Demons face Blues in preliminary

WHITE Hills or Mount Pleasant will be through to the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL senior footy grand final after Saturday’s preliminary final at Huntly.

The Demons and Blues will do battle at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve from 2.15pm.

For the winner it’s a chance to fight for premiership glory against Heathcote at the same ground on 16 September.

White Hills is on the rebound from a 15-point loss to Heathcote in the second semi-final.

Last season’s runner-up, Mount Pleasant stayed in the premiership race by winning Sunday’s first semi against North Bendigo by 15 points.

This season’s meetings between the Demons and Blues stand at one-all.

In round five, Mounts won in the Demons’ den at Winslow Constructors Oval in Scott Street by 51 points.

Next time they met was in the 14th round at on Mount Pleasant’s ground Toolleen.

On that day it was the Demons who turned a five-point lead at half-time into a 97-50 victory.

Kaiden Antonowicz and James Davies kicked four goals each and Brady Childs chipped in with three.

A powerful Blues’ attack was held to a tally of seven goals in which Mitchell Bennett booted three.

It’s been 35 years since White Hills has won a senior premiership in the Heathcote DFNL.

The Jack Fallon and Jake Pallpratt-coached Demons will be desperate to gain another crack at Heathcote in the match which matters most.

Mount Pleasant is on a winning streak.

The Blues kicked off their finals campaign by winning the elimination final against Leitchville Gunbower by 26 points.

It was another must-win scenario against North Bendigo in the first semi on Elmore’s turf.

The Blues led by nine points at half-time and then surged to a 26-point lead at a quarter to go.

North Bendigo hit back to win the final term, 32-20, but it was Mounts which celebrated an 88-74 victory.

Winner of a league record 20 senior premierships, Mount Pleasant’s most recent grand final victory was in 2006.

A team jointly coached by gun on-baller Adam Baird and brilliant forward Ben Weightman is now just two steps from achieving the ultimate success.