Seagulls secure historic home final
Callum Mulder sets his eyes on the forward line
August 14, 2024
By Rachel Williams
History will be made this weekend with more than 1000 people expected to wrap around Bridport Oval for the Seagulls’ first ever home NTFA final.
Just two years after coming out of recess, it’s a remarkable feat for the club to be hosting an Elimination Final against Old Launcestonians at 2pm on Sunday.
Bridport finished the season in fourth on the ladder to secure the hosting rights, an achievement that Club President Steve McKillop is incredibly proud of.
“We had one of our biggest crowds ever there on the weekend and I reckon we will double that on Sunday,” he said.
“We are ecstatic to have come this far. It’s been massive for the community.
“Given it’s a Sunday game we know there will be lots of people coming on the Saturday and are booking out Airbnbs to make a weekend of it so it’s going to be a busy weekend.”
McKillop said the success was on the back of significant hard work and dedication from volunteers off the field, combined with a committed coaching staff and playing group.
“Two years ago, we just wanted to come back and survive and consistently field two sides,” he said.
“Last year we finished off with five wins and this year the goal was to make the finals and we doubled the number of wins to 10 and we lost a couple of games by just a few points, so we have done really well which is exciting.”
The Seagulls won eight NEFU Premierships when that competition was alive and McKillop said the players are keen to match it with their NTFA Division 1 counterparts when it counts.
“We are in with a show. We had a few players out last weekend and so did OL’s so it is going to be an even game that could go either way. We know we can play better though.
“Making the finals is reward for all the hard work. We spend a lot of time up there at the club but we love it and it is a vindication for those people and players that stuck with us when we came out of recess.”
The club will provide extra bar and food options for the occasion, which will also see Meander play Evandale in the reserves Elimination Final before the senior spectacle.