Belconnen were made to sweat but held on for a thrilling four-point victory over Queanbeyan in a nail-biting fourth-quarter finish between the two ladder leaders on Saturday afternoon.
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The top-of-the-table men's first-grade clash promised to be the match of the round and lived up to the hype in a see-sawing contest.
The Magpies raced to a huge 32-point lead after a turbo-charged first quarter helped by the breeze at their backs, but the Tigers clawed their way back as the game went on.
At the final turn Queanbeyan trailed by just eight points and levelled to 75-75 with 15 minutes remaining.
Belconnen got their noses in front though and a decisive goal from Alexander Jones helped the visitors over the line, winning 12.9 (81) - 11.11 (77) for their fourth-straight victory.
Narooma product Jones was one of the best on ground finishing with four goals.
"Two guys really stood out for us," Magpies captain-coach James Bennett said.
"Alex in the ruck, kicking three goals in the first quarter as well as the winner, and just gave us a huge effort.
"Also Luke Wharton across halfback and through the wing - he was elite - and gave us the run and carry that set us up so many times."
Bennett said defeating Queanbeyan was a huge "confident boost" with the finals around the corner, and now the side is focused on keeping their winning streak rolling.
"We've got a quick turnaround with Gungahlin on Thursday night. We've got to keep our foot on the gas now," he said.
"It was a really satisfying win today and we're really focused on building towards the end of the year."
AFL Canberra - Round 12 Results
Men
Ainslie 30.16 (196) bt. Tuggeranong 3.3 (21)
Belconnen 12.9 (81) bt. Queanbeyan 11.11 (77)
Gungahlin v Eastlake - 1.15pm on Sunday at Gungahlin Oval
Women
Eastlake 11.15 (81) bt. Gungahlin 0.0 (0)
Ainslie 10.12 (72) bt. Tuggeranong 1.1 (7)
Queanbeyan 8.6 (54) bt. Belconnen 1.5 (11)
Melanie Dinjaski
Melanie Dinjaski is an experienced sports journalist at the Canberra Times with a genuine love of all sports. She's covered every code from NRL to NFL. Melanie aims to bring Canberrans all the sports news they need to know. If you have a story worth sharing, get in touch!
Melanie Dinjaski is an experienced sports journalist at the Canberra Times with a genuine love of all sports. She's covered every code from NRL to NFL. Melanie aims to bring Canberrans all the sports news they need to know. If you have a story worth sharing, get in touch!
