Leitchville-Gunbower has all but assured its presence in the Heathcote District Football League finals after ousting wooden-spooner Heathcote in round 14.
Consistency was the winning formula for the Bombers at Gunbower Recreation Reserve, with the Saints having flashes of positive play, but were outlasted by the host.
L-G got off to a good start, kicking 2.3 in the first quarter while limiting Heathcote to a goal and change to lead by seven points at quarter-time.
Slow and steady wins the race, and that rang true for the Bombers, who added another two goals to their tally in the second quarter while keeping the Saints to another one-goal quarter and taking a 13-point advantage into the major break.
However, Heathcote came out after half-time with a vengeance, erupting with 4.3 to romp back into the contest.
L-G managed to weather the storm, adding another pair of majors in the third term to keep the slimmest of leads heading down the stretch.
Holding a single-point advantage in the fourth quarter, the Bombers were staring down the barrel of a comeback defeat.
Yet, they didn’t blink.
Locking up Heathcote in defence, L-G submitted its best attacking performance in the final quarter, with a four-goal barrage when it mattered most.
With it, the Bombers ended their day with a solid 10.11 (71) to 6.6 (42) victory to almost ensure their appearance in September.
Bryce Barnstable starred in front of the posts with a trio of goals. He was joined on the best list by Max Hagan, Jye Smith, Josh Hawken, Ben Embleton and Austin Windridge.
The Bombers will be back on the road in round 15, travelling to Lockington Recreation Reserve for a date with their arch rivals, the Cats.
Colbinabbin v Elmore
The Grasshoppers flexed their premiership might and put a major dent in the Bloods’ finals hopes at Elmore Recreation Reserve.
In a completely one-sided round 14 affair, Elmore was dealt a 137-point thrashing at the hands of one of the strongest flag contenders for 2025.
Despite it being a triple-figure difference by full-time, things didn’t start that way as Elmore kept pace with Colbo, two goals to three in the first quarter.
The Bloods came undone in the second term, with the Grasshoppers piling on seven majors to lead by 50 at the half.
Colbo’s reign of terror continued in the back half of the match, kicking 15 goals across the final two quarters to completely blow out Elmore, who managed just two goals in reply.
The final score was 25.13 (163) to 4.2 (26)
The Bloods are now on the outside looking in on the finals frame, with it looking increasingly unlikely that they will be able to leapfrog the Bombers into September.
Colbo, on the other hand, sits third, half a game off Mount Pleasant in second, and looks in a strong position to go deep into the HDFL finals this season.
However, the Grasshoppers will have a true test of strength in round 15 with a battle against table-topper North Bendigo, while Elmore will be favourite to get back in the winners’ column against Heathcote.
Mount Pleasant v North Bendigo
Mount Pleasant made a loud premiership statement in round 14, scoring an unlikely victory over current ladder-leader North Bendigo in round 14.
Travelling to the fortress of North Bendigo Oval, the mighty Mounts got out to a good start, kicking a trio of majors in the opening quarter to take a slim lead at the first turn.
As the Bulldogs doubled their first quarter score of 2.2, Mount Pleasant continued on the steady path with another three-goal effort and change to increase its lead to nine at the major break.
With the game close and the chocolates still up for grabs, North Bendigo grabbed the game by the scruff, nailing five maximums while limiting the Mounts to just one in reply to snatch the lead.
However, with a perfect opportunity to make some noise in the league, Mount Pleasant refused to let the game slip away and romped back with 3.7 in attack, holding the Bulldogs to a pair of goals to scrape home by three points against the flag favourites.
The 10.18 (78) to 11.9 (75) victory showed the Mounts’ constitution and ability to find another gear when the moment calls.
With a minimum third place seeding all but assured for finals, Mount Pleasant will hunt for more reward in round 15 against struggling White Hills in an attempt to continue its ladder climb.
Huntly v White Hills
Speaking of the Demons, the reigning champions, who have been underwhelming in their title defence this season, scored a close victory over Huntly at home.
In a high-scoring affair for both sides, White Hills got over the top of the Hawks by four points in a game that may come back to haunt Huntly in the race for finals.
With the Demons out of the finals equation, they showed their 2024 premiership quality throughout the match with at least a pair of goals in each quarter.
With little separating the two sides, White Hills stepped it up a notch in the final quarter, putting seven attempts through the middle to claim a tight four-point victory.
The final score was 17.14 (116) to 17.10 (112).
Following the loss, the Hawks will have the bye in round 15, while the Demons will travel to Toolleen Recreation Reserve to face formidable Mount Pleasant.
