The 147-point margin followed the Cats’ 114 and 136-point wins over White Hills and Mount Pleasant the previous fortnight.

Saturday’s win showed the gaping gap between this year’s wooden-spoon side and the team that is going to be mighty hard to stop from winning a third flag in a row as the Cats led by 54 points at quarter-time, 90 at half-time and 120 at three quarter-time, before the final margin of 147.

“The boys played well again today, which was very pleasing,” Cats coach Kahl Oliver said.

“Elmore would have been up and about after beating Mount Pleasant last week, so we knew they would have had a bit of confidence.”

Any confidence the Bloods had from their first win of the season the previous week was quickly shot as the Cats raced to a 9.2 to 0.2 lead at quarter-time.

“We set ourselves over the past month, knowing we’ve got limited footy ahead of us, that we need to be playing really well,” Oliver said.

“We need to make sure we’ve got confidence when we go into that first final, and at the moment we have that confidence.”

Jarrod Bacon was a livewire up forward for the Cats, kicking seven goals to be their best player.

Backman Simon Keleher, who pushed forward to kick two goals, youngster Marcus Angove (three goals) and captain Nathan O’Brien also had big games for the Cats.

The Cats shared their goals between 13 players.

Danny Bateman, James Drake, Bryce Scott and Tom Grant were the best for the Bloods. James Harney kicked two of their four goals.

The Cats now have a 21-day break before they play in the second semi-final against Huntly or North Bendigo.

Meanwhile, after the game it was announced that Oliver will be standing down as coach at the end of the season, with Adrian Dohnt to take over next year.

“This is my fourth year at the club and coaching senior football is a very big commitment,” said Oliver, who coached the Cats to their 2011 and 2012 flags.

“I’m starting to burn out a bit, so I just want to get back next year to concentrating on myself a little bit.

“Adrian is really keen to do it, so he’s going to take the reins next year.

“Adrian has a very smart footy brain and I’m sure he’ll do a fantastic job. He’s got the respect of the whole playing group.”

While he’s stepping down as Cats coach after four years at the end of the season, Oliver said he had no plans to play anywhere else in 2014. 

● A week is a long time in football – just ask Mount Pleasant.

Seven days after becoming the first team this year to lose to Elmore, the Blues bounced back to defeat top-five side Leitchville-Gunbower.

The Blues won their fourth game – and their first for the year at Toolleen – with the 16.14 (110) to 13.13 (91) upset result.

Mount Pleasant led by two points at half-time and made what proved to be a match-winning move in the third term when it kicked 4.5 to 2.1 to build an 18-point advantage going into the last quarter.

“It was our sponsors day out at Mounts today and we hadn’t won a home game all year, so it was about time to give something back to the supporters and sponsors,” Mount Pleasant coach Shaun Young said.

“I was really happy with the effort of the boys today.

“Our third quarter was one of the best of the year. They got back within a goal of us in the last quarter, but the boys dug deep and kicked away.

“We’ve been in that position a few times this year where sides have come back and run over the top of us, so it was good to fight out a win.”

Full-forward Matt Gilmore kicked four goals for the Blues, who had good players in Joseph Whiting, Nick Edwards, Brad King and Jarrod Findlay (three goals).

Young, who kicked two goals, suffered a dislocated shoulder late in the game.

The loss cost the Bombers the chance to guarantee their position in the finals.

“We were very ordinary today. We were flat before the game, as much as we spoke about how important a game it was for us,” Bombers coach Marty Shadbolt said.

“Mounts just had a red-hot crack and wanted it more than us.

“They won a lot of contested ball and ran a lot harder than us. We just didn’t work hard enough or give them enough respect.”

Centre half-back Sam Hawkins continued his good form for the Bombers to be their best player.

Cameron Carter – who coached Mount Pleasant to its 2005 and 2006 flags – Shadbolt and Ben Embleton were other good players for the Bombers.

Shadbolt, Shaun Douglass and Ryan Eastman kicked three goals each for the Bombers.

The Bombers – who remain in the top five on percentage from Colbinabbin – were missing gun onballer Jake Williams, who suffered a medial ligament injury the previous week.

“Hopefully, he’ll be right for this week... he reckons he’s a chance,” Shadbolt said.

● Huntly won its first game at Colbinabbin since 2001, defeating the Grasshoppers by 21 points.

The Hawks kicked seven goals to three in the middle two quarters, which was the catalyst for their 10.7 (67) to 6.10 (46) victory in a dour contest in tough conditions.

“Even though it was a nice day, the ground was a bog and it was always going to be a tough gig to come away with the four points, especially with Colbo playing for the finals,” Huntly coach Stacy Fiske said.

“We were expecting it to be a slugfest and that’s what it was.

“We took our opportunities in the second and third quarter and that was the difference in the end.”

Matt Klein-Bretler, Tom Curry, Adrian McErvale and Ryley Dickens played well for the second-placed Hawks in their fourth win in a row.

The loss has cost Colbinabbin its position in the top five, but coach Phil Morgan said it wasn’t through a lack of effort.

“The boys had a real crack today... we asked the boys at the start of the game to make sure they left nothing out there and they did that,” Morgan said.

“Huntly kicked a few goals off turnovers, which good sides do, and we fell short.”

Hugh Barlow, Will Morrow, Tim O’Dwyer and Darcy Booth led the better players for the Grasshoppers, who must beat North Bendigo this week to be any chance of making the finals.

● Heathcote climbed from sixth to fourth on the ladder following a 17.14 (116) to 10.17 (77) win over White Hills at Tint-a-Car Oval.

Just like when they beat the Demons in round eight, the Saints gained the early ascendancy when they led by 26 points at quarter-time. 

“We got the jump on them early and were able to play well as a team, which we’ve been doing the past few weeks,” Heathcote coach Grant Ford said.

“White Hills kept coming at us all day with guys like Bryce Fletcher, Hayden Wright and David Wright playing well for them.

“I thought our tackling was superb today. We didn’t allow them any free ball and hunted in packs, which was fantastic.”

The Demons were still a sniff at three quarter-time when they were within 17 points of the Saints.

However, Heathcote put the foot down in the last quarter, finishing the game with five goals to one.

Wingman Darcy McLean (three goals), half-back Daniel Carroll, ruckman Daniel Russell and Ford led the better players for the Saints.

While Hills had good players in Bryce Fletcher (three goals), key big man Matt Lehane (two goals), captain David Wright and James Ginnivan.

Ladder:

1. LBU (15-1, 206.5%)

2. Huntly (12-3, 154.4%)

3. North Bendigo (9-6, 115.2%)

4. Heathcote (8-7, 91.8%)

5. Leitchville-Gunbower (7-8, 99.4%)

6. Colbinabbin (7-8, 92.4%)

7. White Hills (5-10, 77.3%)

8. Mount Pleasant (4-11, 76.8%)

9. Elmore (1-14, 52.9%)

Next week: North Bendigo v Colbinabbin, Leitchville-Gunbower v Elmore, Huntly v White Hills, Heathcote v Mount Pleasant.

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