Bears-Lagoon Serpentine produced a stirring final quarter surge to defeat Maiden Gully YCW in Sunday's LVFNL first semi-final.
The Bears trailed by 12 points at the last change before adding 5.5 to 0.2 in the final term to win 11.13 (79) to 8.10 (58).
The result snapped the Bears' five-game finals losing streak and booked them a place in next Saturday's preliminary final against Pyramid Hill at Inglewood.
"The message at three-quarter time was to keep persisting,'' Bears' coach Grag Gadsden said.
"It was a scrap all day and we were confident we could wear them down.
"The boys really stuck at it and got the reward in the final quarter."
The first half was an arm wrestle, with both sides struggling to take advantage of the breeze.
After only kicking two goals with the wind in the first term, the Eagles made better use of it in the third quarter.
A 4.5 to 2.1 term saw the Eagles turn a four-point half-time deficit into a 12-point lead at the final break.
Despite having the momentum going into the last quarter, the Eagles couldn't put scoreboard pressure on the Bears in the final 30 minutes.
After only kicking six goals for the entire first three quarters, the Bears pounced in the final term with five majors.
"We tried to keep our forward line open,'' Gadsden said.
"Our forward pockets and half-forward flankers played a little higher up to keep the forward line open and we moved the ball quicker.
"Instead of being stagnant we played on straight away where we could and that started to put their defence under more pressure."
Gasden was full of praise for ruckman Nathan Twigg.
"I thought he played one of the best games I've ever seen him play,'' Gadsden said.
"He rucked by himself all day and took on two opponents and around the ground he was sensational."
Midfielders Matthew Gibbs and Charlie Gadsden gave the Bears plenty of drive, while Greg Gadsden lauded Dylan Hanley for his defensive job on Eagles' coach Wanye Mitrovic.
Brayden Aitken, Liam Roberts and Nick Waterson were best for an Eagles side that fell one week short of what it achieved in 2018.
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