by Grace Knight
The Bull Sharks have suffered their first loss of the senior men’s AFL season at the hands of the Saints, going down by 29 points in a tough afternoon at Carrara on Saturday.
Bond’s effort could not be questioned, however Carrara handled the pressure better as the Saints defended their home territory in the 11.12 (78) to 6.13 (49) victory.
How it unfolded:
After Carrara’s early goal in the first quarter, the Bull Sharks answered back instantaneously with Tom Ferguson opening their account.
But the home side settled quickly and were able to put another four goals on the scoreboard to enter the first break with a 25-point lead.
Bond came back strong in the second quarter, kicking three unanswered goals to bring the margin back within eight points at half time.
The stage was set for a gripping second half and although the Bull Sharks’ attack on the footy did not diminish, they were let down by some inaccurate kicking.
Carrara managed 2.1 from their three shots on goal while Bond could only produce three behinds.
The game opened up for both sides in the final quarter and once again it was Carrara who were able to use the ball better as the game slipped through Bond’s fingers.
Who’s hot:
Despite the loss, it was still a great game with many highlights.
Tom Ferguson and Nathan Rataj played exceptionally well in the forward line, showing a lot of tenacity around the ball.
And Hunter Booth also played an excellent game in the back line with his ability to create multiple turnovers to set up the Bull Sharks offence.
What it means:
After this loss Bond have dropped to second on the ladder, trailing closely behind Burleigh.
Whilst Burleigh is the only team in the league who are still undefeated, Bond still own the league’s highest percentage of 163.36% (points for/points against).
Bond will be looking to reset this week as they get back to training to prepare for their upcoming home game against Ballina.
What they said:
Head coach Luke Mansbridge was proud to see his troops fight out a tough game but admits the side needs to find ways to improve before their next encounter with Carrara.
“I thought the boys rebounded really well from what was a tough start to the game,” said Mansbridge.
“Unfortunately, Carrara was just a bit cleaner than us and executed a lot better so we’ve got a bit of work to do.
“Our ball movement and entries inside 50 just weren’t where they needed to be so that’s probably where the game was won and lost.”
In other games:
It was another tough pill to swallow for the men’s reserves who also lost to Carrara 58-53.
Both Bull Sharks women’s teams took convincing wins against Wilston Grange with the seniors finishing up 75-17 and the reserves following it up with a final score of 75-7.