The Magpies won Saturday’s high-stakes bout 13.10 (88) to 10.14 (74) despite two key late omissions and losing Jaye Bowden to a suspected season-ending ankle injury after being paid a mark 25 metres out from goal in the opening term.

Clinton French and Josh Grant didn’t take to the field and it was one of their replacements in Brodie Rowbottom that stole the show with a game-high four majors.

The Pies scored the first nine points of the match before the Blues booted four goals in eight minutes via Chayce Jones, Jobi Harper, Jake Smith and Brodie Palfreyman to lead by 15 points.

Launceston’s midfield dominance continued into the second as they found space and pinpointed their targets by foot.

Having struggled for momentum Glenorchy rallied late in the term to trail 8.5 (53) to 4.4 (29) at half-time.

Blues co-captain Hamish Leedham kicked the first of the second half to push the margin out to five goals, however, from there the hosts managed to wrestle back control and win the ball at the coalface.

Paul Kennedy’s men never gave up and kept plugging away at the Blues who looked to have the match under control being 20 points up with a quarter to go.

Adam Roberts started the run before Rowbottom’s fourth and John Geard followed suit.

A brain fade from Simon Vandervelde handed Pies captain Brayden Webb a 50-metre penalty which took him to the top of the goal square to put the host up by two points at the 21-minute mark.

Daniel Joseph successfully snapped and Bailey Bester extended the lead moments later; and the comeback was complete.

The Pies controlled every aspect in the final 40 minutes with their experienced heads standing up.

Launceston assistant coach Chris Hills said several of his players were good in patches.

Jones, Jamieson House, Dylan Riley and Sam Rundle toiled hard, while Smith and Hudson Medallist Mitch Thorp finished with a couple each. “We’ve got some stuff to work on and work through,” Hills said.

“The message is still positive. We haven’t wavered and won’t with another week to survive and fight.

“For the second week in a row we were able to get a good lead on Glenorchy, who are a quality side.

“They’ve got some good older heads around the place and we’ve just got to keep pushing.

“We had a number of good players that played in patches, we didn’t have any consistency and in finals you have to have that.” 

A Darren Winter-led Lauderdale looked every bit a class above its Easter Shore rivals Clarence in eliminating them from the finals race.

A five-goal haul from Jacob Gillbee guided the Southern Bombers to a 58-point victory with Launceston awaiting next week.

Lauderdale dominated the opening stanza with a high percentage of play taking place in their attacking half to lead 3.4 (22) to a solitary behind at quarter time.

The injury-plagued Kangaroos’ first goal came at the 18th minute mark of the second term through Oscar Paprotny, which was followed by one from coach Jeromey Webberley in a minor fight back to trail by 26 points at the half.

The victors upped the ante in the third extend the advantage to 70 points and squash Roos’ hearts.

Lauderdale took the foot off the pedal a little with a few consolation goals late in the match to save Clarence some complete embarrassment, losing 15.15 (105) to 6.11 (47) in Trent Standen’s final match.

Phillp Bellchambers and Nat Franklin starred in the midfield, while Thor Boscott, Rhys Sutton, Josh McGuinness and Robbie McManus were important.

Bellchambers, Henry Kerinaiua and Franklin all finished with two majors each, as did Webberley for the Roos.

Captain Brady Jones, Jarryd Holmes, Paprotny and Troy Cunliffe had some good patches throughout the cutthroat encounter.

Clarence has not won a final since 2014 with three successive straight-set exits.