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IT’S OFFICIAL — Queenscliff is coming in the BFL.
The Coutas consolidated their place inside the top five with a 53-point win over top-three hopeful Ocean Grove, set up by an eight-goal-to-none first half.
After a slow start to the season, the Coutas are now back at full strength and are ominously starting to make their charge for a fourth straight flag.
They won 14.18 (102) to 6.13 (49) after the Grubbers mounted a fightback in the third term.
But it was Barwon Heads who pulled off the result of the round to keep their finals hopes alive with a dramatic upset win over Geelong Amateur — the Ammos’ first loss of the season.
Barwon Heads is now locked in a gripping battle with Drysdale for fifth spot on the ladder (both teams are locked on nine wins).
The Seagulls showed their fighting spirit in a stirring final quarter to pull away from Amateur and post a 45-point win.
At one stage, the Ammos has closed to within a kick on the boggy Howard Harmer Oval and looked poised to run over the top, just like they did last week.
But the Seagulls kicked seven unanswered goals in an inspired final quarter, to win 18.10 (118) to 10.13 (73).
It sets the scene for a dramatic final-round match between Drysdale and Barwon Heads, with the winner set to take fifth spot into the finals.
Barwon Heads’ finals drought stretches back to 2006.
BARWON HEADS
Goal Kickers: J. Holland 5, B. Backwell 5, C. Martin 2, D. Hovey 2, M. Wight 2, N. Hill, N. Talarico
Best Players: E. Erftemeyer, J. Holland, C. O’Leary, X. Everett, B. Backwell, D. Holland
GEELONG AMATEUR
Goal Kickers: D. Zaparenkov 5, R. Mattner, K. Smith, R. Ferguson, J. Westwood, R. McSparron
Best Players: R. Kangars, A. Elliott, C. Kangars, T. Robertson, K. Smith, Z. Coventry
EAGLES ON THE FLY
IN the GFL, Newtown & Chilwell steamrolled Bell Park in the final quarter to confirm its status as the premiership front-runner.
The Eagles were unstoppable in the final quarter after the Dragons led during stages of the second and third quarters.
“I didn’t think we were playing great footy, Bell Park was good today and I thought they took the game on,” Eagles coach David Wojcinski said.
“We haven’t been playing our best footy, so it was good to grind our this win today cause while the conditions were good the ground (Elderslie reserve) was very heavy.”
Bell Park’s Michael Bright was red-carded and, as a former Newtown captain, was “roasted” by the Elderslie Reserve crowd as he left the ground, according to Alex Tigani.
Defender Jarrod Thompson was also sent off for the Dragons in a separate incident.
“We believe Bright got sent off for back chatting the umpire, I don’t really know what happened there,” co-coach Ben Armstrong said.
“Thompson’s was a little bit of a jumper push, I don’t want speak into it much (in regards to the tribunal) but we believe he was a little bit unlucky to be sent off.
“It did have a bit of an influence on the game in the end because it was a high intensity game for the lot and in the end their run got us.”
MORE WOES FOR WEST
INJURY woes for Geelong West, with Lucas Boyd taken to hospital with a serious finger injury against St Joseph’s.
Unconfirmed reports it was a compound fracture that would not go back in.
Joeys just had far too many winners for West with a wide spread including Lachlan Howe, Tom Atkins and Ash Hansen.
“They are a good side and were pretty much up and running today,” West coach Terry Bright said.
“They are a bit better than us, I am not making any excuses, bottom line is they are better than us that’s all.
“We know where we are at and we know what we have to do to get them.”
Joeys coach Heath Jamieson said despite the triple-figure win, his side still had improvement .
“Our start was good, that was one of our main focuses,” he said.
“I still don’t think we were at our supreme best today.
“But I thought we were better than what we had been.”
TIGERS TAMED
GROVEDALE’S season is officially over after a 51-point loss to Colac down the highway.
Jake McGuane booted five for the home side, taking his season total to 65 as he closes in on the league goal kicking.
GDFL
EAST Geelong held out a determined Anakie by 10 points, while Belmont Lions claimed a dramatic two-point win over Bannockburn to continue their amazing resurgence.
That’s win number seven in a row for the Winter Reserve boys, and Harry McGovern has posted a cracking video on Facebook of Belmont’s triumphant song.
HAPPY HAWKS
INVERLIGH was the subject of a premiership betting plunge this week and there’s a fair chance the Hawks’ may continue to dip.
They were a class above a rattled Geelong West today, winning 15.23 (113) to 8.8 (56) at West Oval.
“The first quarter I thought we played really good football, as good a football as we’ve played all year,” Inverleigh coach Mark McDowell said of his side’s 5.7 to 0.1 start.
“I don’t think (finals) is going to scare them at all, when they’ve played their best football they’ve been on the edge.
“We’ll give a good account of ourselves.”
It was a shocking afternoon for West, with fears Sam Kelly may have ruptured his ACL after he left the field hobbling during a terrible first quarter for the Cheetas.
“I’ve got no explanation,” West coach Nick Washington said of the opening quarter.
“We’ve got a very firm gameplan we stick by now, it’s small steps at the moment.
“It’s been our good players that have let us down this year ... we haven’t kicked on, I think a few of our good players maybe took it easy, (got) a little complacent.”
HEAD INJURY ALL-CLEAR
A LARA under-18 player has been cleared of serious damage after landing awkwardly on his upper back in a marking contest this morning.
An ambulance was called to Lara Reserve to treat the player with a possible back or spinal injury.
He has since been cleared of serious injury but may miss next week as a precaution.
FULL-TIME SCORES
GFL
Colac 14.19.103 v Grovedale 7.10.52
Lara 5.4.34 v St Mary’s 16.28.124
North Shore 8.5.53 v Leopold 26.15.171
Newtown & Chilwell 19.12.126 v Bell Park 12.2.74
St Joseph’s 24.6.150 v GWSP 4.11.35
BFL
Drysdale 11.12.78 v Anglesea 5.4.34
Queenscliff 14.18.102 v Ocean Grove 6.13.49
Portarlington 8.5.53 v Modewarre 18.10.118
Barwon Heads 18.10.118 v Geelong Amateur 10.13.73
Torquay 32.19.211 v Newcomb 4.1.25
GDFL
Thomson 11.19 (85) v Corio 5.8 (38)
Anakie 11.8.74 v East Geelong 12.12.84
Winchelsea 6.10.46 v Bell Post Hill 22.14.146
North Geelong 13.17.95 Werribee Centrals 9.11.65
Bannockburn 15.14.104 v Belmont 15.16.106
Geelong West 8.8.56 v Inverleigh 15.23.113
