THE Horsham Saints booked a spot in the 2016 Wimmera Football League grand final with a win against Minyip-Murtoa Burras at Stawell on Saturday.

In a match where no team gathered scoreboard momentum, it was a strong finish to the third quarter followed quick goals in the last that allowed the Saints to run out 12.7 (79) to 9.12 (66) winners.

Saints coach Shayne Breuer was happy to come out on top in a tough game of football.

“It ebbed and flowed a fair bit; they got their noses in front and then we got our noses in front,” he said. 

“It was real finals footy.

“I loved it and it was a good win to be involved in.”

It was the Burras who led at the first change by seven points despite the Saints jumping out of the gates to kick a very early goal.

The players were not the only ones on the field being noticed early on as two 50-metre penalties led to certain goals.

Add in a high free-kick count and supporters of both sides were saying the game was being over-umpired, a trend that continued for much of the match.

Each side could only manage one goal in the second quarter.

For the Saints it came after a 50-metre penalty advanced the ball so it could be delivered down Jacob Cooke-Harrison’s throat.

The Burras’ goal resulted directly from a deliberate out of bounds call deep into the quarter.

The game started opening up more in the second half but with the high finals pressure scoring was still difficult.

Delivery into the forward 50 was letting the Minyip-Murtoa down despite having much of the ball in it’s forward half.

The Saints held strong and when the opportunities arose the side began to benefit from space over the back in its own forward half.

“The ball got stuck down in our back line a lot and that dragged our forwards up,” Breuer said.

“That gave us opportunities with space over the back and we were able to use those.”

For Burras coach Jaye Macumber it was a breakdown in what his team had planned that allowed those passages to happen.

“We knew the Saints would put numbers back behind the ball and we’d need to be patient with our inside fifties.

“I think in the second quarter we went away from that.

“We thought the wind was going to do it for us and there was a lot of wasted opportunities.”

The Burras led deep into the third quarter before a Saints’ purple patch thrust the side into an eight-point lead at the last break.

"We had a good patch in the third quarter that got us in front and then in the last quarter we got those two or three goals in quick succession,” Breuer said.

You take those patches out and the game was anyone. 

“It was those couple of bits that got us over the line.”

Instrumental in that patch as well as the whole game was Jacob Cooke-Harrison who kicked five goals.

Breuer was particularly pleased with the defensive side of his game.

“Sure he got plenty of the ball but I actually thought his defensive stuff today was really good,” he said.

“He made a fair few tackles and was pushing back into the right spots to help out.

“He’s really good for us; it’s just about keeping him in the game more often.

“He’s got that x-factor, when he’s got the ball you don’t know what is going to happen.”

The sides traded goals to start the fourth but a special Matt Coombe goal from deep in the forward pocket inspired the Saints to kick another quick one.

“That was a beautiful goal, but I didn’t think he’d kick it,” Breuer said.

“It never looked like missing when it came off the boot.

“When you kick those goals you don’t think you can kick it gets the boys up and about.”

At that point of the game the Saints had opened up an eighteen point lead the Burras couldn’t eat into until too late in the match.

The Saints’ win earned the side a spot in its fourth consecutive grand final and a deserved week off.

“There might be a couple of strains and bumps and bruises but we’ve come off pretty well,” said Breuer.

“I think we will be better for the week off.

“We’ve had a pretty solid eight weeks now but saying that we won’t have a weekend off, it will be pretty full on and we’ll have a fair hit out next weekend.”

For the Burras to make the grand final the side will have to back up next week in the preliminary final.

Macumber will be hoping for a more disciplined performance from his side.

“We didn’t stick to what we agreed to do pre-game,” he said

“21 blokes need to sign on and say that’s what we’re going to do for four quarters and we’re not just going to do it for a quarter and a half. 

“Every contest had to be to this plan and obviously to the Saints credit they had a plan that they stuck to for four-quarters with 21 blokes that were disciplined enough to follow it through.”

The first semi-final in Dimboola on Sunday will determine who Minyip-Murtoa will play.

“We’ll head down to watch Horsham and Stawell on Sunday then prepare ourselves just as we do every week,” said Macumber.

“It’s going to be a big, big, big week on the track.”

In the Wimmera Netball Association second semi-final the Horsham Demons outplayed the Minyup-Murtoa to win 56-44.

The Burras led after the first quarter but a 20 goal to 10 second quarter for the Demons set up the rest of the match.

Emma Bulwalda shot 39 goals for the Demons and was named best player.

The win means the Demons go into the grand final in two week time without having lost in 2016.

The Burras still have a chance to make the grand final but will need to bounce back in the preliminary final at Ararat in order to do so.

