The Moree Suns will have one more chance to make the under-17s grand final after being narrowly defeated by the Inverell Saints in the major semi final on Saturday.
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With the Saints senior side finishing the regular season as minor premiers, all AFL North West finals games were played at Varley Oval in Inverell, with the juniors kicking off the day.
The Suns and Saints faced off four times in the regular season, with the Suns winning the first two before the Saints found their feet in the final two meetings to secure the minor premiership.
On a cold and blustery day, it was clear from the get go the two sides would not only be playing against each other but also against the wind, with the Saints eventually edging out the Suns in a 10-8-68 to 6-9-45 win.
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The first half saw neither side able to get on top for long periods of time, with the Saints holding a narrow 2-2-14 to 1-2-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Suns were able to work their way back to a slender seven-point lead late in the second before the Saints kicked a late goal to make it 4-4-28 to 4-3-27 heading into the main break.
The third quarter saw the Saints gain the momentum, kicking three goals while holding the Suns to just three behinds to lead by 7-6-48 to 4-7-31.
The Saints continued their strong play in the final term and despite a late Suns fightback they were able to hold on for the 23-point win and book their spot in the grand final which will be hosted by the Gunnedah Bulldogs following their 12-8-80 to 4-11-35 win over the Saints in the senior men's major semi final.
For the Suns, they will return to Inverell on Saturday to take on the Tamworth Roosters in the under-17s preliminary final. Opening bounce will be at 11am.
