A COMPLETE team effort is how coach Julian Bull summed up Colbinabbin's HDFNL second semi-final win over North Bendigo on Saturday.

The Grasshoppers put the scoreboard heat on the Bulldogs early, kicking four of the first five goals of the match on the way to a 16.8 (104) to 11.12 (78) win at Heathcote.

"Today was what we're all about... we're a team of 22 blokes and trying to pick our bottom four or five players is very tough," Bull said.

"We're a very even team; we're not a team of superstars like the others, so I was really pleased with the even effort."

The victory shrugs off somewhat of a hoodoo for Colbinabbin given three times in the previous four seasons the Grasshoppers had chances to win their way through to a grand final, but didn't take any of them.

And given the way they tackled and harassed the Bulldogs and ran in waves - particularly in the decisive first half when they set up their win - they weren't going to let this opportunity slip.

No doubt there were plenty of anxious Colbinabbin supporters at the sight of star forward Daniel Connors (three goals) looking proppy in the second half on the back of his hamstring woes this year.

However, Connors stayed out on the field until midway through the final term with what was rather a hip causing him the discomfort.

"He has got a little bit of a hip; it's not going to get any worse, but it's just something that pulls him up a little bit," said Bull, who is through to his fourth-straight grand final in a row after coaching Wycheproof-Narraport into three in a row.

The Grasshoppers' best players were led by forward/pinch-hit ruckman Matt Riordan (two goals), the hard-working trio of Lachlan Ezard, Ben Southam and Todd Bryant, veteran Tom Hill, who was superb down back, and Stephen Tuohey, who kicked four first-half goals.

For the Bulldogs, they find themselves in a familiar position of again having to come through the preliminary final if they are going to earn another flag chance.

The Bulldogs have played in six of the past seven grand finals - five of which have come via winning preliminary finals.

However, they will want to bring much more intensity to the contest next week than what they did on Saturday if they are to get another crack at the Grasshoppers.

"It just looked like we didn't come to play today... since I've been here I haven't seen an effort like that," Bulldogs coach Matt Dillon said.

"Full credit to Colbo... they planned well and controlled the game and our skills by foot were just terrible, so we've got a lot to work on before next week."

Adding salt into the wounds of the Bulldogs is an ankle concern to Cheatley medallist Joel Helman.

The Bulldogs named swingman Jordan Ford, who played the first half on Connors and then went forward, their best player, while full-forward Brady Herdman kicked four of their 11 goals.

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