Wimmera Football League second semi-final results

Wimmera Football League Seniors 2016

Horsham Saints 3.1, 4.3, 9.4, 12.7 (79)

Minyip Murtoa Burras 4.2, 5.5, 7.8, 9.12 (66)

GOALS

Horsham Saints :

Jacob Cooke-Harrison 5, Kyle O’Connor 3, Oliver Timms 1, Matthew Combe 1, Benjamin Martin 1,

Heath Watson 1

Minyip Murtoa Burras :

Angus Trethowan 2, Clinton Young 2, Liam Newell 1, Daniel Smith 1, John Delahunty 1, Warwick

Stone 1,

Kieran Delahunty 1

BEST

Horsham Saints :

Jacob Cooke-Harrison, Jacob O'Beirne, Heath Watson, Benjamin Martin, Bowen Friend, Thomas Pain

Minyip Murtoa Burras :

John Delahunty, Thomas Delahunty, Nicholas Kelson, Jason Matthews, Justin Garth, Brylie Cameronn

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Wimmera Football League Reserves

Minyip Murtoa Burras 1.2, 4.5, 5.5, 7.9 (51)

Stawell Warriors 1.4, 3.5, 7.6, 7.6 (48)

GOALS

Minyip Murtoa Burras :

Matt Coleman 4, Caleb Hill 1, Matthew Williams 1, Adam Ross 1

Stawell Warriors :

Mitchell Olafsen 3, Ethan Marrow 2, James Devery 2

BEST

Minyip Murtoa Burras :

Tom Coleman, Jake Kuchel, Nathan Tepper, Matt Coleman, Mitchell Delahunty, Matthew Williams

Stawell Warriors :

Robert Armstrong, Jarrod Illig, Koby Stewart, Aaron Freeland, Tait Hendy, Jesse Barber

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Wimmera Football League Under 17s

Horsham Demons 1.3, 4.3, 7.6, 8.7 (55)

Ararat Rats 1.0, 2.2, 2.4, 6.6 (42)

GOALS

Horsham Demons :

Jackson Besford 2, Matty Lloyd 2, Dawson Cross 1, Louis Beddison 1, Jayden Besford 1, Bailey Nelson

1

Ararat Rats :

Cooper Heard 2, Hamish Jennings 1, Jayden Wright 1, Cori Corrigan 1, Alex Asuncion 1

BEST

Horsham Demons :

Matty Lloyd, Mitchell Burke, Jarrett Smith, Sam Bigham, Joel Raeck, Dawson Cross

Ararat Rats :

Jake Morgan, Grady Slocombe, Jack Antonio, Charlie White, Cody Lindsay, Hamish Jennings

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Wimmera Football League Under 14s

Horsham Saints 0.0, 1.0, 2.0, 2.2 (14)

Ararat Rats 1.0, 1.0, 2.1, 2.1 (13)

GOALS

Horsham Saints :

Austin McKenzie 1, Max Bryan 1

Ararat Rats :

Flynn Jamieson 1, Matthew Spalding 1

BEST

Horsham Saints :

Becker Irwin, Cody Bryan, Tyler Davis, Jackson Davidson, Austin McKenzie, Gage Wright

Ararat Rats :

Jeziah Woods, Kaiden Walton, Blade Wells, Nathan Sladdin, Aidan Newson, Shaun Vermeend

Wimmera Netball Assocation second semi-final results

A Grade:

Horsham 9, 29, 39, 56 (56)

Minyip Murtoa 12, 22, 32, 44 (44)

GOALS

Horsham:

E Buwalda 39 G Duncan 16 A Hiscock 1 Minyip Murtoa:

K Knight 26 J Ellis 18

BEST

Horsham:

E Buwalda G Duncan

Minyip Murtoa:

J Ellis K Knight

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

B Grade:

Ararat 16, 34, 48, 66 (66)

Horsham Saints 7, 16, 26, 37 (37)

GOALS

Ararat:

M Shea 47 J Gibson 19

Horsham Saints:

H Ruwoldt 18 G Bunworth 11 K Egan 8

BEST

Ararat:

A Antonio L Williamson

Horsham Saints:

G Bunworth J Radford

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

C Grade:

Horsham Saints 9, 15, 25, 32 (32)

Ararat 8, 21, 32, 38 (38)

GOALS

Horsham Saints:

S Macdonald 19 B Frost 16

Ararat:

G Fleming 21 L Sewell 17

BEST

Horsham Saints:

G Barnett J Breuer

Ararat:

E Borrelli L Sewell

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

17 & Under:

Horsham 4, 15, 21, 32 (32)

Dimboola 10, 18, 28, 37 (37)

GOALS

Horsham:

B Horton 22 K Pope 10

Dimboola:

N Polycarpou 20 O Jorgensen 17

BEST

Horsham:

G Hiscock K Pope

Dimboola:

R Kuhne C Lee

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

15 & Under A:

Horsham 5, 19, 29, 40 (40)

Horsham Saints 10, 12, 18, 24 (24)

GOALS

Horsham:

H Pope 21 R Miller 16 G Carberry 3

Horsham Saints:

M Caris 18 E Burgess 6

BEST

Horsham:

G Carberry M Camilleri

Horsham Saints:

V Taylor K Mckerron

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

15 & Under B:

Stawell 6, 15, 26, 33 (33)

Ararat 4, 10, 15, 19 (19)

GOALS

Stawell:

B Mcguckian 27 J Warren 6

Ararat:

S Briggs 10 J Nicholson 9

BEST

Stawell:

M Barber J Allen

Ararat:

S Briggs I Flamsteed

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

13 & Under:

Stawell 10, 15, 23, 27 (27)

Horsham 8, 15, 22, 26 (26)

GOALS

Stawell:

A Bibby 14 P Bretherton 13

Horsham:

K Sleep 22 E Scott 4

BEST

Stawell:

A Bibby M Jardine

Horsham:

K Sleep M Lakin

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -