Tarneit is through to its first Western Region Football League senior grand final.
The Titans put on a defensive master class to strangle the Wyndham Suns in a 29-point win in the division 3 preliminary final at Wyndham Vale South Reserve on Sunday.
They restricted a usually damaging Suns attack to its lowest score of the season, allowing just three goals by an attack that had posted over 100 points on nine occasions this season.
Tarneit went into the season as one of the genuine flag contenders, but it was heavily scrutinised for an indifferent home-and-away campaign.
The Titans comfortably made the finals, qualifying in third position, but their record against the other sides in the top four was 2-5 and they looked to be making up the numbers.
Tarneit survived an almighty scare to beat Sunshine Heights by three points in the first semi-final, before taking down Wyndham to book a place in Saturday’s decider against Parkside at Hogans Road Reserve.
Luke Cook, Thomas Weybury and Nathan Schmidt were named best for the Titans, while Beau Bostock was their only multiple goalkicker with two.
It was a sour ending to the season for Wyndham – a straight sets exit after an impressive campaign under first-year coach Michael Boothey. The goals dried up for the Suns in the finals – they went from averaging 103.22 points a game in the home-and-away rounds to 43.5 in two finals.
The Suns have a reserves grand final against Parkside to look forward to after a 38-point upset over Tarneit in the preliminary final.
Yarraville-Seddon and North Footscray will meet in the division 2 grand final at Burbank Oval on Sunday.
