Grand day for the Gold and the Blue

It was one of the most memorable deciders in league history, with the Rams knocking off minor premier Cobram at Tocumwal Recreation Reserve.

The final 10-point margin did the game little justice, with the lead changing hands several times during the fourth quarter.

The Tigers led by two points with just minutes remaining, but the Rams fought back to claim a memorable grand final victory.

Gary Parsons became a five-time premiership coach with the win, having also coached the club to four-straight flags from 2001-04.

It was also the fifth premiership medallion for senior players Troy Bartlett, Leigh Marshall and Sean Moodie.

Bartlett received the VCFL Medal as the best player afield, while Todd Gallagher, Rob Resuggan, Nick Howe, Marshall and Brett Napier were among Deniliquin’s better players.

Final score: Deniliquin 11.12 (78) defeated Cobram 8.20 (68).

After the game in 2011, an emotional Parsons described the victory as a ‘‘good, gutsy effort’’.

‘‘I’ve said all along that we’re probably not the best side in the comp, but we’re definitely the best team. Well now I’m going to have to eat my words because we’re definitely the best side as well,’’ Parsons said.

‘‘It means a lot to me, but it doesn’t mean as much as for them (the players). I am happy for them. I am old-fashioned, I suppose,’’ Parsons said.

‘‘We have got a really young group . . . we don’t drag the big names out, so we have just got to really promote our young fellas and a lot of the kids have shown great ability.’’

By half-time Deniliquin was two men down with Jack Lloyd taken to hospital with a suspected broken wrist.

Captain Anthony Bull twisted his ankle in the opening quarter and was clearly not moving freely. He went on to play some of the third quarter — kicking a crucial goal — but was off for most of the last.

Darcy Pogue received a cut above the eye in the same incident as Jack Lloyd’s injury, but played out the match.

‘‘We’ve always prided ourselves on our ability to put pressure on in the midfield and block the passages to the opposition forward line,’’ Parsons said.

‘‘But once we lost a couple of players, it made it pretty hard for us to rotate.’’

Neither side could gain a clear ascendancy on that Saturday.

Deniliquin teenager Ricky Gittens kicked the first goal of the match.

Small forward Shaun Wilson was the only player having an impact up front for the Tigers. He kicked his first of five in the opening term, but Deni still led by two points at quarter-time.

Rob Resuggan was doing a stellar job on Cobram coach Rob Osborne — the league’s leading goalkicker was kept goal-less for the match.

Both sides managed three goals apiece in the second stanza.

Wilson slotted two for Cobram, while young gun Cadeyn Williams bagged one.

Jack Lloyd kicked his only goal for the match before leaving the field with a broken wrist.

Pogue was hurt in the same contest. He returned to the field with bandages wrapped around the top of his head.

The teen also snared a goal in the second stanza, as did Bartlett with a booming kick from about 60m out to see Deni hold a four-point advantage at half-time.

The lead changed twice in the third term and was tied at one stage.

League medallist Ryan Bongetti and Cobram skipper John Lucas were working hard on the ball, but it was not paying dividends on the scoreboard and missed opportunities again cost the Tigers.

Josh Whelan, Bull and Pogue all chipped in with goals for Deniliquin.

Former Olympian Dean Pullar kicked Cobram’s only major for the term from a sharp angle in the pocket. The Rams led by 11 points at three-quarter time.

Williams had a shot that hit the post at the start of the final period, then took a sensational ‘hanger’ to the left hand side of goal after a turnover, but missed again.

It was Kane Boyer who put the Tigers up in the last five minutes of the quarter and it seemed as if Cobram would steal a win after trailing most of the day.

Boyer took a strong aerial grab on the Morris St side of the ground.

As he attempted to get to his feet, young Deniliquin defender Oliver Draffin appeared to trip his opponent and gave away a 50m penalty.

This gave Boyer a shot from right in front, just 30m out. He converted and gave his side a one-point advantage.

The Tigers chipped the ball around in an attempt to run down the clock, but Deni eventually regained possession through a brilliant defensive effort from Gallagher.

Draffin ran the ball from the half-back line and booted the ball to Sam Hall on the wing.

Hall turned and ran before kicking to teammate Sam Lloyd on the half-forward line.

Sam Lloyd, heavily tagged by his opponent, soared high for the ball but was spoiled. He re-gathered the ensuing fumble and chipped the ball to an unmarked Jack Tyndall who ran into an open goal and put his side back in front.

Brett Napier scored from a set shot just a minute later to put his side 10 points clear and seal the 2011 title.

Parsons said he was proud of the team’s effort considering the limitations put on its rotations for the majority of the match.

‘‘We had a couple of cramps, a couple of niggles, so it was a gutsy effort, but that’s how we play,’’ Parsons said following the game.

‘‘It was a typical Deni performance. Hard working, mateship and camaraderie.

‘‘When we were behind, not one bloke thought we were out of it.’’

Williams was named best for the Tigers, along with captain John Lucas, Brennan Mills, Wilson, Boyer and Joe Sullivan.

A big story to come out of the game was arguably one of the biggest ‘gambles’ in Deniliquin Rams’ history.

It was a gamble that paid off with Parsons’ decision to include inexperienced youngster Doug Bond in his senior side proving a masterstroke.

Despite it being just his second senior game and coming off a serious chest injury, Bond played a big part in the premiership victory.

The selection was such a surprise that Bond wasn’t even listed in the Weekender grand final program.

Parsons opted to name the 16 year-old speedster as a replacement for the injured Ash Morris (ankle), instead of one of his more experienced reserve grade options.

‘‘We lost Ash to injury,’’ Parsons explained.

‘‘So we had to work out a replacement. We needed someone who could run all day, use the footy well, and kick a goal if he had to.

‘‘Dougy is of a similar ilk to Morris and he was the player best suited to an Ash Morris-style footballer.’’

Bond, full of confidence, displayed plenty of speed and courage on the wing in his side’s grand final win over Cobram.

‘‘As a coaching group, we don’t make decisions like that lightly,’’ Parsons said.

‘‘There are always going to be disappointments.

‘‘But as a coach, sometimes you just have to make gut wrenching decisions.’’

Bond, a Deniliquin High School Year 10 student at the time, suffered a deflated lung during a thirds match on August 13.

He left the ground in an ambulance and was eventually taken to Shepparton Hospital where he was operated on two days later.

The grand final match was the first time he had returned to the footy field since the incident.