DAYLESFORD will return to the Central Highlands Football League finals in season 2016.
The Bulldogs appeared destined for a round 17 blockbuster with Dunnstown that would determine their top eight fate, but victory against Smythesdale on Saturday, coupled with a Towners loss to Learmonth, means they cannot be ousted from a playoff position.
Daylesford beat Smythesdale by 118 points on home soil to land its fourth-straight win.
The result means the Bulldogs, which missed out on finals in 2015, are eight points clear of ninth-placed Ballan and 10th-placed Dunnstown with one round of the home and away campaign remaining.
Buninyong all but sealed the minor premiership with a hard-fought victory over the Blues on Saturday, while Springbank and Bungaree are destined for a double chance after respective triumphs over Rokewood-Corindhap and Hepburn.
Waubra kept its place in fourth by beating Skipton, but that spot will be decided in a huge clash next weekend against Gordon, which sits level on points in fifth after the success against Creswick.
Beaufort is sixth after beating Clunes, while the Burras slipped to seventh following their defeat to the Demons.
ROUND 16 RESULTS
Bungaree 12.15 (87) d Hepburn 9.11 (65)
Gordon 18.11 (119) d Creswick 9.11 (65)
Buninyong 12.5 (77) d Ballan 8.15 (63)
Beaufort 27.15 (177) d Clunes 4.6 (30)
Learmonth 12.11 (83) d Dunnstown 4.6 (30)
Daylesford 24.10 (154) d Smythesdale 5.6 (36)
Springbank 22.16 (148) d Rokewood-Corindhap 7.2 (44)
Newlyn 20.25 (145) d Carngham Linton 2.6 (18)
Waubra 12.12 (84) d Skipton 7.8 (50)
LADDER
POS TEAM P W L D B FF FOR AGST % PTS
1 Buninyong 16 15 1 0 0 0 1538 733 209.82 60
2 Springbank 16 14 2 0 0 0 1771 793 223.33 56
3 Bungaree 16 13 3 0 0 0 1827 670 272.69 52
4 Waubra 16 13 3 0 0 0 1496 761 196.58 52
5 Gordon 16 13 3 0 0 0 1805 959 188.22 52
6 Beaufort 16 11 5 0 0 0 1693 772 219.30 44
7 Hepburn 16 11 5 0 0 0 1675 915 183.06 44
8 Daylesford 16 10 6 0 0 0 1517 1141 132.95 40
9 Ballan 16 8 8 0 0 0 1305 1014 128.70 32
10 Dunnstown 16 8 8 0 0 0 1244 1085 114.65 32
11 Learmonth 16 7 9 0 0 0 1274 1015 125.52 28
12 Creswick 16 6 10 0 0 0 944 1175 80.34 24
13 Newlyn 16 6 10 0 0 0 1028 1359 75.64 24
14 Rokewood-Corindhap 16 4 12 0 0 0 908 1620 56.05 16
15 Clunes 16 2 14 0 0 0 741 2116 35.02 8
16 Smythesdale 16 2 14 0 0 0 524 1911 27.42 8
17 Skipton 16 1 15 0 0 0 684 1945 35.17 4
18 Carngham Linton 16 0 16 0 0 0 459 2449 18.74 0
FINAL ROUND FIXTURE
Saturday, August 13
Creswick v Bungaree
Hepburn v Ballan
Buninyong v Clunes
Beaufort v Learmonth
Dunnstown v Daylesford
Smythesdale v Springbank
Rokewood-Corindhap v Newlyn
Carngham-Linton v Skipton
Waubra v Gordon
