The final five will remain the same for finals in Southern Division 1 despite Narre Warren pulling off an upset victory against fourth-placed Springvale Districts by 49 points.
The Magpies won three of their last four games to finish the year with an improved 7-10-1 record, with Will Howe (four goals) and Tom Toner (two goals) leading the way.
Narre Warren had a 14-point lead at the main break but accelerated in the second half to kick 12.8 (76) to 6.5 (41) and win comfortably – Ky Allcock kicked four majors and was Springy’s best.
East Brighton also finished its season on a high as it defeated St Paul’s McKinnon, one of the flag favourites, in a five-point thriller.
It was an even contest for most of the day with only two goals scored in the first term, as both sides started slow, but the Vampires prevailed with Sonny Moore (three goals) leading the way.
While Cranbourne was playing a young side, its final two games produced a combined losing margin of 195 points, including a 94-point thumping against Cheltenham on the weekend – relegation now a reality.
Nicholas Darbyshire (four goals) was a shining light for the Eagles, while Max Davis (seven goals) and Sam Lonie (four goals) were dominant for the Rosellas.
A strong first half from Dingley set up its 17th win of the season, as the Dingoes feasted on Bentleigh early in the match.
Scanlan Lynch has kicked nine goals in his past two outings, including four on the weekend, as he looks to make an impact in the finals.
Murrumbeena made light work of Port Melbourne to win by 51 points in a brilliant team performance which saw 11 players hit the scoreboard.
However, forwards Ed Standish and Dareo Rogers both failed to register a score, while Tom Smith played a great game for the Colts in the loss.
Southern Division 2 finals kicked off with entertaining matches on Saturday and Sunday at Springvale Reserve, and it was the story of the underdogs.
Accurate kicking in front of goal was non-existent during the qualifying final between Chelsea Heights and Highett, with a combined 12.28 scored for the match.
Highett secured the double chance, but it wasn’t required as the Bulldogs won by six points against the Demons, progressing to the second semi-final against Hampton Park.
Will Straford was Highett’s best player in the win, while livewire Rhys Wilkinson kicked two goals.
East Malvern sat in the top two for most of the year and led Mordialloc by six points at the 20-minute mark of the fourth term, but the Bloods surged to cause a big upset and win by four points.
The Panthers had some chances to win the game late, registering two behinds in the dying stages, but they fell narrowly short.
After missing the double chance by just 0.6 per cent, East Malvern’s strong 2025 season came to a premature ending.
Meanwhile Mordialloc came into the clash with a 9-9 season record, sneaking into fifth spot, having also lost to the Panthers by 30 and 37 points during the year.
The Bloods will advance to a semi-final with a big challenge ahead of them in Chelsea Heights, but they will dare to dream.
