FROM the time the Devils ran onto the ground to the Springvale theme song, it was obvious this would not be their night.
And so it proved, with second-placed Bendigo -- bristling with 16 Essendon-listed players -- breaking the Devils late in the third quarter and running out comfortable 36-point winners at Launceston's Aurora Stadium last night, 13.8 (86) to 7.8 (50).
Devils' coach Mathew Armstrong learnt nothing new last night.
His side was gallant, dedicated and courageous, yet the Devils'
half-forward line appears to be a cross between a trampoline and a brick wall.
It was impregnable except for the second term when the Devils were able to kick over half-forward with the help of the breeze and register five of their seven goals for the match.
Bendigo's Joel Reynolds, Ted Richards, Sam Hunt and Aaron Henneman provided resistance and rebound in defence.
"The cream rises to the top, let's be honest,'' Armstrong said.
"Their two key forwards [Callan Beasey and Kain Robins] kicked five between them and I got nothing out of my talls.''
But the Devils did have their chances and even led by four points at half-time.
With the Bombers kicking with a deceptively strong but bitterly cold breeze in the third quarter, the Devils held on and were only seven points down at the 17-minute mark.
The Devils even had a chance to reduce that late in the term, but Brett Geappen failed to register anything from 20m running into an open goal.
Bendigo kicked the final three goals for the term, went in 24 points up and simply shut down the Devils in the last term.
The Devils could only manage a solitary behind in the last quarter, while Bendigo kicked two into the wind and cruise to their sixth win in seven games.
Matthew Geappen was outstanding on-ball for the Devils, finishing with 36 touches and Nathan Street was a standout in defence.
Ian Callinan had an absorbing dual with last year's SANFL Magarey Medallist Paul Thomas.
Callinan had 25 disposals, an outcome Bendigo coach Matthew Knights was more than happy with.
"Thomas' job on Callinan was a critical one,'' Knights said.
"To hold one of the best players in the competition down to an average good game was a good result for us.''
Essendon-listed Courtney Johns made it through his first game for Bendigo, after two years on the sidelines with a chronic hip injury.
But he looked far from the player Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy hinted was close for senior selection, failing to take a mark, and having only one kick and two handballs for the night.
"He is like a two-year-old coming out of the paddock,'' Knights said of the 20-year-old, 192cm, 92kg forward.
"He is raw and I said to him when he came off I was really pleased he got through the game.''
By: BRETT STUBBS
Final Scores
Bendigo Bombers 4.3 5.5 11.8 13.8-86
Tasmania 1.0 6.3 7.7 7.8-50
Tasmania
Goal Kickers: 3 - J. Plapp,2 - B. Beams,1 - B. Robinson,B. Savage
Best Players: N. Street,N. Grima,M. Geappen,C. Brown,B. Atkin,T. Ronaldson
Bendigo Bombers
Goal Kickers: 3 - C. Beasy,2 - B. Haynes,K. Robins,1 - T. Richards,J. Winderlich,R. Dyson,B. Jolley,A. Monfries,P. Thomas
Best Players: J. Reynolds,P. Thomas,A. Wilson,J. Winderlich,T. Cartledge,S. Hunt
Reports:Nil. At Aurora Stadium
Last Modified on 28/05/2005 09:05