Dusties into decider after one-point thriller

Warragul Industrials are officially into their third straight Mornington Peninsula division one grand final following a thrilling one-point win over Mornington in their semi final on Saturday.
A low-scoring contest was close all day with a last-minute Abbie Hoiberg-Cox behind being the difference on the scoreboard, the final score 3.4 (22) to 3.3 (21).
Coming in against the reigning premiers the Dusties were undermanned thanks to the late withdrawal of Lilly Leighton, who was called up to Collingwood's VFLW team, but remained confident they could win after beating the Bulldogs three times during the season.
The Mornington side came out with great intensity and physicality. It took the Dusties side several minutes to match the intensity and halt the momentum of their opposition.
Young players Brooke Huner and Tayla Hoiberg-Cox were dominating early, with Hunter rebounding off half back and Hoiberg-Cox getting several clearances.
The Dusties finally got their first goal after a great pass from Elaina Domagala hit up Chloe Bailey on a lead.
Not long after Bailey kicked her goal there was another fast play down the grandstand side which led to reigning league best and fairest Abbie Hoiberg-Cox using her speed to gather a loose ball on the half forward flank and then kicking the goal from a tight angle.
Mornington got on top in the second quarter, with the Dusties doing well to minimise the scoring. Shanelle Kingston and Lily Van Berkel were working hard down back to rebound for Warragul Industrials.
At half time the Dusties moved Shanelle Kingston to the wing which had a positive impact on the play in the third.
With the third quarter being an arm wrestle the Dusties side could not impact the scoreboard and went in to the final break down by seven points.
For the first 10 minutes of the last quarter the game was played between half backlines, until Alisha Molesworth kicked a great goal under a lot of pressure from the Mornington defenders.
The scores were level for about seven minutes towards the end of the quarter. The crowd became very vocal and the intensity around contest increased.
With just over a minute to go in the game, Abbie Hoiberg-Cox took possession in congestion and kicked a poin, putting her side up a point with a minute of play remaining.
To their credit the Mornington side worked the ball got the ball into their forward pocket as the siren went.
The win means that the Dusties have a week off before the grand final at Kinetic Stadium in Frankson on Saturday 15 August. The week off with be the club's first weekend without a game since early April.
Reserves
Warragul Industrials' reserves will have to go the long way if they are to play in their own grand final, having gone down to the top-of-the-ladder Mornington side by eight points, 3.2 (20) to 4.4 (28).
The girls were greeted with perfect football conditions, with blue skies overhead and barely a breath of wind, setting the stage for a high-quality contest.
The Dusties made a flying start, dominating the opening 15 minutes as they controlled possession and locked the ball inside their forward half. Despite their early ascendancy, they were unable to fully capitalise on the scoreboard.
Late in the first term, the game took a significant turn when the Dusties lost their best player, Michaela Williams, to a calf injury. Mornington seized the momentum, kicking the opening goal just before quarter time to take a narrow lead.
The second quarter belonged largely to Mornington as they applied relentless forward pressure.
However, the determined defensive efforts of Lily Baldwin, Carlee Maher, Melina Eppel, Emmerson Taylor and Jessica Kemp repeatedly denied the Bulldogs scoring opportunities.
Their courage and discipline kept the Dusties within striking distance, ensuring the contest remained well and truly alive at the main break.
The Dusties responded brilliantly after half time, playing some of their best football of the season. With precise ball movement and composed short kicking, they worked tirelessly to create opportunities and matched Mornington around the ground. The game remained evenly poised throughout the second half, with both teams refusing to give an inch.
Despite a tremendous four-quarter effort, Mornington managed to hold on in the closing stages to record a hard-fought eight-point victory.
Although the result didn't fall their way, the Dusties can take enormous pride in their performance. Their resilience after losing a key player, their outstanding teamwork and relentless running reflected the spirit that has driven the group throughout the season.
The players never stopped competing and showed they belong on the finals stage.
Best players were Charli Abbott, Natarsha Sanders, Maher, Zoe Allen, Lloyd, Baldwin and Taylor, while Allen, Raccosta and Melinda Lewis each hit the scoreboard with a goal.
The Dusties will play Karingal this Saturday at Crib Point Recreation Reserve for the other spot in the grand final.