Mount Pleasant is off to another senior grand final after a win over Colbinabbin.
Mount Pleasant is one win away from retaining its Heathcote District Football League premiership, winning its way back in the decider over a game Colbinabbin on Saturday.
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The Grasshoppers were threatening a second consecutive upset of the top two after downing North Bendigo last week, and were leading at half-time, but the reigning premier showed championship quality after the break to run away 17.10 (112) to 14.6 (90) winners.
Pleasant started the game with the hot hand, slotting three straight goals to start proceedings within 10 minutes, but Colbo responded well in the remaining 10, finding three of the next four to enter the break only five points down.
The Hoppers continued the roll after the break, slotting another three without reply to get out to a two-goal lead.
The Mounts responded to level things at 39, but Colbo again found its way to the front, and was on top by seven at the long break, ahead 52-45.
The arm-wrestle continued after the interval as goals were traded, but the Mounts slowly started to build momentum as the quarter wore on.
From a point down, a run of minor scores for Mount Pleasant put it back in front and heralded things to come, and sure enough, with five plus stoppages to play, the minor premier began to make its move.
Colbinabbin will need to defeat North Bendigo for a second time in three weeks to get another shot at Mount Pleasant in the grand final.
Three consecutive goals broke the game open, starting a run of five from six for the Mounts, and suddenly, they led 90-65 at three-quarter time.
Colbinabbin tried to find its way back, and got the lead down to 10 late in the fourth, but ultimately Pleasant proved too strong, kicking on once more to win by 22 points.
After a nail-biter on Sunday, North Bendigo prevailed over Lockington, pitting the Bulldogs and Hoppers against each other once again, this time in a preliminary final.
That game will be played at Strauch Reserve in Huntly, with the winner to take another shot at Mount Pleasant, again in Huntly, on grand final day.
The game
Mount Pleasant: 4.1, 7.3, 14.6, 17.10 (112)
Colbinabbin: 3.2, 8.4, 10.5, 14.6 (90)
Goals
Mount Pleasant: Mitchell Bennett 4, Bryce Hinneberg 3, Nathan Kay 3, Xavier Carter 2, Jack Hickman 2, Hugo Gibson, Jaxson Nihill, Caelan Smith
Colbinabbin: Nathan Basile 3, Ben McEvoy 3, Laine Fitzgerald 2, Jai Carn, Alex Carr, Isaac Carracher, Jude Ryan, Sam Ryan, Josh Smithson
Best
Mount Pleasant: William Wallace, Caelan Smith, Chris Down, Deklan Wille, Bryce Hinneberg, Nathan Kay
Colbinabbin: Daniel Hill, Nathan Basile, Josh Smithson, Ben McEvoy, Tanner Nally, Toby Howlett
15°C