Caroline Springs will face minor premier Werribee Districts this weekend for a spot in the Western Football League division 1 decider after a blistering second-half display on Saturday.
The Lakers trailed Yarraville-Seddon by 12 points at half-time of the qualifying final at Werribee’s Avalon Airport Oval before a seven-goal-to-one third term turned the contest.
Brian Lake’s team then booted four goals to two in the final quarter to secure a 34-point triumph, 16.12 (108)-10.14 (74).
Caroline Springs, who finished third, failed to defeat the Eagles during the home-and-away rounds but lifted when it mattered as they chase a maiden top-flight premiership.
Football manager Shaun Rainer said it was one of the side’s best performances of 2025.
“They’ve been a side that we’ve struggled with this year, so it was a nice result,” Rainer said.
“They came at us and the game ebbed and flowed.
“They got on top in the midfield maybe in the second quarter and we probably negated that dominance and evened it up in the midfield (in the second half).
“From there, we went forward and at times looked pretty dangerous. We had different avenues to goal.”
The Lakers boasted 10 individual goalkickers, with Ryan Allan, Jamie Ristoski and Benjamin Davey contributing three goals apiece.
The trio were named in the club’s best players, along with Reece Blackman, Max Hudson and skipper Keenan O’Shea.
Rainer said Lake made “a few” positional changes at the main break which helped Caroline Springs gain the ascendancy.
He said “everybody had their moments” and there was not a deliberate effort to curtail Yarraville-Seddon’s prime movers.
“It was just a message at half-time of more accountability more so than shutting anybody down,” he said.
The Lakers knocked off 2023 premier Werribee Districts by nine points when the pair last met in round 15. The major semi-final will be staged this Saturday.
The two teams also clashed in the second week of finals last season, with the Tigers prevailing by seven points in an epic encounter which stretched into overtime.
Caroline Springs finished second last year before bowing out in a preliminary final.
“They’ve been the benchmark for the last couple of years, so there will be a fair bit of planning to see what we did well last time and what we need to improve on,” Rainer said of Werribee Districts.
“We’ve had a couple of good games with them over the last couple years.
“Last year I think we had a final that went into overtime against them, so we know what to expect, it’s just a matter of bringing it on the day.”
Rainer said the premiership race was again wide open, pointing to the fact Hoppers Crossing won last year’s flag from fifth position.
“It is a very open competition. You’ve got to make the most of your moments when you get them,” he said.
The Warriors will face Yarraville-Seddon in a sudden-death semi-final this weekend after hammering Spotswood by 59 points in Sunday’s elimination final, 12.14 (86)-3.9 (27).
