Newcastle City coach Tim Cotter has commended his squad for Saturday's third-quarter surge that sets up a fifth Black Diamond Cup grand final with Terrigal Avoca since 2013.
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Defending champions the Blues, without a goal next to their name at half-time, produced a 34-point swing against Cardiff at Singleton's Rose Point Park courtesy largely of a dominant 5.3 term.
City (8.10-58) eventually defeated the Hawks (5.10-40), including four majors to Cardiff's Jack Lennon, by 18 points in the preliminary final despite being down by 16 at the main break.
"We spoke about momentum before the game and being patient when it wasn't going our way," Cotter said.
"At half-time we had seven points [behinds] so we wanted to turn them into seven goals in the second half.
"We were able to do that and once we got the first one it seemed to make things a lot easier."
Cotter said shuffling the likes of Zac Macdonald, Conor Haswell and Macaulay O'Malley around the park helped the Blues during the last two quarters.
Macdonald changed lines, from forward to defensive, while Haswell and O'Malley pushed further up front.
"We pulled a few levers and they worked, which is always nice," he said.
City's mentor was most impressed with the return of ruckman Cameron Keast (ankle) from almost two months off and the showing of Jake Hartikainen.
The Blues escaped unscathed in terms of injury and Cotter will now have a few selection headaches this week with the likes of Reid van Huisstede, Stephen Batten, Cade Triffitt, Josh Taylor and Jack Lyons possibly available for Saturday's showdown.
City and minor premiers Terrigal Avoca (6.6-42), who accounted for Singleton (4.2-26) by 16 points in Saturday's other preliminary final at Adelaide Street Oval, have previously met on grand final day in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
The last time another club was engraved on the prized silverware was Killarney Vale in 2007 with City (seven premierships) and Terrigal Avoca (four) sharing the major spoils ever since.
In the AFL Hunter Central Coast women's competition, trophy holders City will be up against Maitland in Saturday's decider after getting past Killarney Vale and Wyong Lakes respectively.
Warners Bay and City dropped out of the men's Black Diamond Plate, or second division, title race with Terrigal Avoca and The Entrance Bateau Bay both progressing.
GRAND FINALS: Black Diamond Cup - Terrigal Avoca v Newcastle City (2:30pm); Women's - Newcastle City v Maitland (11:50am); Black Diamond Plate - Terrigal Avoca v The Entrance Bateau Bay (9:30am). All games at No.1 Sportsground on Saturday (September 7).
