Bulldogs secure top-four spot heading into the final round of the Upper Great Southern Football League

Wagin will taste finals action in the 2020 Upper Great Southern Football League season after securing a top-four finish with their round six victory over Kukerin-Dumbleyung on Sunday. The Bulldogs’ win on the road helped them move a game clear of Boddington and Narrogin in fourth and fifth places respectively, with those two teams facing each other in the final round this weekend. The visitors had to dig deep in the last quarter after leading by a single point at the last change over the Cougars, but ran out 16-point winners. The Bulldogs booted three goals in the final term to help them record their fourth win of the season and ensure they will play finals. The Cougars kicked the only two goals of the third term to reduce the half-time deficit of 15 points back to a single point but they were unable to go on with it, with the Bulldogs prevailing 9.13 (67) to 7.9 (51). Egan Bradbury, Daniel Macaulay and Matthew Marinoni all booted two goals and were joined in the best players by Alex Michelon and Jesse Kirwin in the win. The Cougars were best served by Peter Joyce, Jake Angwin, Brynn Joyce and Byron Blevin while Austin Shotter was the only multiple goal kicker with two. Reigning premiers Boddington bounced back into form with an impressive 53-point win over Brookton-Pingelly to push them back into finals contention. The Eagles led by 22 points at half-time before extending that margin to 60 points heading into the final quarter after booting seven goals to two in the third stanza. The Panthers tried to rally in the last term to keep their finals chances alive booting five goals to three but it wasn’t enough, as the Eagles won 16.25 (121) to 11.2 (68). Harry Ellis kicked four goals in the win while Matthew Giumelli and Jimi Gillespie (three goals) were also solid in the win. Panthers forward Lloyd Padwick extended his lead in the goal kicking over Ellis after booting six goals in the loss. Tyson Kirk, Kaine Ah-Chee and Jarrod Bowman were all named in the Panthers better players. A strong final term from Narrogin against Williams was unable to prevent them from their second straight loss and hang onto fourth spot going into the final round. The Cats sprung out of the blocks booting six goals to one in the first term before the Hawks won the second term to reduce the margin to 27 points. The Cats responded in the third term to stretch the margin back out to 35 points before the Hawks came home with a late flurry booting three goals but it was too late. The Cats prevailed 12.8 (80) to 9.9 (63) to sit a game clear in second spot. Stewart Walters and Lewis Davis both booted four goals in the win while Riley Cunningham, Isaac Christoforou and Max Paterson were all in the better players. Kaden Elliot, Nathan Deblecourt, Ethan Bolton and Gavin Reynolds all battled hard for the Hawks while Blake Borrett kicked three goals in the loss.