Vic finals

By PAUL DAFFEY

KEILOR, undefeated in the Essendon District league all season, fell at the last hurdle on the weekend when Oak Park stormed clear in the second half of their grand final at Windy Hill to win its second successive premiership.

Oak Park led by six points at half-time before moving to a 71 point lead, 23.12 (150) to 11.13 (79), at the final siren. Michael Gadsden kicked five goals while fellow forwards Matt McCartney and Darren Milne kicked four each. Oak Park wingman Drew Fletcher was best on ground.

In country football, Mornington ruckman Murray Peel was among the best and full forward Simon Goosey kicked six goals, bringing his tally to 118, as the Bulldogs defeated Edithvale-Aspendale by 17 points in their second semi final at Dromana. Key forward Evan Ryder kicked eight goals in the losing team.

In the Bendigo league, Maryborough became the sixth club in six years to be knocked out of the finals in straight sets when Sandhurst won their first semi-final at Kangaroo Flat by 12 points. Sandhurst centre half forward Ben Sexton, the former Carlton and Footscray player, marked everything for the Dragons, who had snuck into fifth place in the last round of the season.

Amateurs club St Bernard's, loser of its final three games in the A-section season, shrugged off that form when it rebounded from a 21 point deficit at half time to defeat Old Xaverians by 11 points in their second semi final at Elsternwick Park. St Bernard's turned the match around in the third quarter, with Danny Byrne and Ben Jordan firing in the midfield and Jordan's brother Dan, the full forward, kicking three goals.

Xavs, kicking with the breeze, regained the lead early in the last quarter before St Bernard's rallied again. Key forward Tim Harvey kicked the winning goal deep in time-on after marking 30 metres out. Xavs key forward Scott Mollard kicked four goals in a typically physical display for his team, which is to play Old Scotch in the preliminary final next Sunday.

australianrules.com.au

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