By Lance Jenkinson
Memories of an incredible 2019 season will live on for the Footscray Hockey Club.
Recollections of grand final day not so much though.
Footscray was left licking their wounds twice on the biggest day on the Hockey Victoria calendar.
The Bulldogs tasted grand final defeat in both the women’s and men’s grand finals back to back on a tough Saturday evening at the State Netball and Hockey Centre.
In the women’s premier league grand final, Footscray was beaten 4-0 by Hawthorn in a game that was considered a toss of the coin going in.
Only one competition point separated the two sides after 19 weeks of the regular season.
The Bulldogs could not find an avenue to goal, nor could their defence hold up for long enough.
In the men’s premier league grand final, Footscray went in as a clear underdog against Southern United, the superior team in the regular season. The Bulldogs were out-gunned 5-0 in the big dance.
Just like the women’s team, the men could not find a way to goal and their defence cracked under the weight of Southern pressure.
Irrespective of the grand final results, this will be remembered as a hugely successful season for Footscray’s men’s and women’s programs.
