BUNDOORA moved to outright second on the Northern Football League division 1 table with a 24-point win over leader Montmorency on Saturday.
Montmorency won its first 13 games of the season before crashing to a 10-point loss to Macleod in round 14. The Magpies bounced back with a 91-point belting of Epping but were up for a battle against the 2011 premiers.
The Bulls started strongly, booting six goals to three in the opening term to take a 22-point lead into quarter time. Montmorency closed the gap to 10 in the second quarter. After an even third term the game was set up for a brilliant final term, but Bundoora took the ascendancy with five final-quarter goals.
The win puts the Bulls two games behind Montmorency. Cameron Cloke slotted five goals to take his season tally to 73, giving him plenty of breathing space at the top of the league’s goal-kicking table.
His nearest rival is teammate Gary Moorcroft with 54; the former Essendon high-flyer kicked four against Montmorency.
Last-ranked Epping put in a strong performance against Heidelberg, going down by just 10 points. The Blues, last with three wins, lost by 84 points the last time the teams met but threatened all day at Epping Reserve.
Heading into the final quarter 11 points down, Epping kicked two goals for the quarter but were matched by the Tigers.
In division 2 Whittlesea remained six points clear atop the ladder with a 56-point win over South Morang. The Eagles trailed by 11 at half-time but turned the game on its head with a massive 10-goal-to-none third term to win 18.18 (126) to 11.4 (70).
Andrew Fairchild was best on ground with nine goals, taking his tally to 80.
In the Lalor-Mernda clash at Lalor Reserve, the Bloods led throughout the first half and took a seven-point lead into half-time. But the Demons gradually edged their way in front in the third quarter and six goals to four in the final term put the result beyond doubt.
Thomastown remains fourth in division 3 after its 86-all draw with St Mary’s. The Bears trailed by 39 points at three-quarter time before roaring back into the contest with a seven-goal final term. But St Mary’s 1.1 ensured the points were shared.
