An impressive victory by the Bairnsdale fourths over Morwell in the final round of the Gippsland League at the Bairnsdale City Oval ensured they booked a 2025 finals berth.
The Redlegs needed to defeat the Tigers to lock away their participation and it was never in doubt, running out 55-point winners.
They will now do battle with Moe at the Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve in an elimination final this Sunday, with no second
chances for the loser.
After a relatively even first half, when they led by 11 points at half time, the Redlegs kicked into action in the second half, kicking 10 goals to two, heading into the finals action with a morale-boosting victory.
Skipper Oscar Baylis and Luca Djokic were on fire up forward kicking four and three goals respectively, joined in the best players by Harley Young, Daniel Martin, Harper
Clack and Hunter Crane, who also kicked
two skilful goals.
There was disappointment for the Redlegs thirds who were easy winners in the final
round, only to miss the finals on percentage after finishing on the same points as the fourth-
finishing Traralgon and fifth-placed Warragul.
Bairnsdale ran out 97-point winners, increasing their percentage from 112 to 123 per cent, but it was still 28 per cent lower than the Gulls.
Oliver Emmett and Rex Hargreaves led the way up forward with four goals each, while captain Charlie Cook booted three and the hard-running Jacob Farley slotted two.
Farley, Max Neate, Douglas Ashby, Hargreaves, Cook and Emmett all impressed and loom as key players in the future of the Bairnsdale Football Netball Club.
Bairnsdale was looking to end a six-week losing streak in the reserves and they put up a much better performance but still succumbed to the Tigers by 19 points.
Trailing by 22 points after being restricted to a solitary goal in the first half, the Redlegs fought back strongly in the second half, outscoring Morwell without ever getting close enough to seriously challenge.
Neate and Harrison Cook both kicked two goals for Bairnsdale, with Tom Selleck, Paul Bills, Charlie Cook, Michael Stephenson, Neate and Matthew Jeffery all battling hard and never shirked an issue for the Redlegs.
