Only a salary cap scandal can stop the Yass Roos playing finals football in 2008. The side overcame its toughest challenge of the season on Saturday shaking off a stubborn Gungahlin Jets outfit by 24 points.

Brendan Foran kicked eight goals... Dave Brown played on one healthy leg… Daniel Poidevin’s jumper was torn during two separate scuffles… Gungahlin kicked three goals in five minutes to open the game… and Yass clawed their way back from an early deficit to register their eleventh straight win this year. It was an action packed Saturday afternoon at Joe O’Connor Park.

It was billed as a clash of the competition front runners: the all conquering Yass Roos versus the undefeated Gungahlin Jets. Heading into the weekend’s match, barring a draw, there was only was one certainty - a side was about to suffer its first loss.

The Jets arrived in ‘redneck’ Yass with the right mentality. They seemed the more composed of the two sides to start. Winning the ball out of the centre ruck, finding targets in the forward 50 and pouncing on any ball handling errors, Gungahlin silenced the home supporters with three goals to shoot to an 18-1 lead.

Returning from injury, Jason Anderson opened Yass’ goal scoring account with a set shot on a slight angle. Captain and full-forward Brendan Foran followed soon after and the Roos were back within a goal.

The home side were relentless for not only the remainder of the quarter, but the remainder of the first half. Yass’ backline succeeded in stopping the Jets from scoring a goal until the third quarter.

By half-time the Roos had earned themselves a 40 point advantage 9.7.61 to 3.3.21. To the Jets credit, they stuck it to Yass in the second half. Ill-discipline, frustration and added pressure from their opponents forced the Roos into a few uncharacteristic mistakes.

Despite Gungahlin’s late rally, the grey, white and royal blue had done enough to comprehensively stamp their intentions for the rest of the season on the second place side.

“It was a big effort,” Coach Terry Lemon said after the game. “We need to be careful we don’t get sucked in and baited like that again… realistically we should have won by 40. To give away three 50 metre penalties that resulted in goals is ridiculous.”

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Yass Roos 15.13.103 [B Foran 8, D Poidevin 2, J Anderson, S Waters, B Serafin, B McCallum, G Luckie goals] defeated Gungahlin Jets 12.7.79.