ABERS HOLD FIRM TO CLAIM MINOR PREMIERSHIP
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Aberfeldie's eight-point victory over finals contender Pascoe Vale confirmed that Adam Marcon's men would finish the Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division season in first place.
The win at Clifton Park sent the Two Blues 10 premiership points clear of second placed Keilor with just two rounds remaining in the home-and-away season.
In a high-scoring, high quality match, the two teams could barely be separated throughout the afternoon with every quarter-time break seeing a single-digit margin for both sides.
In a nine-goal first quarter, big goal kickers Jayden Foster, Sam Paea and Matthew Watson all hit the scoreboard for their respective sides setting the tone early for the game.
As the lead see-sawed throughout the afternoon, an early goal to start the fourth term to Ozgur Uysal saw the Panthers back within a point.
But Aberfeldie were able to settle with two goals of their own and couple of superb defensive efforts from James Rocci and Luke Davis saw the home team quell any late scares from the red and black.
A loss for the Panthers and an eight-point win to East Keilor over Avondale Heights sees the Cougars still a chance to pip Pascoe Vale for fourth spot as finals creep closer and closer.
Pascoe Vale will return home to Raeburn Reserve to take on Avondale Heights while the Cougars will face Keilor at Overland Reserve on the Nena and Pasadena Match of the Day with its season well and truly on the line.
RUPO REMAIN IN THE HUNT
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Rupertswood remain an outside chance to play finals in Rookie Me Division One after seeing off Moonee Valley by 31 points at Salesian College on Saturday.
In tough conditions, both teams slogged out a low scoring first half with inaccuracy resulting in a 3.7.25 to 2.6.18 score line in favour of Rupo at the main break.
But coming out in the third term, Arron Bray's side showed their class to break away with a four-goal to one quarter (all while kicking seven behinds in the process).
With the three-quarter time lead settled at 31, both teams traded a goal and two points to see that same margin remain in tact by the final siren.
Cameron Mcrorie produced a best-on-ground effort for the home side, kicking two goals for the afternoon. He was joined by Fraser Phelan-Smith (two goals) as the other multiple goal scorer at Rupo.
For the Fog, Jordan Faba and Nick Robortella were among Ian Denny's better contributors with both having returned to the club in the back half of the year.
Faba kicked two majors on the day and Robortella was named best for the away team.
The result for Rupo sees them just one game outside the Rookie Me Division One top four and a chance of catching Westmeadows or West Coburg depending on how results fall in the final round of the home-and-away season.
West Coburg slipped to fourth after a 23-point loss at the hands of Hillside, and despite the win for the Sharks, they were officially ruled out of finals after Westmeadows defeated Craigieburn by 40 points.
It means the final round will play a massive part of deciding the final standings in this division.
West Coburg will host Rupertswood at Shore Reserve on Saturday with four premiership points and 5.31 percent separating the two teams.
While Westmeadows share the same win-loss record with the Burgers, thanks to a superior percentage, a near impossible drubbing of the Tigers by Tullamarine in Round 18 is all that would deny Mo Kaakour's team a finals berth.
BEARS END HAWKS' SEASON
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Burnside Heights has secured its spot in the 2022 Strathmore Community Bank Division Two finals on the back of a 52-point victory over Hadfield at Brookside Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
The stage was set for an enthralling battle at the Bears' Den with seasons on the line for both teams.
It was Hadfield taking early ascendency to start the first term but inaccuracy rued the Hawks, kicking 2.8 all while Burnside Heights made the most of their limited opportunities to kick 4.1 and lead by five points at quarter time.
Kicking towards the scoring end of the ground, the Bears were able to capitalise on their run and spread game as they bolted away to kick five goals to none in a dominate second term.
A spread of goal kickers for the Bears kept their entries unpredictable and hard to defend as a 34-point lead opened up at the main break.
It was almost a case of deja vu in the third term as the Hawks saw plenty of ball in their forward territory but scrappy entries and determined defending from the Bears saw another inaccurate quarter for the away side.
The division's leading goal kicker, Mark Sabatino was being well held by Julian Contanzo and the Bears' backline.
By the fourth quarter it was party time for the Bears as they kicked away with five goals and marched their way to a monumental finals berth, and ending the Hawks' season in the process.
A team effort from the Bears saw the tall complement the small with ruckman Liam Mercieca and the crafty Jacob Elia, two of seven multiple goal kickers on the day.
It was Anthony Fawcus with a Nena and Pasadena Player of the Day performance as the flexible utility found himself contributing in all thirds of the ground.
Starting in the centre bounce ruck contest, Fawcus also popped up down back taking a number of crucial intercepting marks and went forward to kick a goal.
With one round left in Strathmore Community Bank Division Two, the top four is set with Keilor Park, Oak Park, Coburg Districts and Burnside Heights to battle it out for premiership glory.
WAYWARD KANGAS FALL SHORT, TIGERS THROUGH TO PRELIM
Keilor secured its spot in the Airport Toyota Women's Premier Division Grand Final following a high pressure victory over Oak Park.
With finals football returning to Windy Hill for the first time since 2019, the crowd at the home of EDFL footy were treated to a fast start with both sides hitting the scoreboard.
The ladder leading Blues kicked 3.0.18 to 2.1.13 to take a five-point margin into the first break.
