Bloods claim the advantage in finals preview

Given that it is almost a certainty that Mordialloc and Cheltenham will fight out the elimination final in three weeks, Mordialloc’s gutsy 16-point win over the Rosellas at Weatherall Road was worth more than usual bragging rights.
 
It will arm Aaron Martello’s Bloods with the belief that they can go further than just the first week of their first finals campaign in a decade.

Trailing by four points after three hard-fought quarters of football, the visitors responded to the challenge in the final stanza and added four goals to one to dispel any notion that they will simply be making up the numbers in September.
 
The Bloods’ smaller running players were superb all day.

Andy Taranto (four) and Dominic Dunne (three) shared the goalkicking honours for the Rosellas. Adam Cole worked hard for the hosts and was well supported by Grant Toms and Mark Shalders, with Tim Bolger and ruckman Steve Ott among others to stand out.