Deanmill went into Saturday’s Grand Final looking for their second Retravision Manjimup Reserves Premiership in a row, after their rampant 2024 display in the decider. Their opponents in 2025, Bridgetown, came into the game as underdogs, however also as the only team that had beaten Deanmill this year. While the personnel were somewhat different, the Bulldogs were convincing winners back in Round 2 and would need that level of performance if they were to repeat their 2023 success.
Josiah Smith was perhaps a surprise first goalscorer of the day, given it was only his third of the year, and an early blow for Deanmill given Smith appeared to be running with Hugh Mitchell. Smith’s goal may have come from an unexpected source, but the quality was undoubted, with clean hands and a quick snap from a stoppage. As one of the players in the Deanmill line up who wasn’t part of their 2024 Grand Final team, it also signalled an intent from across the Hawks line up that there was no lack of motivation to go back to back for some and provide an opportunity for a first flag for others.
In the middle of the ground, 2024 Retravision Medal winner Jacob Henry was going toe to toe with Connor McCamish in the ruck, while Smith appeared to have the job on Mitchell. Tim Ioannou and Kade Della completed Deanmill’s midfield quarter in the early going, while Bulldogs’ skipper, Mitch Baldock, was joined by Dylan McKay. Bridgetown forced the ball forward from the resulting centre re-start and Jack Richards almost had the instant reply from the near side forward pocket. What looked a fantastic snap off the boot, faded late and hit the post. After the hectic start to scoring, the scoreboard went quiet as both teams looked to settle into their game styles and the game bounced back and forth, largely between the arcs with a few half opportunities interspersed in the frantic action.
Midway through the first quarter, a Bridgetown kick in was chopped off at the 50 before Victor Markotis was taken high. Markotis played on quickly and while the kick was slightly off the side of the boot in the slippery conditions, it still found its way to a dangerous area. Declan Mills slipped at the critical moment, not the first or last given the conditions on the day, which opened the door for Declan Boston to put Deanmill’s second on the board with a clever kick on the run in the greasy conditions.
After each team scored a behind in the back half of the first quarter, possibly the game’s defining moment came AFTER the quarter time siren. Ioannou chipped across to David Markotis, who marked around 45 metres out, seconds before the siren sounded. Kicking from on the 50 in the blustery conditions and with Bridgetown getting numbers to the goal line, it seemed a kick that the conditions alone may conspire against. The kick was not only straight, but carried the pack on the goal line, an ice cold finish from Markotis and one that sent Deanmill to their huddle with a 19 point lead and well and truly up and about. Conversely for Bridgetown, it was exactly the sort of goal that on the big stage, can have a deflating effect and the body language of the Bulldogs huddle appeared one of forced hope, rather than genuine belief.
With that said, Bridgetown opened the second quarter full of vigour and Reiley Allan was rewarded for a fantastic tackle which resulted in a shot on goal. The tough kick from the pocket missed narrowly, but it was a positive start from the Bulldogs.
After a back and forth few minutes where both sides gave away 50 metre penalties, Blair Fowler provided a moment of class. The ball spilled inside 50 for Deanmill and Fowler picked up, before very deliberately pulling a kick Peter Daicos would have been proud of. Fowler dropped it onto the outside of the boot from the pocket and watched it bounce through, the perfect kick in the conditions that were making even the regulation look difficult. Deanmill led by 24 points at this stage, 27 – 3, and while the balance of play had been slightly in their favour, the ultimate difference was the moments of class to put goals on the board, where Bridgetown had struggled to find that last kick.
Bridgetown needed a goal desperately at this point and Brett Davies bobbed up with a strong mark, almost in the same spot as Markotis at the end of the first quarter. The kick was almost an action replay, with Davies’ kick from the on the 50 just clearing the goal line pack and putting the Bulldogs on the board. The challenge for Bridgetown now was to kick back to back goals, and for Bulldogs fans, disappointment followed as minutes later Riley Mason took a strong mark at the top of the goal square and pushed the Hawks out to a 25 point margin.
In a rare spate of free scoring, McCamish kicked an answering goal a couple of minutes later, but Jonty East then kicked his first for the day to ensure Deanmill went to half time with their four goal lead in tact. At half time the Hawks led 6.4.40 to 2.4.16, and Bridgetown were struggling to find the required match ups for the multi faceted Deanmill forward line.
Conditions were challenging throughout with several heavy showers hitting the Manjimup Recreation Ground during the Retravision Manjimup Reserves Grand Final.
Photo Courtesy of Mad Dog Moore Media.
The first few minutes of the third quarter provided a strange period of the game. Bridgetown got their hands on the football and put territory pressure on their opponents, while Deanmill appeared frustrated, moreso than expected for a team with a comfortable lead.
It came to a head when Brodie Reeve was sent off and the ball went from Deanmill’s forward line to a shot at goal from the goal square for Hugh Mitchell. The margin narrowed to 18 and it looked for a moment like Bridgetown had the opportunity to open the door as they had done in the 2nd Semi Final, with a strong second half fightback. It wasn’t to be however as Deanmill re-arranged their set up and in fact not only stemmed the flow, but did all the scoring for the rest of the quarter. Goals to Markotis (David) and Mason, left Deanmill 33 points in front at the last change and seemingly very little prospect of a way back for the Bulldogs. Markotis was proving a very handy foil for the tall targets in the Deanmill forward 50 and his brave mark in front of goal was a crucial moment of quality, before from the resulting clearance Deanmill went forward and applied a hammer blow through Mason’s clever goal from on his backside.
The sting appeared to have gone out of the game as the final quarter resumed and not for the first time on the day, the rain set in. Markotis (David – again) took a strong mark close to goal after a kick forward from Travis Clark and extended the margin to 39 with 8 minutes in the clock and effectively end the contest once and for all, as the margin and increasing rain suggested there would be no late Grand Final miracle.
It was a superb performance from the Hawks and one that confirmed their standing as the leading Reserves team in the Lower South West Football League. Della was superb throughout and deservedly claimed the Doc Ryan Medal as Best on Ground, while Mason was a difficult match up for Bridgetown to answer. David Markotis would have been right in calculations for best on ground, after his crucial first quarter goal was followed by another two scoreboard interventions in the second half and he was a constant thorn in Bridgetown’s side.
For Bridgetown, Mills worked hard on his wing, while Toby Ward was his usual industrious self, only lacking in scoreboard output as he got caught on his wrong side multiple times and found the slippery conditions detrimental to his end product. William Applin and Adam Kirkby worked hard throughout, but ultimately the Bulldogs couldn’t quite get enough from some of their prime movers on the day to produce the upset.
Riley Mason kicked this clever goal while on the deck late in the third quarter to send Deanmill to the break 33 points ahead and with one hand on the Retravision Manjimup Shield.
Photo Courtesy of Mad Dog Moore Media
SCOREBOARD
Deanmill 3.3.21 6.4.40 8.7.55 9.9.63
Bridgetown 0.2.2 2.4.16 3.4.22 3.5.23
Goals: Deanmill – David Markotis 3, Riley Mason 2, Blair Fowler, Jonty East, Josiah Smith, Declan Boston.
Bridgetown – Connor McCamish, Brett Davies, Hugh Mitchell.
Best: Deanmill – Kade Della, Riley Mason, Tim Ioannou, Blair Fowler, Declan Boston, David Markotis.
Deanmill – Declan Mills, William Applin, Adam Kirkby, Dylan McKay, Toby Ward, Carl Karafilis.
Doc Ryan Medal – Kade Della (Deanmill)
Umpires: Ben Lagana, Eric Frahamer, Todd Carroll
