Round 18 saw Kilmore’s Division 3 Seniors fight fiercely against the Fitzroy Stars for a spot in the finals.
With clear skies seemingly on their side, the Blues started off hopeful by kicking the first point of the match just under two minutes in, much to the delight of the crowd.
But hopeful was all that it seemed to be, as the Blue’s quick scoring against the away team fuelled a series of behinds and a goal from the opposition in quick succession, bringing the score to 8-19 by the end of the first quarter.
Unfortunately the second quarter faired no better, as despite many attempts from the Blues to keep the ball at their side of the field, the team only managed a single behind.
The Stars, however, proved their top-of-the-ladder position by coming in strong, kicking five goals and two behinds throughout the quarter to close it 9-51.
The half-time break seemed to inspire hope once again in the Blues though, who used the third quarter to kick a series of behinds and goals, not letting the Stars score until the 12-minute mark.
Despite their best efforts however, the siren sounded after 26 minutes of time on the field with the score 31-64 in the Stars’ favour.
With the pressure now on, the Blues entered the fourth and final quarter, determined not to make it their last play of the season.
Starting off strongly with a goal before the first minute had even ticked over, the crowd held their breath, eager to see if the Blues could turn the scoring around.
A series of back and forth scores between the teams turned the pressure up even more, and as the Blues closed in on the Stars’ score, the hope in the crowd returned.
But it wasn’t enough to stop the Stars from scoring, who kicked three more behinds and kept the Blues at bay.
With a final behind from the Stars, the siren sounded and the opposition was declared victorious, firmly securing their first place position on the ladder, and the Blues out of the finals race for the 2024 season.
Best players on the day were Benjamin Barton, Chris Barton, Cole Isbister, Mick Marrett, Jake Hibbs-Hall, and Lachlan Chesher.
Around the grounds, Epping defeated Lalor 155 (22.23) to 24 (3.6), Mernda defeated Ivanhoe 96 (14.12) to 39 (5.9), Kinglake defeated Reservoir 111 (16.15) to 67 (10.7), and Old Eltham Collegians defeated Old Paradians 86 (13.8) to 65 (10.5).
With the Blues now out of the finals race, this Saturday will see Old Paradians take on Mernda and Old Eltham Collegians verse Epping in the first of the final three games before the grand final.
