NEWBRIDGE will play their first final since 2018 after defeating Calivil United by 20 points in what amounted to an early elimination between the two clubs on Saturday.
The 12.15 (87) to 11.1 (67) result moved the Maroons a game and a sizeable percentage gap clear of the Demons in fifth spot with one round left to play.
It means the first week of the finals is now almost certainly locked in place, with Pyramid Hill and Bears Lagoon-Serpentine set to meet at Maiden Gully in the qualifying final on Saturday, August 24, then Bridgewater and Newbridge to clash the following day at Pyramid Hill in the elimination final.
The Maroons didn’t have everything all their own way against the Demons, who held an eight-point lead at quarter-time, before Newbridge answered back with four goals to take an eight-point lead into half-time.
The arm wrestle continued in the second half as both clubs played for their seasons, with the Demons hitting the front late in the third quarter having kicked 10.0 for the match, before their only blemish came in the last quarter.
The Demons’ accuracy in front of goals wouldn’t be enough, however, with Newbridge finishing the match full of running.
Brandon Dimech, Jack Teasdale, Andrew Padbury and Brandon Butler were named better players for the Maroons, with Caleb Sanders kicking four goals and Sam Gale three.
Jacob Mulquiny, Samuel Green and Samuel Maher were strong contributors for the Demons, along with Ben Baker, who kicked four goals.
Pyramid Hill, Bears Lagoon-Serpentine and Bridgewater all continued their preparations for the upcoming finals series with strong wins by 100-plus points.
The Bulldogs claimed their sixth straight win, a 135-point thrashing of Inglewood, as they dominated the contest from the opening minutes to run away with a comfortable 26.13 (169) to 5.4 (34) victory.
Braidy Dickins led the way up forward with five goals for Pyramid Hill, who had 10 individual goalkickers, with Ben Knight, Brodie Carroll, Damon Hemphill and Zach Alford among their better players.
Lachlan Sharp returned to his dominant best against Mitiamo, with the Loddon Valley’s leading goalkicker booting 14 goals in the Mean Machine’s 117-point win over the Superoos.
It was Sharp’s sixth double-figure haul for the season and sees him go into Bridgewater’s final-round match against Calivil United with 120 goals.
Sharp wasn’t alone in giving Mitiamo’s defenders nightmares, with skipper Josh Martyn ending the day with five goals of his own in the 23.11 (149) to 5.2 (32) win.
Joseph Mayes, Boden Alexander, Harry McKinley and Sharp were the best for Bridgewater, and Luke Lougoon, Liam Shiell and Daniel Walters were among the Superoos’ better players.
Also a game of one-way traffic, Bears Lagoon-Serpentine recorded a 175-point hiding of Maiden Gully-YCW at Marist College.
A nine-goal-to-one opening quarter set the tone, with the Bears finishing their day as it started with nine unanswered goals in the final quarter for a 30.17 (197) to 3.4 (22) thrashing.
There were 12 goalkickers for the Bears, with Doolan Nihill (seven), Justin Laird and James Rippingale (five) each leading the way, with Tom Pridgeon the only multiple goalkicker for the Eagles.
Ross Turner, Jaxon Addlem and Tyler Miles were among the better players for Bears Lagoon-Serpentine, who will have the bye in the final round.
