PANTHERS WARM TO CHANCE OF KEEPING STREAK ALIVE

TO understand the significance of Bell Post Hill’s preliminary final today, you have to look back at its decade of dominance in the GDFL competition.

A win over Thomson will give the Panthers a place in an 11th straight grand final, closing in on Ocean Grove’s 12 consecutive appearances in the BFL from 1993-2004.

The last time the Panthers missed a grand final, in 2007, six members of today’s starting line-up were still in primary school.

Even Matthew James, this year’s GDFL Whitley medallist, was in Year 7 at Western Heights.

After two losses to the Tigers in the home-andaway season, the Panthers hit back in the qualifying final with a 10-point win, as Thomson kicked the final five goals that day.

“We simply ran out of legs in the last quarter against Thomson, everyone was gasping on the big ground and it was a hot day as well from memory,” James said.

“The two defeats we had to them (Thomson) before that were both wet weather days as well, not a lot of people have mentioned that, so we’re hoping for warm weather this weekend.”

James, who had 11 dispos- als in the opening term of last week’s semi-final against Inverleigh, may be marked by Thomson midfielder Dave McLeish at the opening bounce.

But the 24-year-old urges onlookers to cast their eyes on reigning club best-andfairest Adrian Fantella, 29, who may once again line-up on Reece Holwell.

“‘Fantas’ racks up the numbers each game but he does a lot more work than people think,” James said.

“Very rarely does he make a mistake so he deserves the spotlight I would have thought.”