GARETH Daley was the hero with a twist as Maribyrnong Park won a thrilling Essendon District Football League preliminary final by 21 points against Keilor at the weekend.
Daley, the hero of last year's A-grade decider, stepped up with two last-quarter goals at a rain-soaked Windy Hill as Maribyrnong Park kicked away to a 8.14 (62) to 4.17 (41) victory.
The win sets up the second straight Maribyrnong Park-Greenvale grand final in Agrade.
But Daley's last-quarter heroics were tempered as the Maribyrnong Park utility went in the book after a confrontation with Keilor's Travis
Moloney.
The Lions led by 19 points at three-quarter-time after holding Keilor goalless in the second and third quarters, but needed Daley's last-quarter burst to seal the game.
Rodney Van Riet snared a set shot from the boundary to close Keilor within 11 points early in the final term, and saved the Blues by getting to a Brodie Holland snap before it could cross the line for a reply Maribyrnong Park goal. But in a desperate scrap, Daley snapped truly from 20m to get Maribyrnong Park out to a 16-point lead.
Shannon Broadbent then escaped a stoppage inside attacking 50m to put Maribyrnong Park 22 points up, before Daley also slipped the Keilor defence to make the margin a safe 28.
Ben Haynes was critical behind the ball providing drive for the Lions, while Luke Livingston bagged two third-quarter goals to set up Maribyrnong Park's three-quarter-time lead.
The first half was a struggle for Maribyrnong Park inside its defensive 50m as Keilor failed to make the most of its attacking territory.
Keilor peppered 10 consecutive behinds before Matt Pearce's time-on goal to establish a seven-point half-time lead.
Keilor's best were Van Riet, Kieran Prowse and Josh Nesbitt, while Livingston finished the match with three goals for Maribyrnong Park.
The A-grade grand final between Greenvale and Maribyrnong Park at Windy Hill starts at 2.15pm on Sunday. Commentary of the match will be on North West 98.9 FM from 2pm.