Isaac Taylor soars as Belconnen Magpies book AFL Canberra grand final place with win over Queanbeyan Tigers

Gone are the doubts about the Belconnen Magpies being able to secure a place in the AFL Canberra grand final.

Buried are any doubts about Taylor seeking a release from the Canberra Demons in the NEAFL to rejoin his junior club earlier this year.

All with one kick late in the game that helped Belconnen to clinch a 12.14 (86) to 11.10 (76) win over the Queanbeyan Tigers in the AFL Canberra preliminary final at Manuka Oval on Saturday.

It keeps the dream alive for Belconnen veterans Lexie Bennett and Chris York, "two titans" of the Magpies club, as they set their sights on a fairytale farewell.

Awaiting them is an Ainslie side searching for their fourth consecutive premiership. A Tricolours outfit Belconnen have not beaten this season.

But all that matters now is the Magpies have given themselves a chance.

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"This is why I came back to the club and why I play footy, to play in grand finals. To get an opportunity is absolutely unreal," Taylor said.

"Ainslie have given us a touch-up a couple of times, but grand finals [are different]. I'd know, we went undefeated in 2015 and lost, so anything can happen in grand finals.

"We've given ourselves that opportunity and we plan on making the most of it.

"We still don't think we're at our best, we're going to bring it next week. To win a close game like that, we know it's going to be close next week.

"It gives us that experience, let's just take it into next week and see how we go."

Taylor's goal in the 21^st minute of the final term put the Magpies eight points clear and it proved to be more than enough as Queanbeyan failed to kick a goal in the fourth quarter.

His return to the Canberra competition has been a huge boost for Belconnen - but his impact in the midfield is only one string he adds to Magpies player-coach James Bennett's bow.

"He gives us another really good ball-winning mid and it gives us the flexibility for some of our other mids to play in other spots around the ground and that has been massive for us," Bennett said.

"Beau [Walker] went forward and really dominated down there and we can really get a rotation going.

"Walker was on today. The way he attacks the footy, no one in the competition can stop him. He played on Josh Bryce, who is probably Queanbeyan's best player, and the way Beau hit the footy I was really happy with."

The Tigers failed to make a serious dent in the scoreboard in the final quarter after the two sides traded goals for the bulk of the contest.

Gutted Queanbeyan coach Adrian Pavese doesn't have to look too hard to find where things went wrong.

"We had the ball for the first 15 minutes of the last quarter and we just couldn't finish it off," Pavese said.

"They go inside 50 once and nail one. Our forward entries probably cost us. We had enough of the ball, we broke them open numerous times through the middle of the ground, but we just didn't execute.

"That's probably the nuts and bolts, we probably just didn't use the ball as well as we could have.

"They're a good side, Belconnen. They go into next week and we don't."

Belconnen's triumph was just one part of a huge day for the club with the men's first and second grade sides joining the women's top grade team on grand final day next week.

The Magpies advanced to the women's decider with an 11.6 (72) to 4.2 (26) win over Ainslie.

They will meet the rampant Queanbeyan Tigers in the grand final next week, a side desperate to make amends for last year's defeat.

AT A GLANCE

AFL Canberra men's preliminary final: BELCONNEN MAGPIES 12.14 (86) bt QUEANBEYAN TIGERS 11.10 (76)

Saturday, September 7: AFL Canberra men's grand final - Ainslie Tricolours v Belconnen Magpies at Manuka Oval, 2.15pm.

AFL Canberra women's preliminary final: BELCONNEN MAGPIES 11.6 (72) bt AINSLIE TRICOLOURS 4.2 (26)

Saturday, September 7: AFL Canberra women's grand final - Queanbeyan Tigers v Belconnen Magpies at Manuka Oval, 5.30pm.