The Gunnedah Bulldogs finally recorded their first win of the AFL North West (NSW) men’s competition for season 2025, as they thrashed fellow strugglers the New England Nomads at Wolseley Park last Saturday.
The home side was in control for nearly the entire contest, before running out 18.19.127 to 5.12.42 victors.
Andrew Osmond landed eight goals for the winners while player-coach Jakob Vearing booted five.
With the Nomads having won only once this year – when they beat the Bulldogs 11.15.81 to 7.9.51 back on May 17 – while Gunnedah lost its first seven fixtures, both clubs must have been starving for a rare victory last Saturday.
With the visiting club fielding a depleted squad, this was a game which the Bulldogs simply could not afford to lose.
Osmond landed the first goal before the Nomads levelled at 1.0.6 apiece, and then Daniel Pass put the home side back in front.
Osmond’s second goal and Ben Neale’s sole major of the game helped the home side to a 4.4.28 to 1.2.8 lead at quarter-time, before the Nomads kicked a major in the first minute of the second term.
Both teams kicked three majors in the second quarter, with Osmond, Abe Conlin and Tom Carlyon finding the target for the hosts as they worked their way to a 7.10.52 to 4.5.29 lead.
Osmond and Vearing kicked multiple goals in the third term, and Pass also found the target again as the margin blew out to 68 points.
A couple of Gunnedah players exited the arena late in the third quarter to balance the numbers, due to New England being reduced from 16 to 14 players as a result of injuries.
Osmond landed three majors to Vearing’s one in the final term, before the Nomads landed the final goal.
Vearing said it was good for the Bulldogs to finally get the monkey off their back, and “seeing the boys just play with a bit of confidence and not (be) afraid to make mistakes”.
“We had drive coming off the backline,” he said.
“Everyone was hungry and wanted the ball and we weren’t just locking down and trying to nullify the other side or reduce score pressure or anything like that.
“We were just out there to get a hold of the football because that’s what it’s all about, to get that football in your hand as much as you can.”
Vearing said there was “still lots of silly stuff…juvenile…inexperience, but players being able to test their limits and take the game on, even if it doesn’t work, it teaches so much more about football rather than just getting belted by a very very good team”.
Gunnedah’s women’s team won on forfeit in the meantime.
The Gunnedah men’s and women’s teams face an acid test this Saturday as they contest the Inverell Saints on Inverell soil, with Inverell having beaten Gunnedah twice in each division so far this year.
