ULTIMA confirmed they are the team to beat this season with a 33-point win over Moulamein in their top-of-the-ladder contest.
After a tight opening quarter, the Roos blew the game open late in the second term through a 15-minute burst of dominance.
Ultima piled on five unanswered goals during their period of control, before holding their advantage for the remainder of the 15.9 (99) to 9.12 (66) game, despite the Swans’ best efforts to fight their way back.
Ultima coach Kyle Symons was happy to keep his team’s nine-game winning start to the season intact.
“We’re pretty happy, they tested us at the start, but we just had a really good burst at the end of the second quarter,” Symons said.
“With the exception of the second quarter, it was pretty close all day – we got a bit of a roll on in the second and that ended up being our buffer for the rest of the match really.
“It was definitely good to come out the other side of it with the win because they really tested us at times.”
Mitch Makepeace and Caillum Brady across half-back were among Ultima’s better players, with the undersized defence standing tall against the usually dominant Moulamein forward line.
“Our backs started intercepting the footy a bit more in the second quarter and we just slowed the game down and controlled the tempo a bit better,” Symons said.
“That just enabled us to run the ball into our forward 50 a lot easier and gave us better looks at the goal.
“(Moulamein) caused us some headaches with (Josh) Flight and (Anthony) Daw and their height, they were good additions for them.
“They stretched us down back, but Jack Fletcher did a really good job on Flight and did a good job for someone that was so undersized.
“They probably had the better of it out of the middle in the first quarter, but our onballers pegged them back in the second and it was pretty even for the rest of the game around the contest.”
Darcy Farrell’s four goals saw him named among Ultima’s best, along with midfielders Mitch Seton-Stewart and Jake Foster.
The Swans got good service from in-form midfielders Amos and Corey Farrell, with Beau Duggan-Hulands, Blake Azzopardi, Ely Miller and coach Heath Moloney also among the better players.
Hay confirmed their status as a finals contender with a 25-point win over Wandella.
The Lions proved too strong in windy conditions at home, with six unanswered goals in the third quarter helping them open up an unassailable 48-point lead by the final break.
While the Bombers fought back in the final quarter, the margin was too great to overcome, Hay eventually winning 12.15 (87) to 9.8 (62) as Declan Watson kicked five goals.
The upset result of the weekend was at Murrabit, where the Blues flung the finals door wide open with a 16-point win over Macorna, now clinging to a one-game advantage inside the top four.
Murrabit are now breathing down their necks in fifth.
The third quarter was where the damage was done, with the Blues booting seven goals to three for the term, helping them open up a 25-point lead before grimly defending over the final 30 minutes.
Damian Cupido was again dominant up forward for Murrabit and kicked five goals, with Michael Crossett and the Aujard brothers Jono and Ed among the better players.
Sam Whinfield, Lachlan Ritchie and Josh Walters were the best for Macorna.
