Finals flight

The form that carried Mansfield through 11 unbeaten games to close the regular season flowed into finals, as the Eagles beat Shepparton 84–62 in a match that could easily have been a stumbling block. Mansfield made a quick start at the Benalla Showgrounds with Billy Hogan scoring the first goal of the match to get the scoreboard ticking over. Shepparton responded quickly with a goal of their own and a pattern threatened to emerge when they brought themselves level once again after a goal from Mansfield's Ben Christopher. But they would have no response for goals from Callum Brown, Jack Hutchins and a second from Hogan as the Eagles went into quarter time with a 31-15 lead and all of the game's momentum in their back pocket. If Shepparton scoring the first goal of the second term gave the Bears any hope that they might perform a comeback by the time the big interval came around, Hogan's third and a goal from Al Bennet squashed those hopes before they could fully form. Shepparton did reduce the gap by two goals before the end of the half but Mansfield led 50-35 at the interval. If Shepparton were to have had any chance of winning the game, the third term would have been it. They enjoyed decent spells of possession and managed to get the ball into dangerous positions. But Mansfield's pressure proved too strong and the Bears kicking proved unreliable. They scored two majors and eight behinds for the term while Mansfield kicked two (Mitchell Lewis and Ben Christopher) and two to keep their noses ahead with a nine point gap (64-55) at the end of the third quarter. The scoreboard finely balanced, the momentum going backwards and forwards, the game was all set up for a nail-biting finish. Shepparton didn't receive the memo, it seems. They failed to launch and Mansfield held them to a single solitary goal for the quarter while the Eagles kicked three with Ben Christopher's third and Billy Hogan's fourth and fifth. Dirk Koenen, Ben Christopher, Callum Brown, William Hogan and Nick Gray were best on ground for the day. The 84-62 win sets up a semi-final clash with regular season league leaders who returned to form with a punishing 91-49 victory over Rochester at the Moon Oval. Mansfield will hope they can recreate their shock 103-102 victory over Kyabram from a few weeks ago, the game that snatched away the prospect of an invincible, unbeaten season from the Kyabram Bombers. Jack Hutchins relished the finals win after a hard fought match. "It was a tough match yesterday against tough opponents, exactly what finals football is all about," he said. "Both sides brought immense pressure from the outset and we were able to build a narrow lead which we held for most of the game. "Our pressure caused the opposition to panic but the frantic pace it set also caused us to panic with ball in hand at times. "There were certainly a lot of nerves from the group with a spot in the semi-final up for grabs. "To Shepparton's credit, especially in the third quarter, they threw everything at us and their pressure up front was difficult to overcome. "In the last quarter, we were really able to compose ourselves and make some smarter decisions with the ball. "We grabbed a great win and solidified a double chance for us to get through to that final day of the post season. "The group is in a great position and we have a heap of belief in ourselves. "We can't wait to go up against Kyabram this week and seize a rare opportunity." The Mansfield Reserves booked a spot in their own semi-final with a two point (43-41) win over Shepparton at the Moon Oval. Riley Northcott and Jack Tomanovits kicked two each while William Dunstan, William Brooks, Thomas Sheahan, Jack Christopher and Tomanovits were best on ground. The Shepparton Swans await the Eagles Reserves next week. The U18s bowed out after solid regular season, going down to Mooroopna in their elimination final at Benalla.

Finals flight

Emergency services grants keeping shire fire safe

Concert celebrates the reverence of Christmas

Little Aths marks 52 years of community spirit

Debacle delayed

Mansfield home awarded top accolades

Rufous Whistler – arrival of a summer songbird

Bombers go back-to-back in A grade

“No stone unturned” – Police committed to the long-haul in manhunt

Start your engines, Wilby Drags are back

Most popular stories