IT was an opening term blitz that set up the victory as Navarre Grasshoppers took a stranglehold on Carisbrook Redbacks in the Maryborough Castlemaine and District Football League.
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The Grasshoppers took the title with a 17.14 (116) to 8.7 (55) victory.
Navarre took little time to open their account as they slotted their first shot home in the opening two minutes.
Carisbrook answered with one of their own, but that was all they could manage for the quarter.
The forward pressure of Navarre was forcing the Redbacks into easy mistakes and as always Navarre pounced and made the most of their opportunities.
The Grasshoppers’ defence was equally impressive, only allowing three entries into the forward 50 in the opening term.
Navarre shared the ball around with six different goal-scorers for the quarter to take a 33-point lead into quarter time.
Carisbrook overcame their first quarter jitters and started to gain a lot more possession, but were off target too often.
After five shots on goal the Redbacks had just two goals.
Any inroads into reducing the margin was nullified late in the quarter, when Jesse Hannett produced an outstanding piece of play.
He bounced out of a pack of Redbacks and snapped a miraculous goal from the boundary on his left foot.
Another quickly followed with the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League grand final medallist Cody Driscoll threading a goal from the same spot.
Driscoll goaled again on the siren as the Grasshoppers led by 45 points at half time.
Carisbrook was inspired by an incredible check-side goal from Mitch Whelan halfway through the third term and it was followed by three more goals for the Redbacks through Nathan and Nick Wright and Brady Neil as they mounted a comeback.
Carisbrook won the term and reduced the margin to just 30 points.
The Redbacks had momentum on their side but a left-foot snap from Cody Driscoll from the first forward entry of the final quarter put to rest any chance of a Carisbrook revival.
The high-flying forward ensured victory for Navarre when he took a strong pack mark and kicked the sealer just a minute later.
The 61-point victory gave Navarre Grasshoppers their third premiership in succession and 41st consecutive senior victory.
