Diamond Creek cemented their spot at the top of the ladder with a commanding 41-point victory over fellow finals contender Whittlesea at Coventry Oval.
Despite a scrappy and contested start to the match, the Creekers gradually asserted their dominance to run out 11.12 (78) to 5.7 (37) winners.
Matthew Lewis was awarded best-on-ground honours for a tireless display, while Major was equally influential with four goals and several goal assists.
For Whittlesea, Keidan Treacy and Lucas Hobbs fought hard, but the Eagles were ultimately outclassed.
The result sees Diamond Creek strengthen their hold on top spot, while Whittlesea remains in third, needing to regroup quickly ahead of the run to finals.
The opening minutes saw both teams feeling each other out in tight contests around the ground.
However, it was Diamond Creek who began to generate some meaningful drive from half-back, using the corridor to open up the game.
Their ability to lock the ball inside their forward 50 saw them dominate territory in the first term, and they were rewarded five minutes in when Ben Major slotted the opening goal of the game.
Whittlesea were winning their fair share of clearances early but lacked polish on the outside, often turning the ball over and allowing Diamond Creek to surge forward once more.
Jacob Booth was instrumental early, racking up disposals and helping the Creekers control the tempo.
Major had the chance to kick a second but narrowly missed from a tight angle. Moments later, a strong mark on the goal line from Liam Farrar extended Diamond Creek’s lead.
A brilliant snap from the pocket by Blake Morley kept Whittlesea in touch, but the Creekers still held a nine-point advantage at quarter time — a margin that flattered the visitors considering Diamond Creek’s control.
The second quarter saw Diamond Creek shift gears. Goals from Brunson Hill, Liam Farrar, Major and Kade Garraway helped the home side break the game open with five majors to one for the term.
Whittlesea’s Paul Higgins provided a much-needed response just before half-time, but his side still trailed by 29 points heading into the break.
Garry Ramsay’s men showed some fight in the third, with Taidhg Bland reducing the margin to 21 points midway through the quarter.
But once again, it was Major who steadied things for the Creekers with his third goal of the afternoon.
Both teams struggled to convert late in the quarter, and no further goals were scored, leaving Diamond Creek with a 29-point buffer heading into the final term.
Any hope of a Whittlesea comeback was quickly shut down when Taj Logan kicked truly early in the last.
Kane Johnson replied for the Eagles, but back-to-back goals from Bronson Hill pushed the margin to a game-high 41 points.
Whittlesea managed to kick the final goal of the day, but it was little consolation in a match largely dominated by Diamond Creek.
