St Bedes/Mentone Tigers downed a depleted Collegians outfit by 16 points at Albert Park on Saturday to go to the top of the VAFA Premier Division ladder after the penultimate round of the home-and-away season. The Tigers were good to start but could not penetrate the well-structured Collegians defence while the home team moved the ball quickly and effectively into their forward half but were very wasteful in front of the big sticks and frittered away three very gettable shots from directly in front to eventually lead by only 10 points at the first break after controlling the game for most of the quarter. Taking the opportunity the top team had offered them, the Tigers got their game going in the second and began to exert influence around the contest with fierce attack on the ball and the ball carrier causing many Collegians’ turnovers and a curbing of the Purple Men’s precise ball movement to go into the long break still 3 points in arrears but with a real second half contest beckoning. After half time, St Bedes continued to squeeze the locals at every contest and with Jack Hellier everywhere and Ben Phibbs and Sam Anstey racking up contested possessions they slowly took control as after a number of minor scores they banged through two quick majors to take their lead out to 14 points but just as quickly Collegians ran uncontested through the middle to ram on 3 of their own in 5 minutes in time-on to restore the lead to 4 points at the final change. In the last, as has been their want all season – and in seasons past, the Tigers saved their best ’til the end as they ran hard, contested harder and ultimately dominated the top team……Pat Liston was impassable off half back while Dan Garside and Hiwad Shakaib were, as usual, as miserly as Uncle Scrooge and invariably turned any would-be attacks into rebounding forays forward. Around every contest the Tigers laid multiple crunching tackles to set up turnovers and loose balls that they in turn readily mopped up and subsequently charged hard into their forward half again and again and again to settle the result with a resounding 2 goals 8 behinds to zero last stanza. •The Reserves annihilated fourth team Collegians by 91 points to get within striking distance of finals football while the U19s went down to Old Xavs by 54 points and must now play the minor semi final. •Next Saturday, the Seniors return home to Brindisi Street to take on a revitalised Old Melburnians who must win to avoid relegation while equally the Tigers must win to keep their prized double chance and stay atop the table. The Reserves must win to keep their finals hopes alive whilst the U19s play Beaumaris in a cut-throat First Semi Final to earn the right to a Preliminary Final berth against De La or Xavs.