WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
SUNDAY
Waubra held on grimly for a win against Gordon on Sunday and booked a spot in the CHFL grand final next weekend.
In a low-scoring and sometimes ugly football display, Waubra never looked 100 per cent comfortable and it was a desperate effort that got them over the line by nine points.
Waubra led by a goal at the first break, but trailed the Eagles by four points at half time.
The Kangaroos had a comfortable 15-point lead going into the final term.
The last quarter was a high pressure arm-wrestle with the Eagles whittling away the Roos' lead to just two points.
There was lots of heat in the game and a free to Lincoln Barnes with only a few minutes to go allowed Waubra to extend the advantage and hang on to win.
Austin Murphy was a key forward for the Kangaroos. He was cheeky and cool in front of goal and had a tally of three for the day. Tom Nash also kicked three for Waubra.
Barnes and Caleb McGrath worked hard for their singles.
Jackson Kinna was a rock in the Waubra defence and others to shine were William Booth, James Lukich and Darcy Jenkins.
Gordon's main goal-kicker was Brad Hallam with two. Slim pickings went to Adam Toohey, Tye Murphy, Ethan Crackel and Luke Gunnell with single goals.
Toohey was a surprise in for Gordon after being injured last Sunday and forced to wear a moonboot during the week.
Eagles players like Mark Gunnell, Taylem Wason, Matt Raworth and Jack Toohey stood out during the match.
"It was really an ugly game of football. The pressure was really high and it was obviously slippery early," Waubra coach Matt James said.
"It wasn't a very pretty display but it was a gutsy win by the boys. So I'm really proud of them."
"It was a good, hard slog," said Gordon coach Ron Watt. "It was grand final stuff...lots of mistakes, lots of pressure."
Waubra 8.7 (55) d Gordon 6.10 (46)
WAUBRA
Goal Kickers: A. Murphy 3, T. Nash 3, L. Barnes, C. McGrath
Best Players: J. Kinna, T. Nash, W. Booth, L. Barnes, J. Lukich, D. Jenkins
GORDON
not submitted
SATURDAY
Hepburn added to its supreme finals record and broke Newlyn hearts with a 24-point triumph in a knockout CHFL preliminary final at Buninyong on Saturday.
With the season on the line, it was a nervous affair in the Hepburn coaches' box as last time the two met Newlyn erased a six-goal deficit to storm home by two points.
The first quarter was played at a frantic pace and it was Hepburn's spearhead Sam Dunstan slotting the first goal of the match in a strong blustery wind.
Young tearaway Izaac Grant kicked Hepburn's second major from a hotly contested ball in the goal square.
Newlyn struggled to gain any momentum and only hit the scoreboard with a major from Marcus Darmody after the siren.
Andy McKay kicked the first goal of the second term, celebrating his return from injury and marking his 250th game for Hepburn.
McKay was pumped and like his brothers Mitch and Brad had a huge impact on the game.
The Cats went out fighting after half-time with a goal from Patrick Parr in less than a minute from the first bounce.
The margin was 17 points and a change in Newlyn's fortunes looked like a possibility at the start of the third term.
But Brad McKay toe-poked a goal and Grant kicked another two majors to stop the Newlyn push.
Like the start of the previous term the last quarter saw the Cats score in less than a minute with Declan Lourey slotting one home.
But the sting had gone out of the game and the Burras prevailed.
The shoot-out between the season's two top goal-scorers - the Burras' Dunstan and the Cats' Darmody - didn't really pan out. They kicked two majors each but were outdone by the youngster Grant, who booted three goals.
Joseph Clarke, Scott Wood and Tom Horne were solid performers.
Newlyn's Wes Carter, Boe Bish and Chris Edwards were tough defenders while Adam Sewell, Myles Sewell and Luke Bull tried hard to push forward.
Hepburn 9.12 (66) d Newlyn 6.6 (42)
HEPBURN
Goal Kickers: I. Grant 3, S. Dunstan 2, T. Horne, A. McKay, B. McKay, M. McKay
Best Players: J. Clarke, S. Wood, I. Grant, A. McKay, M. McKay, N. Dunstan
NEWLYN
Goal Kickers: M. Darmody 2, D. Lourey, L. Gill, L. Faull, P. Parr
Best Players: W. Carter, B. Bish, C. Edwards, A. Sewell, M. Sewell, L. Bull