Blues lock up finals

by Mitch Berechree
The ladder again proved the best predictor of results for round 17 with all teams positioned highest winning their clashes.
The results solidified top positions while leaving the door ajar for four sides still in the fight for the last two finals positions heading into the last round.
Yinnar were the big winners of the round taking Hill End to the cleaners, while Tarwin also registered a near on three figure win over Toora. MDU saluted in the battle of the Demons against Boolarra.
Thorpy held on over a fast finishing Newborough and Mirboo North and Stony Creek went into the last term with just a point between them before a three goal to one final term saw Mirboo North come away with the points.

Thorpdale v Newborough
Looking to have their game, and a finals berth, wrapped up at the long break Thorpdale had to survive a huge scare from a fast finishing Newborough to cling on to the crucial win 12-12-84 to 11-9-75.
A wasteful Newborough took almost 20 minutes to open their goal kicking account in the first term. By this stage the home side had already managed three and were up and about. The late Doggies goal though sent them to the huddle with a little more pep in their step than they otherwise might have had and hopes were high for a competitive second quarter.
Sadly, for the tri-colours the second term was exactly where the game was won and lost. Thorpdale slammed home five of the finest while the wayward Dogs could only add four points to their tally. The 41 point margin was surely adequate and the Blues could start planning for their first final, right?
Wrong!
The very same Dogs who couldn't find the big sticks in the first half piled on eight majors in the premiership quarter and in the twinkling of an eye they headed to the last break full of confidence, full of momentum and only 11 points in arrears. It was game on and despite trailing many at the ground were confident of a Bulldog win.
Alas the last quarter turned into an arm wrestle with only three goals kicked.
But with Thorpy getting plenty of the ball forward they managed to get five behinds to go with their solitary goal and hold on for a nine point win.
The win sees Thorpy guaranteed a finals berth and leaves the Dogs as part of a group of four fighting it out for a slice of post season action.
Jordy and Jesse Patullo joined ruckman Gav Low as the three best on the park for Thorpy. Matt Powell slotted three for the winners with all of Trav Pattern, Jesse Patullo and Anthony Rosato booting two.
For Newborough Josh Pearce managed four goals with Matt Rowlings and Nathan Whiledon kicking two each. Whieldon was joined by Matt Heywood and Pat Charles as the best trio on the ground for the Dogs.

Hill End v Yinnar
Hill End faced Yinnar, and with Foster next week, knew they needed to win one of their last two games to retain a finals spot. At home under a bright blue sky, cheered on by a bumper home crowd, hopes of the upset win were in the air.
And when Andy Daly kicked the first goal of the game the Rovers were up and about early. It may have taken the visiting Pies more than 10 minutes to slot their first but when they did they went on a roll and the blue sky turned into a blue mood for those in green and gold as Yinnar proceeded to kick 22 of the next 26 goals to run out the easiest of winners 22-13-145 to 5-2-32.
For the visitors it started as it so often does for them, with a small forward. This time it was the returning Mick Geary. Grinstead Jones was the provider for the first before Geary slotted his second after some good work from Harvey McKay.
It was then Clancy Mills who lit up the scoreboard after an unselfish Lachy Pratt found him open with a pass. The flood gates were open and it felt like Yinnar turned every front half entry into a score. The Pies midfield was dominant despite the home side's Tom Johnston winning many of the early ruck taps and when Hill End's Seth Calway left the ground injured it was real trouble for the Rovers.
Pie skipper Blake Van Der Meer was awarded a free and kicked the last goal of the term. It felt like an eternity since Hill End had opened the scoring as Yinnar had piled on six in reply with Will Robertson also helping himself to a major during the goal spree.
Ever the mid game master of a revival Hill End coach Tom Hallinan moved some magnets around to try and spark his line-up. Calway returned and was joined by Ash Hermanus in the middle with Aaron Fawcett riding shotgun to start the second.
After an unusually quiet opening term Sam Walsh was injected into the engine room with great effect for Yinnar and Bobby Linton, who was first ruck on the day in the absence of Jesse Bowe, started to negate some of the Johnston influence.
Fast forward 27 minutes and Yinnar had played arguably their best quarter of footy for the year. They piled on seven goals to one and did it in style. Centre clearances led to goals. Run and carry off half back led to goal. Forward 50 stoppage led to goal. And try as they might the Paul boys and Jaryd Riddle just could not stop the onslaught.
The only saving grace for Hill End was when Kade Perkins kicked the first of his two majors for the day from some sensational centre clearance work by the home side.
Aside from Hill End opening the third term with the play of the day which led to a terrific Josh Mills goal, not much happened after the long break.
Hill End coach Tom Hallinan said "at this stage of the year we had high expectations of a more even contest, however Yinnar were on from the first bounce. Slick, layered, intent and they certainly delivered in a dominant display".
Yinnar coach Sam McCulloch acknowledged Hill End's fast start saying "Hill End came out strongly and threw everything at us early. It took us a little while to settle into the contest, but once we found our rhythm, we were able to play the game on our terms and establish a handy lead at quarter time, which we continued to build on through to half-time".
"We carried momentum into the second half and maintained a consistent brand of football across all four quarters, applying pressure and making sure we stayed disciplined throughout the game," he said.

