Sunbury will meet Bacchus Marsh in an all-eastern bloc Ballarat Football League grand final.
The Lions ended minor premier Lake Wendouree’s season at the Eastern Oval on Saturday – taking the preliminary final by a decisive 37 points.
Final scores: Sunbury 14.21 (105) d Lake Wendouree 9.14 (68)
An elusive Matthew Medcraft cut the Lakers apart in a best-on-ground performance.
Medcraft was pivotal in getting Sunbury back into the game after Lake Wendouree kicked away to a 25-point at the 25 minute mark of the first quarter.
With the Lakers threatening to open up Sunbury as Bacchus Marsh did in the second semi-final a week earlier, it was the running power of Medcraft and Tommy Donoghue, and then the work of Alik Magin on and off the ball which ignited a turn around.
The Lions booted seven of the next nine goals to lead by eight points at half-time.
Then it was the turn of the Sunbury big man power to take over.
Ruckman David Kovacevic did as he liked, while Grant Valles and Joe Redford controlled the game defensively with Adam Short, and Jesse McInneny became a focal in attack.
With Lakers not able to convert in front of goal, Sunbury in contrast made more of its opportunities with six goals to two in the second half.
While the margin was comfortable in the end, it was not until Redford split the big sticks on 15 minutes in the last quarter to go 35 points up that the Sunbury felt safe.
Lake Wendouree still looked a chance when Ben Taylor kicked a goal one minute into the last term to narrow the margin to 23 points.
However, it was unable to convert three gettable chances and Jess McInneny mkicked his second it was curtains for Lakers.
PRELIMINARY FINALS
FOOTBALL
SENIORS
Sunbury 14.21 (105) d Lake Wendouree 9.14 (68)
RESERVES
East Point 10.7 (67) d Sunbury 9.4 (58)
UNDER-18.5
North Ballarat City 8.9 (57) d Bacchus Marsh 3.4 (22)
NETBALL
A GRADE
North Ballarat City 55 d Lake Wendouree 40
B GRADE
Lake Wendouree 42 d East Point 29
C GRADE
Ballarat 28 d Lake Wendouree 27
D GRADE
Ballarat 26 d Sunbury 20
19/UNDER
Ballarat 43 d North Ballarat City 40
GRAND FINALS
at Eastern Oval on Saturday
Football:
Seniors: Bacchus Marsh v Sunbury, 2.30pm
Reserves: Redan v East Point, 11.20am
Under-18.5:: East Point v North Ballarat City, 9.20am
Netball
A grade: East Point v North Ballarat City, 2.15pm
B grade: Sunbury v Lake Wendouree, 12.45pm
C grade: Sunbury v Ballarat, 11.30pm
D grade: North Ballarat City v Ballarat, 10.15am
19/under: Redan v Ballarat, 9am
