By Tim O'Connor

AN ABILITY to fight back from adversity is an admirable quality in many successful football teams.

Over the last few years, Buninyong has shown time and time again that it has the character to eek out wins from the most unlikely of situations.

And while victory in Saturday’s top-of-the-table battle with Bungaree never looked out of reach, the Bombers certainly needed to show plenty of grit to get the job done.

The eight-point triumph has all but secured the minor premiership.

Buninyong stays a game clear at the summit and is expected to win its remaining home and away fixtures against Ballan and Clunes.

In a scrappy, yet absorbing contest, the Bombers kicked the first goal of the day, but had to wait until early in the last term for the next.

After goalless second and third quarters from both sides, the Demons led by seven points at the last change before Buninyong joint-coach Jarrod Morgan pounced on a free kick advantage situation to level the scores. The Bombers then edged ahead with a few behinds, before Joel Ottavi picked up possession close to goal and rolled the ball through to extend the margin to nine points.

Bungaree managed a rushed behind before the siren sounded on another come-from-behind win for the Bombers.

In a difficult day to find clear winners, with skill errors rife given the slippery conditions and high-pressure environment, Matt Caris was in everything for the hosts, Nick Shell and Jack Robertson were good down back, while Ned Gilbert worked hard in the middle.

“We’ve got belief that we can match it with any team and beat any team at this stage, but it’s just week by week as they say and trying to just match up the best we can against every team,” Morgan said.

Bungaree coach Heath Pyke said it was “very disappointing” to lead for three quarters and lose and believed his side might have an inflated perception of where it’s at because of external perceptions of its premiership chances.

Marty Dufty and Matt Harrington were among the best for the Demons.

Hepburn 13.12 (90) d Creswick 2.7 (19)

By Tim O'Connor

HEPBURN ended its run of three-straight defeats with a comfortable 71-point success against Creswick on Saturday.

The Burras had tumbled out of the top four with losses to Beaufort, Buninyong and Gordon, but hit back with an easy win on home soil.

Bryce Coffey kicked a goal and was named best for Hepburn in his senior debut, while Ricky Ferraro booted four majors.

Aaron Hepworth and Ryan Pompe had good days for the Wickers.

Beaufort 9.13 (67) d Ballan 5.5 (35)

By John McGregor

BEAUFORT pressured Ballan unmercifully on the scoreboard for three quarters on Saturday before gifting the Blues three goals in the last term.

Beaufort held a 51-point lead going into the last quarter and had kept the Blues scoreless in the third.

The Crows booted two minor scores in the end to win by 32 points.

Beaufort senior coach Dale Power was scathing in his assessment of the final term performance.

“That was really disappointing. That’s why we’re not top four and other teams are. We switch off… too happy with mediocrity,” he said after the game.

“As much as we talk about it, it still happens. It’s not good enough. It’s not going to cut it for finals.

“We got to cut to the core now. We can’t sugarcoat things now. You’ve got to make every post a winner at this time of the season.”

Saturday’s clash was another standout for Beaufort goal shooter Jack Duke, who took every opportunity that came his way and kicked four majors.

Tim Haase also slotted two goals for the winners.

The return of Crows tall Jarrod Trigg turned things up a notch. Jake Garvey, Brendan Howard and Andrew Petrie were among the best on ground.

Crows skipper Mick Foster sat out the last quarter after a serious knock to the knee.

The Blues’ Chris Povey slotted four goals, which was not too shabby when the side only kicked six for the afternoon.

Best players for Ballan included Jason McNamara, Sam Hitchings, Danny Mullane and Luke Souter.

Ballan coach Justin McConnell conceded Beaufort was just too good.

“They were pretty slick. Our effort was there, but there was a range of things and we turned the footy over. We were a little down in personnel, but I was proud how the guys fought it out,” McConnell said.

The weekend’s result has dire consequences for McConnell and his men, which are outside the top eight for the first time since round 11.

Ballan is now ninth on the ladder after being leapfrogged by Daylesford, which appears in the box seat to snare eighth spot come finals.

The Bulldogs are four points clear of the Blues, which have tough games against Buninyong and Hepburn still to come.

For the Crows, Saturday’s triumph leaves the side seventh ahead of fixtures with Clunes and Learmonth to round out the home and away campaign.

Beaufort, which finished last season seventh before an elimination final defeat at the hands of Hepburn, is two games outside the top four.

