WITH returning players Holmes, Blake and Jackson added to the last weeks winning side providing added confidence, the day started with a wonderful, animated intro by coach Vernon using a footy-ground layout with witches-caps for players.
Just as well it was indoors as the wind sure had arrived, that wonderful northerly straight of the bay.
The Bulldogs started brilliantly, with quick goals straight up.
With the second goal, the footy cleared the wonderful new nets and lodged permanently in the Cyprus trees at the scoreboard end.
Focusing on the game, a complete reversal of form from game 1 at Tooradin was evident.
The Bulldogs dominated the first and headed into quarter time with a 20-point lead which should have been 26 but for an on-the-siren goal to the Seagulls.
The second continued as the first, with a couple of early goals, and a 32-point lead.
But good sides fight back, and the Seagulls lifted their intensity and fought their way back into the contest.
Replies from Stewie Scanlon and Liam Adams reduced the margin, and another after-the-siren goal to Julian Suarez cut the margin back to 10 points at the major interval.
With the intensity so high it was giving the stats man writer’s cramp from recording tackles and pressure acts, the third was intense.
When Scanlon struck again, with a brilliant set shot from the forward pocket at the four-minute mark of the third, the Seagulls were back within four points and appeared to have all the momentum.
The dogs steadied with huge goals to Max Blake and Noosh Kane Gillard giving the Bulldogs a 17-point advantage.
Brady Egan from the gulls closed the gap to 11 points just a minute into the final term.
A comical mix up between Sauce Tomada and Cam Pedersen in the centre (although it wasn’t comical at the time) resulted in a turnover goal to Liam Adams, and the Gulls had closed to two points at the 16-minute mark.
Max Blake booted a long goal which opened a 14-point margin.
The icing on the cake with a centre clearance ending with Noosh Kane Gillard, who kicked a 40-metre (or was it 60!) goal on the run – directly in front of the Phillip Island faithful – to begin some joyous celebrations.
So life-giving breath returns to the league competition with the gulls first loss for the year, whilst the search continues for that missing sherrin.
