SUNBURY Kangaroos overcame a third-quarter deficit to beat Diggers Rest by 14 points in the Riddell District Football League qualifying final on Saturday.
The Burras were gaining the upper hand at Kilmore in the third term when the margin stretched to 20 points, but the Kangaroos rallied to come back and win 8.15 (63) to 7.7 (49).
Sunbury advances to the second semi-final against Romsey this weekend while Diggers Rest must play Riddell Bombers in the first elimination final.
Both teams left the field goalless at the first break before Diggers Rest wrestled the advantage with two goals to one in the second term.
The Burras continued to extend the lead in the third quarter only for a late rally from Sunbury to close the margin to three points at the final change.
“In the middle of the year we would have dropped our heads,” Kangaroos co-coach Chris Meacham said. “But with the belief we’ve got we just kept coming and coming.
“From a spectator point of view it [the first quarter] would have looked scrappy but the ball just wasn’t coming into the forward 50 metres too much.” Meacham said switching midfield match-ups to try and play one-on-one rather than tag Diggers Rest players had coincided with the Burras getting the upper hand.
Young forward Phillip Kaufmann brought the Kangaroos back into the contest when he was switched to full forward, booting three goals.
Meacham moved himself into the forward pocket and Kaufmann shone as the main forward target, bringing in contested marks and having five shots for goal after the switch.
“I asked at half-time for the players to step up and he [Kaufmann] pretty much announced himself,” Meacham said.
“I snapped one in the last, then Ryan Hatty kicked one from the boundary and you could see the heads drop. Normally their [Diggers] back line is up and about.” Meacham said after last year’s agonising grand final defeat to Romsey there would be no problems keeping a lid on taking the upper hand in the finals race.
“We know Romsey are coming, we’re focusing on next week,” he said.
Brent Tuckey booted three goals as Diggers Rest’s only multiple goal-kicker in his day-long duel with Sunbury’s Daniel Gregory.
Better players for the Burras were Dylan Hannan, Stuart Clarke and Jeff Heritage.
