KOROIT is celebrating a 16-point win over hot favourite Warrnambool in Saturday's Hampden League grand final.
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In a stunning upset from two weeks ago when the Blues demolished Koroit by 72 points in the second semi-final, the Saints kicked six goals to nil in the first 20 minutes of the match to open a 35-point lead.
That opening 20 minutes was decisive as the Saints claimed a 15.9 (99) to 12.11 (83) victory at Reid Oval.
Midfielder Ben Goodall was rampant. He racked up possessions and repeatedly pumped the Saints forward.
The Blues clawed back to within three points 24 minutes into the second term but a goal to teenager Jesse White after a horrible kick-in error saw the Saints 10 points up at half-time.
Just like the first quarter, the Saints made the most of kicking with the wind in the third term. Goals to Joe McLaren and Jayden Brennan in the first seven minutes of the half helped them to open a 25-point buffer.
The Blues through power forward Sam Cowling got one goal back before Saints key forward Sam Dobson kicked three goals in nine minutes to blow the game open as they Saints led by 36 points. Travis Graham kicked a long goal to give the Blues some hope at the 24-minute mark but Dobson kicked his fourth of the term after a quick centre clearance before Graham pulled another one back to leave the margin 29-points at three-quarter time.
The Blues needed a quick start with the wind to have a chance and skipper Jason Rowan took a strong contested mark two minutes in but missed the set shot. Graham kicked his fourth of the match in the eighth minute followed by another to Rowan, his fourth, at the 14-minute mark to reduce the gap to 14 points. Veteran midfielder Josh Walters two minutes later worked a left-foot snap through for a goal as the margin was cut to eight.
Both sides had their chances going forward in the dying stages, with Koroit's Levi Nagorcka narrowly missing a goal on the run at the 21-minute mark. Four minutes later Rowan marked 25 metres out from goal but he was penalised for illegally pushing out his opponent. Koroit went forward, Angus Chirnside was first to meet a bouncing ball in Warrnambool's defensive 50 only to be beaten by a cruel bounce. The Saints' White swooped on the ball and snapped a goal across his body to seal the result.
Goodall was voted best on ground by the umpires, receiving the Ron Hoy Medal while Dobson received the AFL Victoria Country Medal for his five-goal haul.
Compounding the loss for Warrnambool was injuries to half-back Michael Threlfall, who suffered a broken collarbone at the 13-minute mark of the first term and defender Brad Bull fractured rib in the first term but played on.
Koroit's Levi Nagorcka, who went into the match under a cloud because of a shoulder injury, dislocated it at the 25-minute mark of the final term.