Berwick blew a golden opportunity to finish its season on a high, dropping the last game of its season to Park Orchards by nine points at Domeney Reserve.
A second half fightback wasn’t enough to reel in a 33-point halftime deficit, with inaccurate kicking seeing them miss a number of critical opportunities in the second half, finishing 11.11 77 to 9.14 68.
Berwick held the Sharks to just 2.3 in the second half but could only manage 5.9 themselves.
Trailing by 26 points at the final break, the Wickers kicked the first three goals of the opening quarter, through Harry Money, Matt Albrecht and Blake Petherick to give Berwick a fighting chance.
Albrecht thought he had put the visitors ahead with a kick off the ground on the goalline, but desperate defending saw the umpire deem the kick touched.
The Sharks kicked the sealer minutes later, a forward snapping to an unguarded goal square following a stoppage.
Park Orchards were playing to stay in Premier Division, hoping to climb out of 11th place and overtake South Croydon in tenth, where Berwick were in proverbial no-man’s land, unable to be relegated and not able to qualify for finals.
South Croydon’s defeat of Norwood, however, ensured they finished equal on points, and survived the cut with a superior percentage.
Money finished the afternoon with three goals for Berwick, with Bryce Curtis, Ryan Bromley and Jordan Roberts among their best performers.
