Mernda pile on eight last-quarter goals in important NFL Division 2 win over Eltham Collegians

An eight-goal last quarter blitz secured Mernda a crucial win over Eltham Collegians on Saturday to keep its finals hopes alive after early-season struggles put the Demons behind the eight ball.

Riley Black in action for Mernda.

An eight-goal last quarter blitz secured Mernda a crucial win over Eltham Collegians on Saturday to keep its finals hopes alive.

The Demons have struggled early this season but go to their bye with some confidence after seeing off NFL Division 3’s newest club, 13.17 (95) to 6.11 (47).

Mernda football manager Shaun Mills said a win was necessary but there was still plenty of work to do.

“We definitely needed to win,” he said.

“We don’t want to lose touch (with the top four), we’ve given ourselves a hard task but we’re still in it.

“We couldn’t afford to go into the bye at 1-6. At 2-5 is better than it could have been but not as good as it should be.”

With a strong breeze blowing at Waterview Recreation Reserve, the lead changed hands each quarter.

However, Mernda found top gear with the game up for grabs and piled on 8.6 in a last term burst while keeping the Turtles scoreless to seal the win.

Mills said the players were confident they could finish strongly with the wind.

“There was definitely a scoring end,” he said.

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“They definitely came to win and set their sights on it given our recent form.

“We were down at three-quarter-time but kicked away in the last quarter — we didn’t expect eight goals — but we thought we had their measure.”

In his second game back from a knee injury, Dane Kellett bagged six goals in the win while Nick Aleksovski added four.

Mernda sits sixth on the ladder and will eye consecutive victories when it faces Lalor after the bye.

Elsewhere in the NFL, Greensborough remains undefeated in Division 1 after seeing off Bundoora by 73 points.

Whittlesea’s bid for promotion hit a stumbling block as it fell to Fitzroy Stars in Division 2 while Thomastown piled more misery on winless Epping.

And in Division 3, Laurimar continued its unbeaten start to the season against Reservoir.

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