The Collie Eagles Year 7 team has booked its place in the South West Junior Football League grand final after a hard-fought 10-point win over South Bunbury at the Collie Recreation Ground on Saturday.
The Eagles went into the game with confidence after finishing the home and away season on top of the ladder after winning 13 of their 14 games during the season.
However if there was one factor making the team nervous, it was the fact South Bunbury was the only team to defeat the Eagles when they met a month ago.
But the Eagles put that performance behind as they started the semi final in outstanding fashion.
The Eagles dominated from the centre and kicked three goals, through Judd Rinder, Cody Irvine and Jock Abraham, to take a commanding lead at quarter time.
However the Tigers eased their way into the game in the second quarter turned the game into a contest.
The Tigers managed to keep the Eagles goalless throughout the second and third quarters as shades of the inaccuracy in front of goal that cost the Eagles in their previous loss reappeared.
Trailling by less than a goal at three quarter time, the pressure was on for the Eagles and they responded.
A marvelous piece of play saw Rinder kick a goal and put the Eagles ahead, before Baxter Miller kicked the sealer in the Eagles’ 5.8 (38) to 4.4 (28) win.
The win means the Year 7 team will have the weekend off before playing in the grand final on Saturday, September 15.
The Eagles will play the winner of this weekend’s preliminary final between South Bunbury and Marist – teams that both also finished the season with just the one loss.
The Year 9 and Year 10 teams also advanced their finals campaigns in different circumstances over the weekend.
The Year 10 showed their class as they defeated the Harvey Bulls by 40 points on Saturday.
After a tightly contested first quarter where the Eagles opened up a four point lead, the Eagles kicked away in the second and third quarters.
The Eagles piled on six goals in the second term and five in the third to open up an unassailable lead over the Bulls.
Accuracy was the key to victory for the Eagles, as they had just five extra shots on goal than the Bulls in the 16.4 (100) to 9.6 (60) victory.
They will now play the HBL Lions at Kelly Park from 2.40pm on Saturday, September, 8.
The Year 9 team will also play HBL at Kelly Park from 1pm on Saturday after advancing through the first week of finals.
The Eagles didn’t take the field after South Bunbury forfeited last weekend’s game.