CMCFL finals: Jurien Bay looking to defend title after punching ticket to big dance with win over Dandaragan
Reigning premiers Jurien Bay are off to the Central Midlands Coastal Football League grand final after punching their ticket with a win over Dandaragan on the weekend.
In a rematch of the decider from last year, Jurien were able to edge out Dandy in the final quarter in their quest to defend their title.
The tight contest saw minor premiers Saints go down at home, losing 7.5 (47) to 6.6 (42) against the Bulldogs.
In wild and wet conditions, both sides had limited scoring options all day as the ball hit the deck once the rain started coming in.
Dandaragan took a goal advantage early, leading the match by just six points in the first quarter and one point at the half-time break.
The match came right down to the final stanza, with neither side giving the other an inch — with just three points separating the two at three-quarter time in the Saints’ favour.
Jurien Bay were able to take the edge late and pull ahead for the five-point win, sending Dandaragan packing into the preliminary final.
Curtis Altinier kicked two goals in the win for Jurien, while Jesse Reinke’s two majors led the Saints.
It was a much lower scoring contest than the grand final between the sides which Jurien won by 58-points, but in finals a win is all that matters.
Now Dandaragan will have to fight for their season next week in the preliminary clash. The Saints had lost just two games all season – putting up a 10-2 record to claim the minor premiership.
Their two home and away losses came at the hands of Jurien in round one and Cervantes in round 14, but the Bulldogs managed to get one past them at home when it mattered most.
For Cervantes, they have found their rhythm at the right moment, playing as one of the most in-form teams in the competition with five straight wins that includes their thrashing of Lancelin in the first round of finals.
The Saints will face the Tiger Sharks next week at Dandaragan Oval, with the winner going on to the grand final while the loser’s season will come to an end.
Jurien Bay also enjoyed a win in the reserves as they took down Cervantes 9.5 (59) to 1.3 (9), with the ressies’ Bulldogs also looking to repeat as champions.
Moora got up over Dandaragan 1-0 in the hockey and in the A-grade netball, the Bulldogs scraped past the Tiger Sharks 27-25.
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