DIVISION TWO
SOMERVILLE locked up a finals spot with a big win over Hastings on Saturday.
The game was expected to be a close one, with both sides coming into the contest with an equal amount of wins. Somerville raced out of the blocks with a five goals to one first quarter, but the Blues wrestled back control in the second term. They were down by five at the main break.
Somerville were the better side in the second half, holding Hastings to just one goal. It was a tough task at times, but Somerville eventually secured the win and clinched a finals berth with a 10.10 (70) to 5.9 (39) win.
Paul Fermanis booted four goals for Somerville, while Brendan Fevola booted two for the Blues. Fevola ended up playing 10 games for the Blues this year for a return of 30 goals.
At Lloyd Park, Red Hill locked up the top spot on the ladder in a low scoring scrap against Langwarrin.
The Hillmen have got the majority of their wins for the year thanks to stunning defensive displays, and things were no different on Saturday. They held Langwarrin goalless in the first half, but they had their own struggles hitting the scoreboard. Red Hill managed just the one goal of their own in the first half.
The game opened up a little more in the second half, and the Hillmen began to find form in front of goal. The Kangaroos struggled all day, and eventually succumbed to defeat against Red Hill 2.6 (18) to 7.7 (49).
Red Hill’s win saw them finish the year on top of the ladder. Their biggest rivals and strongest challengers for the year have been Karingal, who were set to face Pearcedale at Ballam Park. Pearcedale have struggled badly all year, and the game looked to be a good opportunity for Karingal to get a confidence boosting win ahead of a premiership tilt.
The day didn’t go to plan for the Bulls. They couldn’t get a big win before their finals campaign kicked off, but they will be well rested. The clash between Karignal and Pearcedale was called off after a pipe burst underneath the ground in the reserves match.
At the opposite end of the ladder, Crib Point were presented an opportunity to finally claw their way off the bottom if they could beat Tyabb.
The Yabbies looked good early, and held the Magpies to just one behind in the first quarter.
It looked as if it would be another difficult day for Crib Point, but they fought back after the first break. The Yabbies had their lead chipped back to just one point heading into half time.
Both sides traded blows in a tight, tense third quarter. Heading into the final term both sides were level with nothing to separate them.
The Magpies were desperate to get their second win for the year, and showed plenty of fight in the final term. They had to work for it but they eventually claimed a narrow win over Tyabb 10.8 (68) to 11.7 (73). The win sees the Magpies move up from the bottom of the ladder.
Around the grounds, Devon Meadows came from behind to claim a good win over Chelsea. The final score read Chelsea 8.17 (65) to Devon Meadows 10.13 (73).
At Belvedere Reserve, Seaford needed everything to go their way to make finals. They did their part by easily defeating Rye, but other results didn’t work in their favor. They defeated the Demons 13.10 (88) to 5.6 (36), but still fell just short of the top five.
Red Hill, Karingal, Langwarrin, Chelsea, and Somerville will contest finals this year.
Karingal will take on Langwarrin at Somerville on Saturday in the qualifying final. Chelsea take on Somerville at Alexandra Park on Sunday in an elimination clash.