From Whittlesea Leader
Reported by Sam Landsberger
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THE Northern Bullants will enter Saturday's Victorian Football League grand final rematch in winning form but only just.
The Ants, on the rebound from last week's horror loss to Claremont in the Foxtel Cup, travelled down the highway to face Geelong at Skilled Stadium.
The Cats entered with just one win from 10 starts but with the most potent attack in the league.
Shannon Byrnes, Cameron Mooney, Steven Motlop headlined Dale Amos's forward arc, but Tom Hawkins withdrew with a calf complaint.
And early in the last quarter it seemed a danger game for the Ants would evolve into another shock loss destined to shove them as low as sixth on the ladder.
Geelong led by 29 points, before some Ahmed Saad class sparked the Ants.
The goalsneak finished with four goals and set up two in the final term, as the Bullants stole the chocolates.
Kane Lucas put the Bullants in front from a fortunate Saad free kick, before Mooney, playing through pain with a knee injury to save his AFL career, juggled a contested mark deep in red-time.
The three-time premiership veteran lined up from 23m to draw the match, but pushed his kick right for a behind.
It secured a five-point win for the Ants, escaping jail for the third time this season.
The Ants held off a plucky Coburg in Round 2, and coughed up a handy start against Frankston before pulling clear to record a 16-point win.
Brock McLean was again prolific.
Simon Hogan returned from a two-month spell with depression for the Cats, while Dawson Simpson impressed in the ruck against Nick Meese.
The Ants have lost Lachie Henderson, Matthew Kreuzer, Paul Bower and Zach Tuohy to the Blues in recent weeks, upsetting their structure.
They face North Ballarat on Saturday at Visy Park, with both sides desperate to win to remain in double-chance contention.
The Roosters were smashed by Port Melbourne at Eureka Stadium on Saturday, but won their previous five games.
They have held the wood over the Bullants, who they have beaten in the past two VFL grand finals.
Myles Sewell was best-afield in the grand final last year, but will face a midfield brigade with deeper talent at Visy Park with Jarrod McCorkell, Adam Iacobucci, Dennis Armfield, Wayde Twomey, McLean and Tyson Thomas all entering in strong form.
The Ants have a game break on fourth-placed Casey Scorpions and have lost just two matches this season, to Werribee and the Borough.
