THE undefeated Minyip-Minyip capped off a flawless run on Saturday in the final round of the home and away season.
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The side met the season's second highest performers Ararat in breezy but mild conditions at Alexandra Oval, Ararat.
It was a difficult match, with neither side gaining much of a lead in the first half.
By half-time however, the Burras had pulled ahead to 5.3 (33) to the Rats' 3.8 (26).
The Rats fought on into the third quarter and for a while there it was looking like the Burras would suffer their first loss in the last game of the normal season.
However, a fourth quarter switch was flicked and the Burras demonstrated exactly why they were undefeated.
The Rats had quite a few inside 50s but the Burras had greater accuracy, and an indomitable defence.
Minyip-Murtoa coach John Delahunty said it was a "great warm-up for finals."
"There was a lot of pressure around the ball, they used it really well around those stoppages and we just went through in waves - up and down - in terms of form, but we just stuck in there all day.
"In that last quarter we flicked a bit of a switch - not that we were under performing - but I knew it was always going to be a battle on this ground."
Delahunty said Alexandra Oval is a bigger ground and the side had to adjust.
"To the boys' credit, they were really focused in that last quarter and we put the pressure back on them," he said.
"We just started to control the game a bit more.
"We just got a couple of goals at the right time and we managed to lock it into that forward half and put that pressure on."
Ararat coach Shane Fisher said it was a loss that was easy enough to bear.
"It was a pleasing game and I'm proud of our players," he said.
"We put it up to the best team in the competition and we were in front until about eight minutes to go, so it gives us a bit of belief.
"But I think we made some fundamental errors in certain parts of the game - especially in the last quarter - that probably cost us the game.
"We were probably under pressure in the moment of the game."
The side was without Harry and Jack Ganley, and lost Cooper Heard to a minor injury in the first quarter.
"Our midfield rotation was a little bit limited, so to put it right up to the best midfield in the comp till late in the last quarter, I think we certainly ticked some boxes," Fisher said.
The Burras will now take a breather with a week of as the minor premiership winners.
"I'm very proud of the boys to go through the home and away undefeated," Delahunty said.
"That's a huge result. At the start of the year we didn't know how the season was going to go obviously, and we're just playing some really strong football and hopefully we can continue that into the finals."
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