Mounts make A-reserve magic

North Bendigo made an admirable run from fifth place to make the final, but ultimately couldn’t keep up with the minor premier, Mounts claiming the championship 45-39 on Saturday.

Mount Pleasant was never out of reach for the Bulldogs, but stayed in control of the game throughout, holding a modest lead for most of the first half.

In the third, Mounts pushed further clear, improving their established four-to-six goal advantage to nine, but North Bendigo slashed the deficit back to five at the final change.

The Bulldogs had a sniff when they trailed by four midway through the last quarter, but Mount Pleasant had the quality to restore its lead and take home the title.