LAST year’s grand finalists Bridgewater have locked away a top-five finish with a hard-fought 10-point win over Calivil United at the weekend.
The Mean Machine were made to earn the four points, coming from 11 points behind at half-time to overrun the determined Demons 10.14 (74) to 9.10 (64).
The win also ended a three-game losing streak for Bridgewater, who will now go into the final three home-and-away matches aware they most likely face off against Inglewood in this year’s elimination final.
Jeremy Campbell’s four goal haul proved decisive for a Bridgewater side well served by their younger brigade of Darcy Wood, Oliver Muggleton, James Naughton, Ayden McDowell and Nick Naughton, who along with a best afield performance from Charlton Hindle, were among the Mean Machine’s better players.
While not taking home the four points, it was yet another promising performance from the Demons, who have showed strong signs of improvement in the second half of the season, with Jack Maher, Cody Thompson, Mitch Avard and Hamish Wall named as their best.
Bridgewater will now face off against a Bears Lagoon-Serpentine team left licking their wounds, after Marong once again steamrolled another finals opponent by 130 points.
It was the Panthers’ 14th win for the year and amazingly, their 11th win by more than 100 points, the 24.12 (156) to 3.8 (26) result further evidence of the reigning premiers’ stranglehold on the competition.
All eyes were on Marong full-forward Brandyn Grenfell pre-game, with the spearhead needing just six more goals to break the 100-goal barrier for the second straight season.
He fell agonisingly short, kicking just five majors and leaving him stranded on 99 goals for the season – and needing to now wait two weeks to bring up the milestone, with Marong this week having the bye.
Making the Panthers’ performance even more impressive was the fact they did so without Kain Robins and Matt Riordan, with Kyle Manley, Richard Tibbett and Corey Gregg named among their better players.
Pyramid Hill were also comfortable winners, ending Mitiamo’s faint finals chances with a commanding 111-point win.
The Superoos never really threatened the Bulldogs, who opened up a 56-point lead by the main break, before a dominant second-half display saw the second-placed side run away 25.10 (160) to 7.7 (49) winners.
Jesse Sheahan starred for the home side with eight goals, while Declan Slingo, Tom Hetherington, Bryden Morison and Brodie Carroll were all among the better players, with Carroll making a successful return from injury for his first game since round 8.
There was another close affair between bottom sides Newbridge and Maiden Gully-YCW, with the Maroons coming from seven points down at half-time to claim an 11-point win over the Eagles.
Newbridge spearhead Chris Dixon led the way up forward with four goals in the 10.12 (72) to 9.7 (61) victory, with Tyler McLeod, Sam Gale, William Copland and Caleb Sanders performing well for the Maroons.
The loss was the ninth straight defeat for Maiden Gully-YCW, who now find themselves sitting last on the ladder ahead of this Saturday’s clash with Pyramid Hill.
