NORTH Launceston reaffirmed its status as Tasmania’s premier club – winning a State League record three premierships in just four seasons.
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The Northern Bombers outsmarted, outplayed and overawed an undisciplined Lauderdale side 21.22 (148) to 9.7 (61), which decided to play the man rather than focus on winning its maiden TSL title.
Tom Couch’s charges showed pure class with brilliant, attacking modern football.
North vice-captain Brad Cox-Goodyer successfully launched one from 50 metres to kickstart a contested opening term that saw Lauderdale’s Josh McGuinness reported twice within 20 minutes.
A long bomb from Alex Hill steadied the Southern Bombers before Jake Pearce and Mark Walsh sent the slightly wasteful minor premiers into quarter time with a 16-point lead from 17 to nine inside 50s entries.
The second quarter was something to behold – Lauderdale mentally capitulated and the eventual titleholders took full advantage with a 10-goal-to-two term.
North piled on the first five majors through Pearce, Walsh, Cox-Goodyer, Ben Simpson and skipper Taylor Whitford to put them 47 points up.
Hill got his second and Lauderdale’s first since the 11th minute mark of the first term before Cox-Goodyer added his third.
Tarryn Thomas booted a beauty and was slammed into the turf mid celebration and was handed a free kick to make it two in 20 seconds.
Couch took offence to the skulduggery and over-zealousness of Lauderdale and then converted his first just before Walsh received a double 50-metre penalty for his fourth to put North 70 points clear.
Max Kleverkamp had the final say of the second term to have his side trailing 13.10 (88) to 3.4 (22) at half-time.
Lauderdale were a man down for the second half with Ben McGuinness ruled out with concussion but it was the Southern Bombers with the first two goals of the third stanza via Alex Hevey and Robbie McManus.
But Cox-Goodyer took centre stage with three goals in the term to take his tally to six at three-quarter-time and see North up by 72 points.
Thomas was electric around the ground as was Josh Ponting, Walsh, Whitford, Couch and Pearce, who all provided plenty of spark.
Ryan Wiggins booted four second-half goals and Cox-Goodyer finished the match with 8.5 to take out the Darrel Baldock Medal for his best afield display.
North dominated the stoppages, inside 50s and had 27 more scoring shots – almost identical to the 94-point second-semi final drubbing two weeks earlier.
Walsh finished with three, while Couch, Thomas, Whitford and Pearce completed a double.
Phill Bellchambers, Mitch Anderton, Hill (two goals) and Jordan Roberts toiled hard but did not have enough support on a terrible day for Darren Winter and his team.
MATCH RESULT
North Launceston 3.6, 13.10, 17.13, 21.22 (148)
Lauderdale 1.2, 3.4, 6.7, 9.7 (61)
GOALS, North Launceston: B. Cox-Goodyer 8, M. Walsh 3, T. Thomas 2, T. Couch 2, J. Pearce 2, T. Whitford 2, T. Bennett 1, B. Simpson 1. Lauderdale: R. Wiggins 4, A. Hill 2, M. Kleverkamp 1, R. McManus 1, A. Hevey 1.
BEST, North Launceston: B. Cox-Goodyer, A. Richter-Salter, J. Ponting, J. Pearce, T. Whitford, M. Walsh. Lauderdale: M. Anderton, J. Roberts, P. Bellchambers, N. Franklin, A. Hevey, A. Hill