IT was a history-making day for the Bothwell Football Club last Saturday when they defeated Campbell Town by 38 points in the Oatlands’ District Football Association Grand Final.

The Rabbits led at every change and never looked like taking the foot off the pedal. Despite a very favouring wind to the top end, Bothwell when kicking against it, still managed to outscore the Robins in every quarter. Bothwell had winners all over the ground. Jamie Sokolski, Jordan Stacey, Jamie Hales all got plenty of the footy when it mattered as did Corey Jetson and Jack Jenkins. But it was the experience of Jarrod Horne up forward that was the stand out and was adjudged his second ODFA best on ground, his first coming in 2005.

Horne not only kicked two majors himself, but also had a hand in many others in what was a smart and skilful display by the veteran. Bothwell had eight goal kickers, five kicking two each, but none was better than the check side from the boundary in the last quarter against the wind by Corey Jetson, are real pearler that got the strong 1500-plus crowd up and about.

When the final siren sounded, the club not only took out its sixth ODFA senior premiership, but in doing so went through the 2022 season undefeated, a feat last accomplished in 1968 in the then Southern District Football Association when captain/ coached by the great Peter Rolls senior. In a terrific story, Mr Rolls is the grandfather to Jarrod Horne and was there to witness the feat happen again.

It’s was only fitting that Jarrod took the cup over to his grandfather watching from his car. This premiership was Horne’s ninthflag! Yes ninth, five with Bothwell, two with New Norfolk and two with Glenorchy. And when I asked him how many he had lost … the answer was “zero, I have been kissed by the footy gods!”

Well played Bothwell, a fitting end to a stellar season. The club has now won 26 premierships in its history.