While over 90,000 supporters were at the MCG to see the Blues belt the Bombers in an AFL Elimination Final, the Northern Bullants were in action just down the road at Port Melbourne in a knock-out semi-final. And the result was a victory for the Carlton aligned VFL team and a birth in one of this weekend’s preliminary finals.

It was another come from behind victory for the Northern Bullants and once again it was a ruckman who led the way with four goals in the final quarter. Last week in the Elimination Final against the Bendigo Bombers it was Levi Casboult who shone in the final quarter, yesterday it was Shaun Hampson who took control of the game against North Ballarat.

Hampson, who was returning from an ankle injury, kicked six goals from his 21 disposals and certainly put a case forward to be included in the Blues team for this weekend’s final in Perth.

Northern Bullants 14.12.96 d North Ballarat 12.6.78
Goals: Hampson 6, Kerr 2, Tuohy, Casboult, McCorkell, McLean, O’Keeffe, Saad
Best: McLean, Dare, Hampson, Lambert, Meese, Russell