand final. PICTURE: JUSTIN WHITELOCK
Dominant: St Patrick's College soundly beat Ballarat and Clarendon College in the Ballarat Association Schools First XVIII grand final. PICTURE: JUSTIN WHITELOCK
Dominant: St Patrick's College soundly beat Ballarat and Clarendon College in the Ballarat Association Schools First XVIII grand final. PICTURE: JUSTIN WHITELOCK
Dominant: St Patrick's College soundly beat Ballarat and Clarendon College in the Ballarat Association Schools First XVIII grand final. PICTURE: JUSTIN WHITELOCK
Dominant: St Patrick's College soundly beat Ballarat and Clarendon College in the Ballarat Association Schools First XVIII grand final. PICTURE: JUSTIN WHITELOCK
Dominant: St Patrick's College soundly beat Ballarat and Clarendon College in the Ballarat Association Schools First XVIII grand final. PICTURE: JUSTIN WHITELOCK
ST Patrick’s College continued its domination of the Ballarat Association Schools First XVIII football competition outclassing Ballarat Clarendon College at Eureka Stadium last night.
College scored the opening goal of the match and led for the first 12 minutes.
Thereafter, St Patrick’s College gradually brought the match back onto its own terms and then took control for a 16.18 (114) to 2.4 (16) victory.
The BAS grand final win is St Patrick’s sixth in a row.
St Patrick’s coach Howard Clark said that was an important number for the school.
“The sixth BAS premiership is significant because it is the cycle of an education in the school,” he explained.
“In 2005 we won the Herald Sun Shield premiership and we didn’t make the BAS grand final. Since then we’ve prioritised BAS first and then moved onto the Shield.
“The fantastic thing about it is we have only conceded three goals against them all year.
“To do that against a quality side like College which has performed so well at Country Cup level, it speaks highly of the group.
“This team is the culmination of four years.
“In 2009 we made the Herald Sun Shield grand final and got beaten by Assumption College.
“We went to Melbourne for our footy camp in March this year, and our call to arms was ‘history is our opportunity’. At no stage have we won three Shield premierships in row.”
Jake Neade was electrifying for St Patrick’s in the cold, gusty conditions, kicking two spectacular goals.
Teammate Matt Crouch was no less effective, while Nick Rippon, Tanner Smith, Michael Close and Dom Barry all shone.
Ballarat Clarendon College’s early momentum was brought to an abrupt halt when Ned Maybon collided with teammate Dean Robertson.
The match was stopped and players left the field as Maybon was taken from the field by paramedics with suspected neck injuries.
He went to hospital but was last night cleared of major damage.
While outsized and outclassed, College did not give up trying, with Hayden Drew, Ben Webster and Adam Dufty among its best.
ST PATRICK’S – Best: Jake Neade, Matt Crouch, Nick Rippon, Tanner Smith, Michael Close, Dom Barry. Goals: Liam Duggan 3, Jayden Styles 2, Jake Neade 2, Matt Crouch 2, Dan Butler, Martin Gleeson, Nick Rippon, Tanner Smith, Dom Barry, Angus Kirby.
BALLARAT CLARENDON COLLEGE – Best: Hayden Drew, Ben Webster, Adam Dufty, Luke Bailey, Mick Harrington. Goals: Jesse Murphy, Beau Bennett.
gav.mcgrath@thecourier.com.au
