NFL 2018: Bundoora qualifies for another Division 1 finals series

BUNDOORA stamped its finals ticket with a week to spare as the Northern Football League Division 1 top five took shape on Saturday.

BUNDOORA stamped its finals ticket with a week to spare as the Northern Football League Division 1 top five took shape on Saturday.

The Bulls stormed home from two goals down at three-quarter-time to defeat Greensborough, 12.18 (90) to 10.13 (73), and their finals spot was confirmed when Macleod hammered Heidelberg by 81 points.

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Bundoora will face the Boro again in an elimination final after West Preston-Lakeside booked a top-three finish with a 22-point win against Whittlesea.

The Roosters will tackle North Heidelberg in a qualifying final, while Macleod will have the first week of finals off.

Joe Palazzolo, Peter Hood, Gary Moorcroft and Liam Byrne were the heroes for Bundoora on Saturday.

Gary Moorcroft kicked four goals in Bundoora’s win over Greensborough.

Moorcroft, who turned 42 in April and recently played his 150th game for Bundoora, booted four goals in his side’s 17-point victory.

The Bulls were held goalless in the opening term and only had 2.9 on the board at halftime but stayed within striking distance throughout.

They finally made their move in the last quarter, dominating territory and registering 11 scoring shots to confirm their premiership defence will extend for at least another two weeks.

Elsewhere, Northcote Park went down by 32 points against North Heidelberg, 14.13 (97) to 9.11 (65), and Montmorency kicked the last goal to pip Hurstbridge by a point, 13.10 (88) to 12.15 (87).

The Bridges were minutes away from securing their Division 1 status for another year when a last-gasp goal from the Magpies denied them their third win of 2018.

Bundoora hosts North Heidelberg in the last round of the home-and-away season, however the result is likely to mean little due to the large percentage gap between the finals contenders.

Whittlesea and Hurstbridge will be playing for their spot in Division 1 when they meet in a relegation decider, while West Preston hosts Greensborough in a potential finals preview.

Ben Haynes will coach his last game at Montmorency when his side travels to Heidelberg and Macleod takes on Northcote Park.

HOW NFL DIVISION 1 FINALS WILL LOOK

WEEK ONE

QUALIFYING FINAL

North Heidelberg v West Preston-Lakeside

ELIMINATION FINAL

Greensborough v Bundoora