MACLEOD held off a resurgent Bundoora to prevail by six points in a Round 16 thriller at Yulong Reserve on Saturday.
The Bulls weren’t able to pull off a fairytale comeback in Neil Gloury’s 250th game, as the Roos held on for a vitally important 14.10 (94) to 13.10 (88) win. In doing so they moved back into fourth place on the Division 1 ladder.
The visitors were ahead by as much as 33 points early in the final quarter, before the Bulls were able to kick the next four goals of the match unanswered. However, the Roos were able to hold on for the win which could hand them a finals place.
On the contrary, Bundoora is now one game outside the top five and will be reliant on results to fall their way to make a 14th consecutive finals series.
With a place in the top five on the line, both sides threw everything at each other in the first half, and it showed on the scoreboard with only one point separating the sides at half time. But it was a third quarter capitulation that cost the Bulls and they weren’t able to recover in time.
It took 10 minutes before the first goal of the match was recorded as Cameron Cloke kicked truly to give the Bulls an early buffer. But the Roos were able to go on a mini spree, booting the next three goals to take a 14-point lead midway through the first term.
Gary Moorcroft was able to reply for the Bulls just before the quarter-time siren rang, to reduce the margin to eight points at the first break.
The Roos continued on from their first quarter momentum, scoring the first two majors in the second term to race out to a 21-point lead.
But that is where the fun stopped for the Roos, as the Bulls went on to kick the next five goals of the match to lead by 12 points with just two minutes remaining in the first half.
But in a decisive 60 seconds, the Roos were able to finish the term with two goals within a minute. The majors came from Reid Brandt and Hamish Paynter as the visitors went into the second half trailing by just a solitary point.
After a shocking second half when the teams met back in Round 5, the Roos started the third term in fine fashion, booting the first five goals of the quarter to race out to a 33-point lead.
They were gifted the last two of those goals after some undisciplined actions from some of the Bulls players cost them back to back 50m penalties. Both of those last two goals were kicked from the top of the goal square.
A couple of goal exchanges and a late goal to Moorcroft saw the Bulls reduce the margin to 27 points at the final break.
The Bulls started the last term with all the run and momentum, however the Roos managed to boot the first goal of the quarter through Anthony Doherty from an opportunistic snap.
It was one of very opportunities for Macleod in the final term as the Bulls went on a mission to revive the game and their season.
Goals to Ricky Dyson, Cloke and Ned McKeown saw the Bulls reduce the margin to just seven points with five minutes remaining. But with the game within the reigning premier’s reach, Macleod fought the match out in a determined manner, with percentage play and careful kicking.
Hamish Paynter, Cathal Corr and Chris Long were all superb in a gritty win, whilst Brendan Carlyon, Moorcroft and Cloke were the Bulls best in defeat.
Macleod returns to De Winton Park for the final two games of the year, hosting coach Garry Ramsay’s former side Eltham and Heidelberg in the last fortnight. Bundoora is again at Yulong Reserve in Round 17 when it takes on Northcote Park.
Final score: Bundoora 13.10 (88) def by Macleod 14.10 (94)
