MT HELENA Lions defeated Gidgegannup Bulldogs by two points in a thrilling Hills Football Association first semi-final.

The Mt Helena Lions won 9.12 (66) to 9.10 (64), while Chidlow Cougars defeated Mundaring 20.13 (133) to 7.9 (51) in the second semi-final.

Warm conditions, a slight breeze and a good crowd greeted the clubs for the first day of the HFA finals.

The first quarter was a tight, hard struggle, with neither team able to take control.

Gidgegannup’s Declan Whife went head-to-head with Mt Helena’s Bo Read in the ruck, with Whife having the early impact.

He fed the ball to Gidgegannup’s Liam Marriott, who kicked it forward before Mt Helena Lion Brendan Agnew intercepted.

Agnew moved the ball to fellow Lion Charlie Read, who spotted teammate Cooper Parker on the lead.

Parker marked and converted his kick at goal.

The Bulldogs had trouble with their accuracy, managing one goal from six scoring shots for the quarter.

The Lions held a slender four-point lead at the first change.

The second quarter was another arm wrestle, with both teams kicking three goals.

Mt Helena’s Clem Cook moved into the ruck, bringing teammate Blade Elzer into the game.

Elzer combined with Mt Helena’s Matthew Elwood, who found teammate Julian Maturo in a scoring position.

Gidgegannup’s Dylan Cahill found himself on the end of a 50m kick from teammate Tim Tanner, while Gidgegannup’s Andrew Style was accurate with his kick at goal.

The Lions extended their lead to five points by half-time.

The low-scoring trend continued in the third quarter, with the teams kicking two goals each.

One of the game’s highlights came when the HFA’s leading goal kicker took the mark of the day before converting his kick at goal.

Gidgegannup’s Matthew Broderick worked hard, while teammates Josh Carter and Alan Rigg repelled many of Mt Helena’s forward entries.

The last quarter was set up for a classic finish, with the Lions still holding a five-point lead.

Mt Helena’s Jess Cartwright kicked his second goal of the game before teammate Cooper Parker added another.

The Lions suddenly held a 17-point lead and appeared to have all the momentum.

The mood changed quickly as Gidgegannup sprang into action.

Gidgegannup’s Tim Tanner moved forward and had an immediate impact, kicking a long-range goal.

Within minutes, the ball was back in Tanner’s hands, and he added another six points.

With the final siren approaching, Gidgegannup’s Liam Marriott pushed the ball forward from another contest.

Tanner marked, played on and kicked his third goal in five minutes to put the Bulldogs one point ahead.

The Lions needed an immediate response to stop Gidgegannup’s charge.

A behind to Mt Helena levelled the scores and raised the possibility of another extra-time final for Gidgegannup.

The Lions missed their next two set shots at goal, but the resulting behinds were enough to give them a two-point win.

Despite the disappointment for Gidgegannup, both teams could leave knowing they had produced a great game for supporters and given the contest their all.

Mt Helena will play Mundaring in the preliminary final at 2.30pm on Sunday, September 6 at Mundaring Oval.