Port Fairy overcomes Terang Mortlake to keep 2023 finals dream alive

Last season's wooden spooners are staking a claim for a finals berth after a gritty win against top-five outfit Terang Mortlake on Saturday.

"We're playing teams fighting for the same spot so every game it's another big one for us," McCorkell said.

"It's not even worth trying to look at different scenarios, we've just got to keep winning."

Scores were tied at the final change before the Bloods, playing on their home deck at Mortlake's D.C Farran Oval, skipped out to a handy lead.

The Seagulls rallied, winning 11.10 (76) to 0.8 (68) to be six points adrift of fifth with four games to play.

"It was a bit like a finals game which I think you're going to see over the next few weeks with where the teams are at on the ladder," McCorkell said.

"The fact we played up in Mortlake on a really good ground after playing on a few boggy grounds the past couple of weeks meant it was played at a pretty frenetic pace."

Bloods coach Ben Kenna said the ascendancy ebbed and flowed but the Seagulls "took their chances better".

He said it was a "pretty even, see-sawing game".

"I was pretty proud of the boys' effort," Kenna said.

"I thought the boys battled on admirably. They were probably a bit bigger than us, taller and stronger and I thought that had an influence on the game.

"We were a bit undersized with the personnel we had there on the day."

Kenna said Matt Sully, who kicked four goals, "was pivotal and hurt us on the scoreboard and with impact around the ground".

McCorkell echoed Kenna's thoughts, praising Sully, Kaine Mercovich, Andy McMeel and Colin Harwood - three of their most experienced players - and emerging ruckman Jake Bartlett.

"Matt's second quarter when we pushed him forward, he kicked three goals and set us up," he said.

"He's having a ripping season, leading from the front."

Terang Mortlake hopes to regain players, including Lewis Taylor (groin) and Jarryd Hay (cheekbone), in the final month of the season while key defender Alex Moloney (overseas) will feature from round 16 onwards.

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