Footscray Edgewater has bowed out on the final day of Premier Cricket’s regular season for the second year running.
Unlike the gut-wrenching circumstances surrounding last summer’s ninth-placed finish, this was a little bit more cut and dried for the out-of-form Bulldogs, who had to see it coming after losing their last three matches.
They needed to beat Monash Tigers on the road at Central Reserve in the last round to preserve their spot in the eight, but were outplayed by the premiership contending side in a six-wicket loss.
The glass is half full for the Bulldogs, who unearthed some promising youngsters this season.
The blow of missing out on the finals again is softened by the promise of what lies ahead for their top-tier rookies.
Matt Underwood, Tearan Gleeson and Jonah Koch produced some eye-catching performances to suggest they could be permanent fixtures in the line-up for years to come.
Underwood made 133 on day one against the Tigers, a startling performance from a first-year player.
Koch claimed a five-wicket bag against St Kilda, while Gleeson has not looked out of place in the latter rounds after shining in the seconds.
With 260 to defend, the Bulldogs had the game taken away from them by Tigers opener Daniel Sartori.
Sartori made 108 and formed a number of meaningful partnerships to get the Tigers most of the way to the target.
Will Sheridan and Sam Taylor finished off the job for the Tigers and sent the Bulldogs to elimination.
All four Bulldogs XIs missed out on the finals.