The tightness of the contest continued through the second term as the two best teams of the 2022 season battled ferociously for ascendancy.
One goal apiece still had the Blues with a slight six-point advantage as both sides headed back into the rooms.
It was the third term, however, that saw the momentum of the game swing in the favour of the Kangaroos.
But a combination of inaccurate kicking and strong pressure from Brooke Surgeon's team had Oak Park kicking six straight behinds to trail by a solitary point at the final break.
In true Keilor fashion, the Blues steadied in the final term, kicking the only goal in the quarter to hold for a six-point victory.
The leadership of Lauren Caruso shone through in a best-on-ground performance, while Megan Neill was dominate in the ruck and went forward to kick two goals.
Iesha Atik was the sole multiple goal scorer for Lessy Hodgkinson's team kicking two majors.
Oak Park will play Westmeadows in this week's preliminary final, after the Tigers saw off Aberfeldie by 24 points.
With scores level at the main break, the Tigers kicked away in the second half scoring four unanswered goals to knock out Abers.
Oak Park have had the wood over Westmeadows so far in season 2022, but with margins of just three and eight points separating the two sides in their stanzas this year, it's set to be a cracking prelim at Highgate Reserve on Saturday.
STARS SHINE IN ELIMINATOR, JETS MAKE THE BIG DANCE
Essendon Doutta Stars prevailed in a dominant display at Hansen Reserve, defeating Gisborne by 34 points in the first semi final of Airport Toyota Women's Division One.
Having peppered the goals in the first term to kick 1.5.11 to 0.1.1, the Stars took the game by the scruff of the neck, shooting out to a 29-point lead by half-time.
Douttas were looking dangerous with the likes of Harmony Mitsos and Neve Crowley hitting the scoreboard in strong displays up forward.
While the third term saw Gisborne register their first major, and then another, Douttas we able to hit back with two of their own.
Damien Bellino's side were ultimately able to keep the Bulldogs at arm's length in the final term to keep their season going for another week.
The victors ended up with seven individual goal scorers with Ella Nickolaus one of the best performers on the day as a slick Douttas midfield unit picked the game apart both around the contest and on the spread.
For Gisborne, Maree Stephenson managed two goals and Amelia Edwards kicked one.
In the second semi final, it was Greenvale who booked its place in the Airport Toyota Women's Division One Grand Final with a 15-point win over Strathmore.
After their last encounter went down to the wire with the Jets winning by just one-point at Lebanon Reserve, tensions were high at Hansen Reserve to start the match.
Troy Newton's side were the more steady heads to begin the contest, though ,as a 12-point quarter time lead broke out to 25 points by half time with the Jets kicking five goals to one.
Strathmore fought hard to wrestle back momentum in the second half as a two-goal-to-one third term saw the Mores with a sniff.
But a composed final term by the Jets, on the back of a huge defensive effort, kept the Mores at bay to see out the win.
Indi McNeill-Wren and Zoe Hardiman both played pivotal roles down back for the victors while Kiara Delia and Amy Hakim saw plenty of the pill through the midfield.
Alex Quigley snagged two goal in attack for Greenvale, with Pontif Janjamruen matching the two-goal effort for Strathmore.
Strathmore and Essendon Doutta Stars will now battle it out at Highgate Reserve this Saturday for a spot in the decider.
WESTY PINCH A THRILLER, TULLA STREAK CONTINUES
Westmeadows have come away with an enthralling win in the Airport Toyota Women's first Semi Final, knocking off Coburg Districts by a solitary point to keep their season running.
A tight first half at Highgate Reserve had the Districts leading by three points with steady heads and accurate kicking giving the home side the advantage.
The game threatened to break the Districts' way in the third term as Ron McGill's kicked another two goals to one to open up the game's largest margin of 10 points heading into the final term.
That is when the pandemonium started. With Westmeadows kicking with the wind, the Tigers continued to pepper away at the goals, seemingly clawing back the margin point by point.
After a 1.5 final quarter and keeping Coburg Districts scoreless, Westmeadows had edged themselves ahead by a lone point to book themselves into this week's preliminary final.
Kate Sellers kicked two goals for the victors, with Nat Linton and Shelby Best also contributing with a goal apiece.
For Coburg Districts, Charlie Evans was best afield and Ruby Aitken snagged two majors.
The Tigers will come up against Airport West, after the Eagles were unsuccessful in taming the powerful Tullamarine unit Peter Labbad has assembled.
The Demons made it 12 wins for the year in their undefeated run, this time defeating Marcus Barclay's team by 15 points.
After keeping the Eagles scoreless in the first quarter, all while putting on 15 points of their own, it looked like the Demons were charging towards another victory.
The wind at Highgate Reserve provided some reprieve for Airport West as they kicked their first goal of the afternoon to the scoring end of the ground in the second term, but the Demons were able to match their efforts to kick a goal of their own.
After extending the lead out to 23 points at three-quarter time, the Demons were challenged in the last term as the Eagles battled manfully to put on scoreboard pressure, but it was to no avail.
Laura Devlyn-Bennett was the only multiple goal kicker for the game, kicking two goals with four of her Tulla teammates all kicking single goals.
Ashleigh Drews was one of the Eagles' best, and Shae Montrose continued her stellar year with another strong performance.
Airport West are two from two against Westmeadows thus far, but on the back of the high of the weekend's win, who knows what the Tigers might produce.
