At a packed Harry Trott Oval where the brand new netball courts were unveiled the Bloods ensured the Tigers would topple from first down to fourth after scores had been level at three-quarter time.

And they were all locked up again on 103 points apiece 20 minutes into the final term.

The Bloods who registered seven more scoring shots finally eased home 15.16 (106) to Kyneton’s 16.8 (104).

A sloppy conversion rate early almost brought South undone. From 11 shots at the scoreboard end in the first term the Bloods nailed just four goals. When the Tigers had their turn at the favoured end they landed 7.2 in a scintillating second stanza.

That handed the visitors a four-point half-tine lead. Promoted under-18 player Dylan Holden (replacing Max O’Sullivan) nailed three of his four goals in the first half.

South had been forced to recast their forward line when prolific goalkicker Kaiden Antonowitz limped off with an ankle injury in the first quarter. He didn’t return loading extra pressure onto Daniel Johnstone and Jake Smythe. Johnstone stood up well, booting three goals and providing contests across half-forward all match.

The Bloods’ earlier inaccuracy was gone as they drilled five goals straight in the third quarter. Considering how close the scores were the Tigers’ concentration wavered midway through the term as they allowed South coach Brady Childs to nail two point-blank majors.

The first came from a 50m penalty which landed Childs in the goal square and the second - without the ball returning to the centre for a ball-up – from the identical spot. The Childs’ majors took the lead out to 13 points and after another South goal, the Tigers were 19 points down.

Then Kyneton goals to Mitchell Scholard, Weightman and Holden reduced the margin to one point before a bouncing shot from Weightman rolled into the post as the three-quarter time siren sounded.

Even so, the Tigers still had no counter for dominant South ruckman Kieran Strachan. His hitouts and boundary taps continually fed Bloods’ runners in Liam Bartels, Aaron Connaughton and Joel Swatton.

South Bendigo hammered home three of the first four final quarter goals as Smythe, Brad Wright and Isaiah Miller took the lead out to 16 points.

Still the Tigers weren’t done. They levelled the scores at the 20-minute mark with Weightman’s fourth goal the key to their revival.

Minor scores from set shots to South’s Smythe and Wright sealed the victory as time ran out for the Tigers.

Bloods’ coach Childs said it was pleasing his side had laid 93 tackles and kept running when an interchange short.

“To win after Kaiden (Antonowitz) went down very early shows we’re starting to mature. We didn’t panic, really trusted our structures and kept working hard.”