The Southern Saints have stormed through to the VFLW preliminary final after defeating Melbourne University at Adcon Stadium.
Peta Searle’s side responded in emphatic fashion to last week’s heartbreaking loss to Collingwood with a 10.5 (65) to 7.6 (48) victory over the Mugars.
Star forward Caitlin Greiser was the hero, casting aside last week’s disappointment with four crucial goals.
Only eight points separated the two sides at the major break, but an unanswered four-goal burst off the back of fluent midfield transition established a healthy buffer for the Saints.
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Despite being held goalless in the last, the red, white and black had done enough to secure the result.
Olivia Vesely (10 disposals, four tackles), Emma Mackie (20 disposals, nine tackles), Courtney Munn (five tackles, one goal) and the experienced Cat Phillips (15 disposals, one goal) were all instrumental in their side's semi-final triumph, winning the contested ball battle and sending the Saints into attack time after time.
Tilly Lucas-Rodd was just as pivotal down back, charting 20 disposals to rebound the red, white and black out of defence on countless occasions.
Tilly Lucas-Rodd got the Saints out of danger on numerous occasions to keep the Melbourne University offensive at bay.
It took some time for the Saints to find their feet after Darcy Bateman kicked the first goal of the game for Melbourne University, but the Saints replied in resounding fashion with the next three goals in as many minutes, including two long-range goals.
The first came from the experienced Phillips who converted on the run from the arc.
The second goal was just as impressive as Melissa Kuys gathered the ball from the stoppage and scored from inside the centre square; the Sherrin miraculously bouncing over several players before dribbling over the line.
Greiser kicked her first when she soccered the ball over the line to extend the lead to 12, before the Mugars hit back to cut the margin to six points at quarter-time.
Emma Mackie notched up a team-high nine tackles.
The second quarter saw a see-sawing affair on the scoreboard, with both sides providing fast, frantic counter-attacking football.
But it was the Saints who started with a bang, with Vesely winning the centre clearance and finding Greiser who outmuscled her opponent and duly converted on the second attempt.
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After a prolonged period where the Saints' defence came under pressure, Lucas-Rodd and Hannah Stuart stood tall, resulting in goals to Kelly O'Neill and Greiser, who gave the same some much-needed breathing room.
But with five minutes left before the main break, Melbourne University found a way to break the resolute Saints’ defence, kicking two goals in quick succession through Jenna Bruton and Garner to cut the margin back to just eight points.
With rain setting in throughout the third term and the margin for error minimal, the Southern Saints embraced the challenge.
Greiser couldn't miss as the Southern Saints rolled with their momentum.
The third term belonged to the red, white and black as they kicked four unanswered goals, with Munn, Mackie, Kate Shierlaw and Greiser all hitting the scoreboard.
Melbourne University ventured into their forward half to test the Saints’ defence as the footy ricocheted from end-to-end, but the increased pressure and hot-possession football didn't unnerve the backline.
The Saints’ applied their own attacking pressure when they locked the ball in their forward half of the ground and it was only a matter of time before the rewards started to follow.
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Two goals in two minutes from Shierlaw and Greiser extended the lead to 31 points in the shadows of the three-quarter time.
With a place in the preliminary final up for grabs, the fourth term saw an arm wrestle as both sides played end-to-end footy, despite neither side capitalising on their early dominance.
But with all the hustle and bustle, it was Melbourne University who made the most of their opportunities when they found the breakthrough in the ninth minute when Ashleigh Riddell cut the deficit to 24 points.
It soon became 18 points with four minutes left to play, when Bateman kicked her second, but by then the Southern Saints had done enough.
Head coach Peta Searle praised her team’s ability to bounce back.
“For an inexperienced team to be able to put last week behind them and to learn from it and to play the way they played, it shows really good mental strength and good character,” she said.
The win means the Southern Saints will have a rematch of the qualifying final when they take on Collingwood in next weekend's preliminary final, and Searle is hoping that the rematch will have a different outcome.
“It’s pretty exciting (making a preliminary final),” she said.
“At least we had a practice run against them last week."
The Southern Saints will face Collingwood next Sunday at Adcon Park.
SOUTHERN SAINTS 3.1 6.4 10.5 10.5 (65)
MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY 2.1 5.2 5.3 7.6 (48)
GOALS
Southern Saints: Greiser 4, Kuys, Mackie, Munn, O'Neill, Phillips, Shierlaw
Melbourne University: Bateman 2, Garner 2, Abbatangelo, Bruton, Riddell
