CAFL minor premier South Alice Springs almost ran out of petrol in the last quarter of its Round 14 clash with Pioneer at Traeger Park.
The Kangaroos were coming off four consecutive wins when they tackled the Eagles at league headquarters and showed fans at the ground why they are the premiership favourites when they led by 28 points at three quarter time.
But a stunning revival from Pioneer when they booted six goals to two in the last term nearly created a miracle comeback.
Souths coach Chris Forbes said another 30 seconds or a minute on the timeclock would have produced a different result.
"Pioneer had all the momentum in that last quarter and just ran over the top of us, unfortunately for them they ran out of time.''
The Roos ran out with a number of under-17 players in the lineup, but it was joint skipper Bradley Turner on a wing, six-goal forward Thomas Gorey and youngster Angus Murphy in a back pocket who steered their side .
"We'll load up with our regulars and stars next week against Wests and get ready for a big crack at the finals,'' Forbes said.
Federal continued its push for a first senior grand final since losing to Rovers in 2017 when the Demons exorcised West Alice Springs by 130 points on Saturday.
Marcus McDonald in a roving, forward pocket role, booted 10 goals as the red and whites ran amok on the tight confines of Albrecht Oval, booting eight goals to nil in the last quarter in a commanding performance.
McDonald's double figure return mean he has kicked 32 goals in Federal's last four matches in a big sequence of goalscoring.
Laurence Schubert in the backline and Ben Semmler-Farr were other standouts in a win coach Izaak Ankers described as the perfect opportunity to work on the positives that have launched his side into second position on the ladder.
"We just played our normal game and stuck to our structures,'' Ankers said. "We concentrated on what we've been doing right aand what has been working lately as we work towards the finals.''
Federal has a final round bye as they prepare for a tough second semi-final encounter against minor premiers Souths on August 27.
In the women's competition a four-quarter cameo from West Alice Springs' Jess Harnischfeger highlighted the Bloods' nine-point win over Alkamilya on Friday night.
The Bloods dominated the early stages at Albrecht Oval before Atlkamilya staged a second quarter comeback that threatened to take command of the match.
But the third-placed Wests steadied through the skills of Harnischfeger and Charlotte Rudd's run and attack on a wing to come from behind and win.
Hannah Murdoch was another player in red and black to leave an imprint on the game with her work when the ball was in the air.
Fourth-placed Souths won on forfeit against Pioneer in their scheduled game at Traeger Park, meaning next Friday night's clash with Wests at Traeger Park will act as a preview for the elimination final a week later.
The Community competition played its first week of the 2022 finals series, with Mutitjulu coming from behind to beat Western Aranda in the elimination final and Mt Allan advancing to the second semi-final by beating Ltyentye Apurte in the qualifying final.
Both games were played in front of big crowds at Traeger Park, maintaining the popularity of the community competition.
Week 1 results mean minor premier Papunya meets Mt Allan for a grand final berth next Sunday, while Mutitjulu and Ltyentye Apurte attempt to keep their seasons alive in the knockout first semi-final.
