By Jonty Ralphsmith
Cranbourne, Dingley and Springvale Districts will all go into the Southern Football Netball League Division 1 finals series with winning form.
The Eagles took care of St Kilda City on the road, with forwards Marc Holt and Kirk Dickson combining for 15 of the team’s 23 goals.
St Kilda City finished last on the Division 1 ladder, having struggled with player exits throughout the season, with Cranbourne’s six-goal-to-two opening quarter all but sealing the result.
As well as the two targets up forward, Jake Stephens, Nick Darbyshire and Jake Cowburn found form, while small forward Tyson Barry slotted one in his second game back.
Staple reserves player Nick McPhillips, meanwhile, made his seniors debut having played more than 100 games for the club and was also named in the best off half-forward.
Springvale Districts bounced back from a tight loss against Port Melbourne last week by beating St Paul’s McKinnon, which was hungrily playing to keep its season alive.
The Dees outlasted the Doggies, with eight goals after halftime giving them a 30-point win.
Meanwhile, Dingley, coming off a surprise 99-point loss to the Doggies, crucially played good footy, defeating Bentleigh by 33 points.
The Dingoes started well which put them in command of the contest, with Lochie Benton, Nathan Freeman, Cam Hansen, Tom Morecroft and Manny Dolan among the players to play strong footy.
Results: Chelsea Heights 4.8 32 v Cheltenham 13.11 89, Port Melbourne Colts 27.8 170 v Mordialloc 8.12 60, St Kilda City 6.10 46 v Cranbourne 23.18 156, Dingley 15.15 105 v Bentleigh 11.6 72, Springvale Districts 13.12 90 v St Paul’s McKinnon 9.6 60.
Final 2023 Home and Away Ladder: Cheltenham 68, Cranbourne 52, Dingley 50, Springvale Districts 50, Port Melbourne Colts 48, St Paul’s McKinnon 40, Bentleigh 20, Mordialloc 16, Chelsea Heights 12, St Kilda City 4
Fixture (RSEA Park)
Qualifying final: Cranbourne v Dingley, Saturday 2 August
Elimination final: Springvale Districts v Port Melbourne Colts, Sunday 3 August
