There were a few nervous moments for the Sunbury Kangaroos on Saturday afternoon, but eventually they were confirmed as the sixth and last Riddell District Football League finalist.
Sitting in seventh and four points behind Romsey, Wallan and Riddell heading into the final round, the Kangaroos needed things to go their way.
Riddell made sure of its finals spot early on against Broadford, leaving two spots for three teams.
First the Kangaroos needed to make sure they defeated Woodend-Hesket. They did that, even if the process was not as easy as they would have liked. It was only late in the game that the Kangaroos were able to break the Hawks for a 14.8 (92)-7.8 (50) win.
Kangaroos coach Jarrod Dixon said it was a real workman-like performance.
“They had the wind in the first quarter and got the jump on us,” he said. “Woodend was playing with purpose, like they wanted to knock us out of finals contention.
“We worked our way into the game. We didn’t get to 30 points up until 18 minutes gone in the last.
“It was good in the end, as we had a few struggling with injuries.”
The Kangaroos saved some magic for the last two minutes of the game, with Phil Lobb kicking an impossible goal from the boundary and Mitch Farmer kicking a goal after the siren.
At that stage, with the Romsey and Wallan game still in progress, the Kangaroos were in the top six by 0.25 per cent.
The Kangaroos listened were on their phones in the dying minutes minutes of the Romsey-Wallan game hoping luck would fall their way.
They were soon celebrating as the Redbacks kicked late goals to seal not only their spot but one for the Kangaroos as well.
The Kangaroos finished 2.58 per cent ahead of the seventh-placed Magpies.
Dixon said skipper Daniel Gregory led from the front with Matt Welsh, Jake Young and Mitch Farmer (four goals) among the standouts in a team victory.
The win was slightly soured by injury, with the Kangaroos finishing with a single player on the bench.
The Kangaroos, playing finals for the first time since 2014 after seventh-place finishes in the previous two seasons, will face reigning premier Digger Rest in an elimination final on Sunday at Romsey Park.
“It’s great reward for the players to have the chance to play finals again,” Dixon said.
“They are good opposition who are a premier side and experienced. You’ve got to be in it to win.”
The Burras will enter the elimination final coming off their lowest score in a number of years, with just six scoring shots in their 9.13 (67)-2.4 (16) loss to minor premiers Macedon. The Burras had several of their best side missing in the loss.
The Cats will face Rupertswood in the qualifying final on Saturday.
In the other elimination final, Romsey will take on Riddell on Sunday at Clarke Oval.
