From www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Simon McEvoy
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THAT'S the last wooden spoon for Frankston.

This time next year the Dolphins will be preparing for a finals campaign, coach Simon Goosey said.

He said season 2012, though yielding only two wins and a draw, would prove the forerunner to a sharp climb up the ladder.

"I wouldn't be happy with anything less," Goosey said.

"The inroads we've made, definitely we'll be aiming to play in the finals.

"Look, I reckon we were only three or four experienced players short of the finals this year."

The Dolphins finished the season with a 43-point loss to the Northern Blues at Princes Park on Saturday.

From www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Luke D'Anello
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WERRIBEE secured a top-four berth and the vital double chance after dismantling Collingwood in the final round of the VFL home-and-away season on Saturday.

The Tigers led at every change on their way to an 82-point victory, 20.16 (136) to 8.6 (54).

The win was highlighted by a blistering second half display, with Werribee piling on 11 goals to three.

The Tigers will meet minor premier Casey Scorpions in a qualifying final at Casey Fields on Sunday, with the winner earning a week's rest and ticket to the preliminary final. Werribee thumped the Scorpions by 78 points in Round 14.

Coach Scott West was pleased with the display against the Magpies after the last-quarter fadeout against Northern Blues the previous week.

From www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Luke D'Anello
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MOMENTUM is the buzzword at Williamstown.

The Seagulls' train was almost derailed earlier in the season when the side suffered four losses by single-figure margins.

But Peter German's troops will enter this weekend's VFL elimination final against Bendigo Gold with six successive wins, three of them by less than two goals.

Saturday's victory against Geelong was the Seagulls' third against a top four outfit in recent weeks, with Werribee and Port Melbourne also on their list of victims.

Western Bulldogs-listed players Zephaniah Skinner, Tom Campbell, Fletcher Roberts and Jarrad Grant were late withdrawals after being called up to the AFL side.

But despite that early setback, Williamstown led at every change at Simonds Stadium and claimed a rousing four-point victory, 11.11 (77) to 11.7 (73).

From www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Brendan Lucas
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CASEY coach Brett Lovett says his side's record in the clinches this season could give it a significant advantage in pushing deep into September.

The Scorpions took the minor premiership on Saturday by defeating Sandringham 12.14 (86) to 10.7 (67) in blustery conditions at Casey Fields.

Remarkably, they finished on top despite their percentage of 105.76.

It reflected their ability to win every close match and Lovett said it would be a good quality come the finals.

On Sunday the Scorpions host Werribee in a qualifying final.

"I'm sure the guys feel very confident coming in that we can take on really any side," Lovett said post-match.

From Ballarat Courier
Reported by Melanie Whelan
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THIS truly was about pride.

North Ballarat pulled off a one-point win against the reigning premier and competition benchmark Port Melbourne at Eureka Stadium on Saturday.

The Selkirk Roosters fronted up knowing their finals hopes had been extinguished in a Bendigo win the night before and that this season would be the first since 2003 the Roosters would not play Victorian Football League finals.

For the past two weeks, the Roosters had marked this match – regardless of finals chances – as one to play how they want to be seen.

They wanted to do the City of Ballarat, the region’s football and their supporters proud.

From Bendigo Advertiser
Reported by Luke West
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BENDIGO Gold coach Hayden Skipworth slept well on Friday night after his team ticked three key boxes with its 19-point VFL win over the Box Hill Hawks at the Queen Elizabeth Oval.

Firstly, the 17.11 (113) to 14.10 (94) win guaranteed the Gold their place in the finals as they shut the door to any chance the ninth-placed North Ballarat had of climbing into the eight.

And it’s just as well the Gold won , because had they lost, the Roosters would have snatched eighth spot after beating Port Melbourne by one point on Saturday.

Secondly, the Gold returned to form as the victory ended a five-game losing streak that saw them tumble from top-four contenders to their finals hopes hanging by a thread entering the last round.

And finally, Bendigo snapped its QEO hoodoo.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 1
VFL 1st Elimination Final
Williamstown vs Bendigo Gold at Northport Oval 2:10pm (ABC1TV)
Development League 1st Elimination Final
Box Hill Hawks vs Sandringham at Trevor Barker Oval,Sandringham 11am
VFL 2nd Elimination Final
Sandringham vs Box Hill Hawks at Trevor Barker Oval,Sandringham 2pm (3WBC,VFL Radio-Aussie Digital)

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 2
VFL 2nd Qualifying Final
Port Melbourne vs Geelong at Northport Oval 2:10pm (ABC1TV)
Development League 2nd Elimination Final
Coburg Tigers vs Casey Scorpions at Casey Fields 11am
VFL 1st Qualifying Final
Casey Scorpions vs Werribee at Casey Fields 2pm (VFL Radio-Aussie Digital)

From www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Patrick Lane
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COBURG Football Club will welcome bumped senior coach Adam Potter back to the top job in 2014.

Coburg president Bill Balakis said Potter, who has been advised he will not be senior coach in 2013 when AFL affiliate Richmond takes control of the coaching structure, has been offered the job as Development League coach in the interim.

Coburg and Richmond will end its alignment at the end of next season, with Richmond to field an independant reserves team in the VFL in 2014 and Coburg to stand on its own in the state league.

Balakis has previously stated the decision to demote Potter from the senior job was due to "financial constraints", but on Sunday told Leader the club had offered Potter the senior position in 2014 after a year in a lesser role. "If he doesn't take the development role, there will be a position available for him," Balakis said. "He's been offered the senior job (in a year's time) as well."