HAMILTON Kangaroos bounced into the Hampden Football Netball League Open grade finals with a commanding 65-47 defeat of Terang-Mortlake at Terang Recreation Reserve on Saturday.

Entering the game sitting sixth on the ladder, the Roos needed to win to lock in a top five spot, also needing results in other games to go their way.

Koroit did the right thing by the Roos by knocking off North Warrnambool at Bushfield, which banished the Eagles from the top five and brought its season to a premature end, while Cobden defeated Warrnambool to allow the Kangaroos to leapfrog the Blues into fourth spot.

Knowing what was required to extend their season, the Kangaroos players were away to a near perfect start, posting the first three goals of the game and ended the first quarter with a string of five unanswered goals to take a 20-11 lead into the break, as Danielle Van Kalken bagged 17 goals in a strong start.

The second quarter was a much tighter affair, but the visitors still took the honours to open a 12-goal lead at the long break.

The Bloods were determined to get back into the game come the third quarter, but the visitors refused to allow their hosts to gain a foothold, as the score remained to the Roos’ advantage.

Van Kalken continued her great form in the circle with a further 12 goals to her credit to end the game with 47, but it was Clare Crawford who was judged to be best-on-court with a dominant midcourt performance, with Van Kalken and Emma Sommerville rounding out the standouts for the visitors.

Eboni Knights, Alice Kain and Joanna Glennen did all they could to gain victory for the Bloods, but it was the Kangaroos who will enter the elimination final next weekend against Warrnambool in winning form.

Other grades

THE Kangaroos took care of business in division one with Michayla McRae, Amanda Douglas, Kelsey Lewis starring in the 50-25 victory, which saw the Roos finish third and book a qualifying final against Koroit next weekend at Camperdown.

Division two saw the Hamilton Kangaroos come from behind at quarter time to claim the win, 36-29, as Taylah Casey, Debbie Pither and Brooke Gordon paved the way for the team to snatch third place from the Bloods and set up a qualifying final against Portland.

The Kangaroos earned a week’s rest by finishing top of the ladder in division three after defeating the Bloods, 52-37, thanks to great performances from Saskia Gould, Sharney Millard and Holly Rook.

ELLA Sevior (GA) and Mimi Chun (GD) produced match-winning performances at either end of the court in the 17-and-Under game, as the Kangaroos won 34-20 to set up an elimination final against Cobden next week.

TERANG-MORTLAKE defeated the Kangaroos in the 15-and-Under game, 36-14, but it didn’t stop the Roos finishing top five with North Warrnambool Eagles awaiting in the elimination final next week.

THE littlest Roos accounted for the Bloods, 31-20, in the 13-and-Under game to finish on equal points with Koroit, but in second spot on percentage and South Warrnambool await in the qualifying final.