The reigning premiers are finding the right gear at the right time of the year once again.
Avoca have powered into a preliminary final, where they will await the winner of the Maryborough Giants and Talbot, after disposing of Carisbrook by 26 goals on Saturday at Carisbrook Recreation Reserve.
The Bulldogs were dominant across the final three quarters, ensuring that it would be their day as the minor premiers flexed their muscle.
The first quarter saw a tight, high-scoring affair, with the Bulldogs scoring 16 goals and Carisbrook 12.
But the midcourt game of the Bulldogs continued to grow, and the second quarter saw them dictate terms, scoring 15 goals to 10 to lead by nine goals at the main break, holding a 31-22 lead.
In the last meeting between the two teams, it was Carisbrook who stepped up a gear to close the gap, but there would be no such problems for Avoca this time around, scoring 19 goals to seven to end the game as a contest, with the Bulldogs leading 50-29 at the final change.
Both teams ran out time, but it was the Bulldogs who were determined to make a statement all afternoon long by winning every quarter, scoring 14 goals to nine to earn a week off.
Maddy Egan was at her brilliant best for the Bulldogs, scoring 49 goals, while partner in crime Gina Beavis added 15 goals, while the defensive duo of Keisha Tonzing and Caitlin Drummond were crucial in shutting down Carisbrook’s scoring power.
For the Redbacks’ part, Abbey Nalder scored 22 goals, while Paige McLean added 16.
Egan was thrilled with the Bulldogs’ performance.
“It was an awesome game. It looked really close in the first quarter and the first half, but we kept on being consistent and kept doing what we needed to do, plugging away and it all came together,” she said.
Egan paid tribute to the midcourters who continue to feed her and Beavis with precision, while also making sure Tonzing and Drummond also earned plaudits for their intercept and rebounding game in defence.
“It makes it easy for us to know where we are going and where we’re going to set up. The girls bring the ball down the court so easily. The defenders do it to let the midcourters rest and then they can go from there,” she said.