Tarwin v Toora
Tarwin were big winners over Toora in a game they needed to win and increase their percentage in, and boy did the Sharks tick those boxes. They kept Toora to a single goal and ran out 98 point winners 16-13-108 to 1-5-11.
The tone was set early for the win with a five goal to none opening term. Brodie Senior-Gibson slotted the game's first two majors. He was joined by Toby Mahoney, Rem Dal Pozzo and best on ground Jordan Bertacco as goal kickers, while the miserly Tarwin defence, again led stoically by Ricky O'Loughlin, restricted the visiting Pies to just two points.
The second quarter was more of the same. With Ben Ellen and Kyle Yann dominant in the middle a wasteful Tarwin booted seven behinds to go with four gaols from a raft of inside 50 entries. Mahoney, Dal Pozzo and Senior-Gibson were again amongst the goals with debutant Hudson Guymer sending the crowd and teammates alike into raptures as he slotted his first ever senior goal.
The second half mirrored the first with the exception of Toora saving face by kicking their only goal of the day in the last term when Sam Bright raised the dual calico's.
Lachi and Sam Smart joined Josh Halsall as the better players for Toora who finished their senior footy season on Saturday.
For Tarwin, who have at least one more week to go, with finals still a real chance, it was Bertacco, Ellen and Dal Pozzo named best. Dal Pozzo also headed the goal kicker's list with four, while Senior-Gibson had three along with Mahoney.

Stony Creek v Mirboo North
With nothing separating the sides at the main break and just a point in it at the final break, Mirboo North prevailed in a cracking contest winning 9-7-61 to 7-6-48 over Stony Creek.
The visitors hit the ground running with the first two majors of the day and were lively early. Stony Creek's solitary goal of the quarter was countered almost immediately and the Tigers had the lead by 13 points at the first change.
And when they kicked the first two of the second term alarm bells were ringing for the locals as they trailed by nigh on five goals just five minutes into the second quarter.
But the home side simply weren't copping it and went on a four goal streak themselves to end the half and see the scores locked at 5-4-34 each of two.
The third term was a battle with the visitors managing an additional point to their hosts and that was the difference between the two sides at the last break.
Stony Creek coach Troy Shepherdson summarised what happened from here. "At the final change Mirboo held a one point lead. We were hoping we would run over the top of them with no bench left. But Damo (Mirboo North coach Damien Tuurner) as he does, he inspired his boys to dig deep and they came away with the choccies."
Turner too was complimentary toward his opponent after the game saying, "Stony Creek made us earn every possession in a game that ebbed and flowed all afternoon."
Turner said "ninth versus tenth turned into a great game of footy! It had a bit of everything; the contest was certainly worth a look"

MDU v Boolarra
The battle of the Demons was certainly a game of two halves. With just a point between the sides at the long break MDU ran away comfortable winners 15-11-101 to 7-7-49 to keep their finals hopes alive.
After levelling the scores with the first behind of the third term MDU went on to have the next eight scoring shots and were it not for inaccuracy or a late Joel Mason goal to Boolarra, the game would have been done at the last break. As it was though the Boolarra boys trailed by 22 points and were still some sort of a hope.
That hope was gone not long after however as MDU went on a run of six goals to end the game.
MDU coach Rhett Kelly said "at halftime we made a few adjustments, and I thought the boys' response was really positive. We came out in the third quarter and really started to get on top. Our defensive effort had much more purpose, and once we were able to win the ball back, we did a really good job of getting it forward and playing on our terms."
"The third and fourth quarters were a really strong response from the group, and hopefully we can take some of that momentum and confidence into this week's game," he said.
Outgoing Boolarra coach Brendan Mason said he was "really happy with our effort today. Up at half time but got beaten in some patches where MDU were just too good for us".
For MDU Jaymie Yule, Jarvis Tracy and Trent McRae, four goals, were named best. Sam Wilson slotted three with Archie Casey, Tim Harris and Brayden Sellings managing two each.
Boolarra had just the one multiple goal kicker with Matt Dyer booting two, while Tom Beamish joined his captains, coach and Tim Potter in kicking one each.
Will Flanagan was best on ground for the defeated Demons with Josh Wilson joining his captains and coach among the best six for Boolarra.
Bye: Fish Creek, Foster and Morwell East