Bundoora and Northcote Park will face off in a preliminary final on Saturday for the right to meet Montmorency in the Northern Football League grand final.
Montmorency moved through to the grand final with a 16.16 (112) to 16.10 (106) win over Bundoora in the second semi-final on Saturday, while Northcote Park beat Heidelberg 20.9 (129) to 9.17 (71) in the other semi.
The Bulls had all the play in the opening quarter against Montmorency, kicking four majors from nine shots on goal, and led by 22 points at quarter-time.
The Magpies narrowly won the second term, cutting the margin to 16 points, but Bundoora appeared set to waltz into the grand final after a seven-goal third term gave them a 35-point lead at the final break.
But Montmorency booted eight goals to two in the final quarter to pull off a miraculous come-from-behind win. Ben Walton was one of the keys with five goals.
Gary Moorcroft was most impressive for Bundoora with seven goals but the Bulls’ final quarter tally of 2.2 wasn’t enough in the face of Montmorency’s onslaught.
The following day the Cougars took advantage of their opportunities to put Heidelberg to the sword.
The Tigers, a perennial powerhouse of the NFL, were wasteful in front of goal, kicking themselves out of the contest with their 17 behinds.
At half-time Heidelberg had registered 14 shots on goal, just two fewer than Northcote Park, but were 42 points down and were never able to work their way back. Koden Colman kicked six goals for the Cougars. In division two, Fitzroy Stars will play Whittlesea for the flag.
In the Victorian Amateur Football Association’s A Grade, University Blacks knocked out Old Scotch in a semi-final at the weekend, winning 19.13 (127) to 16.12 (108).
The Blacks’ impressive season – their first back in A Grade after winning last year’s B Grade flag – rolls on this Saturday when they meet St Bede’s/Mentone Tigers in the preliminary final. The winner will play Old Xaverians in the grand final.
The Blacks trailed by 14 points at half-time but kicked 11 goals to six in the second half for a 19-point win.
