MOONEE VALLEY 10.11-71 def. by JACANA 14.15-99
A FINALS warm-up match was on the cards here where two in-form teams went head-to-head and showed who is up to the challenge of a deep post-season campaign.
It was a close one and the deficit through the first three quarters stayed within a couple of kicks.
Forward pressure and will for the ball in all contests made it hard for either team to edge away and made for a thriller at Ormond Park.
The athletic ability of Braden Padmore kept the Fog in it against quality opposition.
With his aerial ability and big kick, he was a real threat and was able to slot two goals.
The headline player of Cameron Cloke was firing as always with six goals to his name.
Cloke, along Justin Colliss, whose fitness in the last was vital, proved why they have had such a great season.
Experience by foot to calm the play by the Jags seemed too much for Moonee Valley to handle and in turn Jacana won by 18 in a tight one.
EAST SUNBURY 14.18-102 def. NORTHERN SAINTS 6.8-44
The Northern Saints now locked into the third spot, wanted to get into some form for a big finals campaign, but a more hungry, possibly bitter Thunder outfit had an astonishing performance.
The Saints rested a number of their key starters and it showed on the scoreboard.
Home fans at Goonawarra Reserve had plenty to cheer about.
Not making finals, East Sunbury want to finish out the season strong and put on a show for their deserving fans.
Pace and athletic ability up forward and through the midfield from young guns Tom Burnside and Lachlan Brne proved no match for the young Saints.
After a 32 to zero first quarter the Thunder never looked back, winning by 58 points.
ROXBURGH PARK 16.14-110 def. BURNSIDE HEIGHTS 12.12-84
Some big bodies and big names on show at Lakeside Oval meant this was always going to be a thrilling match-up.
For the first three quarters it was a seesaw affair and a shoot-out broke out between two stars.
With arguably his best game of the season, Mark Sabatino was a presence all day in the air, finishing with six goals to his name and getting his team over the line.
These goals were counteracted down the other end by none other than Josh Covelli, who always seems to one-up the opposing big forward and kicked a huge seven himself from all angles.
Both teams pride themselves on tenacity towards the footy, but with more experience and fitness a key factor, a six-goal-to-three last quarter by the Magpies got them over the line by 26 points.
COBURG DISTRICTS 35.21-231 def. KEILOR PARK 2.2-14
The Lions put on a masterclass in front of a home crowd.
Without as much experience as the top sides, pride was still on the line for Keilor Park, who wanted to come out fast to get off the bottom of the ladder.
Immediately this was shut down by a seven-goal-to-one first quarter and a whopping 115-point deficit at half time created by the surging Lions.
Bags from Coburg Districts’ most experienced players of Luke Vesnaver and James Scheriani with eight goals each and a five-goal haul from Nathan Taylor made for one of the biggest score lines of the season.
With an aim to improve percentage and stay on top, the Lions did that and more.
Their offence was brutal, and Coburg Districts boosted their percentage to establish some comfort over the Jags with an overpowering 217-point win.
