Dubbo Bulls coach Craig Biles believes the club’s maiden Western Premier League grand final triumph was a culmination of six years of hard work.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The Bulls had all three grades in action on grand final day, coming away with the first and second grade titles. First grade won 5-4 after a penalty shoot-out when the scores were level 1-1 after extra time. In second grade it was the Bulls 2-1 against Orange Waratahs while Bulls under-18s went down by an own goal to Lithgow Workies.
An elated Biles said Saturday’s triumph was a mark of how far the Bulls had come since forming in 2004.
“The club is relatively young compared to some of the other sides that are in the competition. We made the grand final first year in our foundation year - 2004 - and we won an under-18s comp the year after,” he said.
“To have all three grades in this time is just sort of a gradual building of that first year. I think this first grade side sort of typifies all the hard work from over the years.
“Some of these guys have been involved since our foundation year all the way through. We’ve built a bit of a family tradition and to see their parents and grandparents here today is great for me, anyway.”
The mentor was rapt with the way his side stuck to its game plan.
When Craig Sugden equalised at 1-all in the 70th minute for Waratahs the visitors threatened to finish over the top of Dubbo FC and spoil the Bulls’ party.
But they never lost their heads in the face of a sky blue onslaught in the closing stages and in extra-time.
“We spoke about composure and not rushing plays, being calm and playing what’s in front of us,” Biles said.
“I thought that the boys showed in the last 15 minutes of the game and in extra-time that they were composed. They never panicked - they just looked for the space and kept playing.
“We spoke before the extra-time period and said that the difference between the two sides would probably come down to who wants it most. We know that they’re a really good football team. We’ve got total respect for them. I’m very proud of the way the boys stood up - they stuck to their task.
“Nobody overplayed the game - nobody went for the glory shots. They just stuck as a team and played for each other and we got very lucky in the shoot-out. They’re a lottery. We’ll take the win either way.
“I thought overall we probably played the bit more desperate football. It’s just great for the boys.”
The mentor thought defender Tom McKeon and man-of-the-match Mitch Rea were his side’s best.
“Tommy McKeon at the back has been good all year. He started the year off a bit slow but he finished the year in spectacular form,” he said.
“The other bloke I probably want to give mention to is Mitch Rea. Mitch has been out all year with a serious knee injury. Today was his first game. With no training - he’s come straight from the park because we were down on numbers. I thought for the first 45 minutes he was the best player on the park and I thought for the next 45 it was between him and Tommy McKeon. There was nothing in it.
“Just the guts those guys showed lifted players around them. We had three under 18s play the full 90 minutes of 18s and they started our first grade game. We had a couple of other players that played a full second grade game. Just the overall effort within the team is huge.”
# 2nd grade heartbreak: page 37
