BLACKS INTO GF, VULTURES SEND EAGLES PACKING, COLLEGIANS BEAT OLD SCOTCH IN A CLASSIC

University Blacks produced a performance to savour in their dismantling of St Bernard’s in the 2nd Semi Final, whilst Old Scotch and Collegians produced an absolute classic int he 1st semi with the men in purple extending their season by a week in dramatic fashion. The drama didn’t end there as Parkdale Vultures won through to the Premier C Grand Final at the expense of Marcellin. 
Uni Blacks were on from the opening bounce but a goal on the siren from Chad Jones had St Bernards trail by only two points at the first change. However that would be the closest that St Bernard’s would be as Blacks extended their advantage at every quarter break after that. Blacks’ scoring power was on display early as their first seven goals of the game all came from the boots of different players. In the end it was Alistair Robbins that finished with four goals for Blacks, his last from the boundary the best of them. 
St Bernard’s pushed hard after half time but couldn’t kick back to back goals until the last quarter, by which stage the game was beyond them. All in all the match was an anticlimax for the two best performed teams of 2014, only Blacks were able to demonstrate their home and away form. 

University Blacks                       2.3,  7.6,  12.10,  15.17  (107)

St Bernards                             2.1,  4.4,  6.7,  9.10  (64)

GOALS, University Blacks : A. Robbins 4, N. Batten 2, T. Napier 1, H. Lacey 1, J. Ernest 1, A. Pattison 1,  B. Mahon 1, C. Turner 1, I. Anderson 1, A. Locke 1, J. Slabbert 1

St Bernards : C. Jones 3, N. Cooke 2, A. Bentick 1, T. Sullivan 1, M. Hannan 1, S. Caven 1

BEST, University Blacks :J. Laurie, S. Hogan, P. O’Rourke, A. Pitt, B. Mahon, S. Weekley

St Bernards : M. Hannan, S. Caven, T. Sullivan, T. Overman, N. Kazuro, A. Singleton

At the same time that Blacks were working their way past a disappointing St Bernards, Old Scotch and Collegians were playing one of the great Premier finals at Trevor Barker Oval. Collegians may have had more scoring chances early but the Cardinals controlled much of this contest, leading at quarter and half time and for extended periods in the last too. 
Nevertheless Collegians continued their brilliant form of late and in particular, continued their 2014 ability to pile on goals in the final quarter and finish full of running. Shura Taft tweeted earlier in the day that it was a sexy Melbourne day to play finals footy and his assessment proved correct as the competition’s leading goal kicker kicked a sensational seven goals. 
The final quarter was a beauty, Collegians booted 7.5 to Old Scotch’s 5.6, it was end to end free flowing football. Old Scotch have now lost two 1st semi finals in two years, both of them classic matches. 
Collegians now book a date at Sportscover Arena next week for a preliminary final match up against St Bernards. 
Collegians                              3.6,  6.9,  10.16,  17.21  (123)
Old Scotch                              5.2,  7.5,  11.7,  16.13  (109)
GOALS, Collegians : S. Taft 7, A. Croft 2, C. Jesaveluk 2, G. Jones 2, N. Ries 1, C. Hylton 1, A. Howison 1, N. Corp 1
Old Scotch : J. Bull 3, M. Passador 3, L. Hill 2, N. Cox 2, C. O’Beirne 1, W. Strange 1,  J. Long 1, M. Wills 1, N. Jamieson 1, E. Routman 1
BEST, Collegians : J. Kamener, N. Giles, C. Simmons, W. Tardif, C. Hylton, L. Apted
Old Scotch : N. Jamieson, A. Houlihan, J. Hurley, J. Bull, S. Thompson, M. Passador

In Premier C, Parkdale Vultures stunned Marcellin to win by 17 points and book a Grand Final match up against local rival Hampton Rovers next weekend. Tjhe Vultures will return to Premier B a year after being relegated from that competition and now have a chance to win a third premiership in four seasons. Conversely Marcellin exit September on the back of two straight losses having done the same thing in 2013.  
In tough conditions at Casey Fields, it was the Vultures that was the only side able to split the middle in the opening term before the teams became accustomed to the conditions in the second term. After 10 goals were kicked in the second term – 5 each – there were only five more kicked in the entire second half as the game became about contested football. 
Parkdale Vultures                       1.3,  6.6,  8.11,  9.15  (69)
Marcellin                               0.3,  5.4,  5.7,  7.10  (52)
GOALS, Parkdale Vultures : T. Boland 3, P. Sullivan 2, K. Lopo 2, N. Papatsanis 2
Marcellin : A. Viney 2, S. McPherson 2, T. Carlson 1, D. Bolger 1, M. Gasparini 1
BEST, Parkdale Vultures : T. Boland, S. Chapman, L. Platt, S. Chitty, D. Price, Z. McCarthy
Marcellin : S. Gill, A. Viney, P. Hamblin, D. Mc Mahon, J. Antypas, A. Bonato