ADCA 2025-26: Collingwood Park’s season comes to a close as Mt Barker cruise through elimination final test

Collingwood Park’s season came to a crushing end with an elimination final loss to Mt Barker on Saturday, with the Bulls living to fight again with their seven-wicket victory. The Bulls reached 3-114 on Turf South thanks to Neil Ferreira’s 41 and Ryan Gaerth’s unbeaten 31, passing Park’s effort of 113 all out on cruise control. O’Shea Durack took 2-32, including three maidens, in a decent effort, but Park could not make sufficient inroads as the Bulls knocked off the runs with ease, powering into Sunday’s preliminary final inside 25 overs. Only Tyler Crommelin (10) and Alex Fergie (20) fell by the wayside before Ferreira’s key contribution was topped up by Gaerth and Jeremy Wood’s unbeaten three. Buddy Robinson has been in super form for Park, but losing him for four put the dampers on his side’s innings after they had been put in by the Bulls. Park had made a decent start, with Jesse Spaanderman making a composed 22 off 46 balls to hold the fort as Dylan Belward went for seven, Durack for 11, and Oli Clark for four. All that meant Park had stumbled from a hopeful 2-41 to a disappointing 5-47 with the loss of Robinson, caught by Crommelin off Gaerth’s bowling. Luckily, Leroy van den Dool took up the cudgels to give Park some hope of a defendable total, hitting 39 off 63 balls. He had a modicum of help from Jaymon Spaanderman’s 10 — who lasted 47 balls — but his obduracy just delayed the inevitable as Ben Grey, Harrison McLeod, and Jackson Davidson added just three runs between them. Crommelin was superb with 4-25, and Fergie’s 3-17 was also damaging, allowing the Bulls to head to the preliminary final. Park, who were the basement side last season, can reflect on a decent campaign even if they would have hoped for more from what turned out to be their final outing.