CATHERINE McAuley College's football team has bowed out of the Herald Sun Shield competition.
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CMC was beaten by school football power St Patrick's College by 27 points in Wednesday's semi-final at Craigieburn's Highgate Recreation Reserve.
With a chance to play on the MCG for the title on the line, it was the Ballarat-based St Patrick's that prevailed 5.6 (36) to 1.3 (9) in wet and windy conditions.
CMC's sole goal was kicked by Cooper Smith three minutes into the game, while the team's best players featured Ben Worme, Smith, Tanner Nally, Aaron Gundry, Will Wallace, Isaac Carracher, Harry Burke and Sam Conforti.
"For the first 15 minutes before the rain came we were moving the ball really well, hitting targets and making good use of the footy," CMC stand-in coach Matt Smith said.
"But once the weather set in, it became a real slogfest. To St Patrick's credit, they handled the conditions better given they play in that sort of drizly weather quite a bit.
"Our boys put a lot in to their campaign and are gutted with the result."
The victory qualifies St Patrick's for an 11th-consecutive Herald Sun Shield final, with the school having previously won six-straight titles between 2010 and 2015.
Wednesday's defeat means CMC's last Herald Sun Shield success remains the 1992 triumph.
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