Dunnstown 15.9  (99) d Clunes 9.8 (62)

By Tim O'Connor

DUNNSTOWN stayed in the hunt for a spot in finals with a 37-point triumph against lowly Clunes.

The Magpies led Saturday’s contest at quarter time, before the Towners kicked clear in each of the remaining terms to secure the win.

Onballer Sam Jenkins had another good afternoon to be rated best for the victors, while backmen Dan Parry and Dan McGrath also performed well.

Mark Paramonov and Joel Nevill tried hard for the beaten brigade.

Dunnstown is 10th on the ladder, four points and just over four per cent behind Daylesford, which is eighth. The Towners meet the Bulldogs in round 17.

Learmonth 16.17 (113) d Smythesdale 6.5 (41)

By Tim O'Connor

SMYTHESDALE sent an early shockwave through the Learmonth camp on Saturday, before the Lakies clicked into gear and raced away to record a convincing victory at Linton.

The Bulldogs got the jump on their rivals early and led the contest by 20 points at quarter time, but that didn’t last long as the visitors put the foot down.

Learmonth held the Bulldogs goalless while kicking seven itself in a second-term blitz and continued to skip clear in the third and fourth terms to record a 72-point win.

With key goal-kicker Brodrick Campbell out with a hamstring injury, ruckman Vincent White stood up to kick five goals in a grand display for the winners.

White was one of the Lakies’ best, alongside Pat McGuigan, Nick Bone and James Mayall.

In some bad news for Learmonth, Nicholas Martin’s season looks over after suffering a bad arm injury.

Smythesdale was best served by Damien Kennedy, Kade Rattley and Anthony Taylor, while Rhys Antonio kicked two goals.

After three-straight wins, Learmonth is now 11th on the ladder ahead of games against Dunnstown and Beaufort.

Smythesdale is 16th on the table and has clashes with Daylesford and Springbank to come before the end of its campaign.

Daylesford 13.11 (89) d Rokewood-Corindhap 5.7 (37)

By Tim O'Connor

IT HAS taken 15 rounds, but Daylesford is inside the top eight.

The Bulldogs claimed their fifth-straight victory by beating Rokewood-Corindhap on Saturday, with the 52-point win lifting coach Marcus Goonan and his men over Ballan and into eighth spot on the ladder.

Ken Cummings kicked five goals in the performance, and while Goonan believed it was another strong team effort from his charges, Jordan Alexander and Joel Cowan were named the side’s best.

For the hosts, Ben Reese and Zach Priddle earned those honours.

Daylesford is now a game clear of the Blues and Dunnstown, which it meets in the final round.

Springbank 32.13 (205) d Carngham-Linton 0.5 (5)

By Tim O'Connor

SPRINGBANK banged through its biggest score of the season while keeping Carngham-Linton goalless for the second week in succession.

The Tigers, beaten by Waubra the weekend before, jumped back to second spot on the ladder with a 200-point thumping of the Saints at Snake Valley on Saturday.

Paul McMahon kicked eight majors, Robbie Lockett five and Mitch Keighrey and Tom Eltringham four each in a day out for the Springbank forwards.

Among the stars for the Tigers were Tim Malone and Tyler George in the engine room, while Joe Stalker was named the Saints’ best.

Waubra 18.9 (117) d Newlyn 5.7 (37)

By Tim O'Connor

WAUBRA’S good form rolled into Saturday’s clash with Newlyn, with the Roos kicking away after half time to bank another four points.

The 80-point victory helped coach Grant Luscombe and his charges stay fourth on the ladder ahead of next weekend’s game against Skipton.

Newlyn trailed the hosts by just 16 points at the long break, before the Roos piled on 10 goals to zip in the third and fourth terms.

Tom Nijam kicked four for the winners, with Ash Ballinger rated best. Will Young converted three for the Cats and was also a standout.

Gordon 23.17 (155) d Skipton 3.5 (23)

By Tim O'Connor

GORDON continues to build towards a likely final-round top four playoff with Waubra, making light work of battlers Skipton on Saturday.

The Eagles beat the Emus by 132 points and for the third week in a row, sit just percentage adrift of fourth position on the ladder.

Holding that spot is the Roos, with the two sides set to battle in round 17.

Jordan Clampit and Brad Hallam won plaudits from those doing the best player votes for Gordon, which had Brendan Sutcliffe and Mick Nolan boot five and four goals respectively.