Montmorency came from 34 points down halfway through the last quarter to pull off a sensational six-point victory over Bundoora in the second semi final.
After losing their past eight finals matches, the Magpies finally broke through for a 16.16 (112) to 16.10 (106) victory at Preston City Oval.
The Magpies became the first team into the 2013 Division 1 Grand Final, setting up a chance to break their 34-year premiership drought dating back to 1979.
Bundoora looked to have one foot in the premiership decider when Ricky Dyson set sail from the middle of the ground on the three quarter time siren to extend its lead to 35 points.
Gary Moorcroft also looked to have sewn the game up with his seventh goal at the 10-minute mark of the final quarter, with Bulls leading 105 to 71. What followed from the Magpies proved to be game changing.
It was heartbreak for Bundoora who were unable to hold onto a substantial lead as Montmorency ran over the top, kicking the final six goals of the game.
It was the second time in as many weeks that the Bulls faded, after seeing a 51-point lead at three-quarter time reduced to 10 against Heidelberg in the qualifying final.
Trailing by one point late in the fourth quarter, it was Montmorency captain Ryan Jackson who was awarded a free kick just inside the 50m forward arc. Jackson kicked a long drop punt from 55m that never looked like missing the goals to give his side a five-point lead.
With only a minute left on the clock, Moorcroft marked 40m out with the chance to give the Bulls back the lead very late in the game. Kicking into a stiff breeze, the ball appeared to be sailing over the goal umpire’s head before holding up on the goal line being punched back into play.
The Magpies regained possession and pushed forward with a snap on goal leading to a point just before the siren to give them a famous victory.
The efforts of Magpies captain Ryan Jackson and midfielder Jesse Donaldson, not only in the last quarter but all game, went a long way to Monty claiming the victory. Shane Tennant faced the huge task of nullifying Cameron Cloke and after a shaky first quarter, Tennant came through as the victor.
Ben Walton contributed with five goals, two of those coming in the last quarter. His efforts didn’t go unnoticed as he sparked the final quarter comeback with a long 50m goal.
Both sides have proved to be high scoring sides so it came as quite a shock when Bundoora led 7.5 (47) to 4.7 (31) at half time in a low scoring game.
Montmorency was a little shaky early in the game, missing simple targets by foot and hand – something coach Bryan Cole hounded his players to improve on at the quarter time break.
Bundoora’s second quarter was very similar to last week against Heidelberg. It was able to nullify its opposition and finish with three goals apiece for the quarter while kicking into the breeze. The Bulls’ second quarter was the difference last week and almost proved to be the case again.
What transpired after the half time break was the footy we had come accustomed to seeing from these top two sides, with quick end-to-end goals, contested marks and entertaining footy that the crowd had come to see.
For the Bulls, Moorcroft always looked dangerous up forward, Brendan Carlyon and Dyson played strong through the midfield while Matty Dennis played another great final following a best afield effort against the Tigers.
On another sour note for the Bulls, injuries to key players Trent Barbero and Kent Delbridge will be assessed during the week. Barbero appeared to injure his hamstring and was visibly frustrated walking off during the third quarter.
While Barbero appears unlikely to play next week, Delbridge should be fine after suffering a heavy knock in the third quarter and was rested for precautionary measures.
Bundoora must now regain focus as it faces either Heidelberg or Northcote Park in the preliminary final next week with the chance to face off against Montmorency in the Division 1 Grand Final a week later.
Final score: Montmorency 16.16 (112) def Bundoora 16.10 (106)
