The 2014 Christchurch Bulldogs stood proudly together at the end of their title defence, suffering a 32 point loss to new champions, the Eastern Blues. The scoreline showed the Blues running away with the game in the last quarter after holding a narrow two goal lead at three quarter time.
Plenty of passion and intensity was shown by both sides as the game ebbed and flowed throughout the course of the match. The Blues maintained the ascendency after a strong first quarter, kicking five straight goals, while the boys in red and black could only manage two goals and two behinds.
Strong contributions in the ruck from Julian Dykman and all over the ground by CAFL best and fairest, Stephan Van Gruting kept the Bulldogs within grasp until a late burst in the final quarter sunk their hopes for a title defence 12 months in the making.
The tackling was fierce all day, despite many legitimate tackles declared to have gone too high, which left many players from both sides frustrated for having their defensive efforts punished, rather than rewarded. An ugly incident in the last quarter saw one Blues player sent off for ten minutes, while the decision to award the free kick to the Blues left many perplexed.
The last quarter saw many a player go down with cramps due to the intensity and heat of the day, allowing fresh Blues players space to roam and push forward to help seal the victory.
The minor premiership was a minor consolation for all of the hard work that went into the season, but next year the Bulldogs will again be a force to reckon with and be pushing even harder to take home the major trophy.
2015 will see a new coach, after Harry Peterson declared (yet again) that he would not be available for the next season. The focus will continue to be developing and unearthing new and exciting talent into the Bulldogs club and ensure that the spirit of footy is adhered to through strong club culture and success.
Preseason training begins first week of January. It may or may not be self administered at multiple sites around Canterbury.
Last Modified on 10/11/2014 12:34