The wooden spoon awaits the Gunnedah Bulldogs in the AFL North West NSW men’s competition, after the Bulldogs slumped to a 58-point loss to the New England Nomads at the Armidale-based Bellevue Oval last Saturday.
With the two teams vying for fourth spot in the five-team competition in the second-last round of the regular season, the winner last Saturday was virtually assured of reaching the finals while the losing team would miss out.
Last Saturday was the third time the clubs met this year, with New England winning the first encounter before Gunnedah won the second while neither team had beaten anyone else.
The Nomads kicked 6.2.38 to the Bulldogs’ 4.1.25 in the first term last Saturday, and the hosts also nabbed six goals and two behinds in the second term while the visitors managed only two goals and two behinds.
Both teams landed two majors and three behinds in the third term, enabling New England to maintain a 37-point lead.
The Nomads scored 5.5.35 to 2.2.14 in the final term, enabling them to win 19.12.126 to 10.8.68.
New England skipper Hunter Greene was his team’s leading goal-kicker with seven majors, while James Walters nabbed five.
Daniel Pass landed five majors for Gunnedah, followed by Lachlan Hills and Peter McCormack with two each and Andrew Osmond with one.
The Gunnedah Poochettes had no game last Saturday while the Nomads women forfeited for the sixth time this year.
All three women’s fixtures involving Gunnedah and New England involved a forfeit from the latter.
Both the Bulldogs and Poochettes will host the Tamworth Kangaroos at Wolseley Park this Saturday, in the final round of the regular season.
