Daylesford has claimed its second Central Highlands Football League premiership in three years, running out convincing winners over Dunnstown in Saturday’s grand final at Mars Stadium in Ballarat.
The Bulldogs won 18.16 (124) to 11.11 (77), a result that hands the club its fifth senior flag of the CHFL era and puts it level with Gordon on two premierships since football returned after the Covid disruption.
Daylesford set the tone early, blitzing Dunnstown with six goals to one in the opening term. First-year player Harrison Kol was at the heart of the burst, kicking three of those first-quarter goals to put the Towners on the back foot from the outset. Dunnstown’s afternoon was made harder still by an early injury to Jordan Crone, who was assessed on a stretcher before leaving the ground under his own power.
Andrew Panayi was named best afield, finishing with six goals including a standout passage of play in the third term where he goaled from a tight angle after shrugging off attention. It capped a dominant individual display in a game that was, by most reckonings, effectively settled inside the first half hour.
For Dunnstown, appearing in their first grand final since 1999, Travis Parsons was among the best in a losing side, kicking four goals, while Flynn Stevenson added two from a busy afternoon through the midfield. The club was further hampered by rotations lost to injury, with Nicholas Byrne among those whose game was cut short.
It was a breakthrough day for the Bulldogs’ Josh Cowan, who claimed his first premiership as coach after being born and bred at the club. Cowan credited the playing group and the wider club community for the win, saying the squad had backed itself in after a tough finals loss earlier in the campaign.
Daylesford had also accounted for Dunnstown in a qualifying final three weeks earlier, with the two sides having split their two meetings during the home-and-away season. Saturday’s rematch proved one-sided from the opening bounce, as the Bulldogs’ finals experience told against a gallant but undermanned Dunnstown outfit.
Among the highlights for Daylesford was a third-term goal to youngster Scout Kinnear, one of several breakthrough talents to emerge from the club’s premiership campaign.
The 18.16 (124) to 11.11 (77) triumph now brings Daylesford level with Gordon on two premierships in the post-Covid era.
A second premiership in three years was the story for a red, white and blue brigade who looked every bit as if they came in with a mental edge. Andrew Panayi was named best afield, finishing with six goals.
Dunnstown would finish the game with multiple rotations due to injuries.
This information was obtained from the Ballarat Courier.
