Sydney University jagged a late goal following a umpire's huge call to salvage a draw against the Demons at Football Park on Saturday.

Nick Foster nailed a crucial goal deep in the fourth quarter to secure the 15.13 (103) to 15.13 (103) result after Klemke was pinged for holding the ball.

It will go down as one of those moments Klemke wishes he could change - and of those there were plenty.

There was the slow start which allowed University to kick four goals clear. There was Sam Martyn colliding with an umpire, allowing the Students to gain possession en route to goal. There was the mad scramble in which Canberra couldn't find a crucial point at the death.

Canberra let a three-goal lead slip in the final term, but Klemke says the fact they were even in the contest is something to take pride in.

The Demons were without Aaron Bruce, Mitch Maguire, Jack Powell, Ben Halse, Riley Budd, Tom Highmore, and Angus Baker - four of whom withdrew on game day.

But that is cold comfort for a Canberra outfit clinging to their finals hopes in eighth, two points out of the top six.

"We've got Redland and [NT] Thunder, and if we don't win those, that's it, that's our season done. If we win those, who knows, we can get on a roll," Klemke said.

"It's pretty tight. Suns have got a pretty tough run home depending on how their list is looking, they won which puts them two points clear.

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"If we can get our full side on the park, and play like we did today with those guys out, that's the sort of footy we want to play.

"Finals are still alive for us, it's tough. The positive is, at the start of the game if you told me we'd draw the game, I would have been pretty happy with it. The disappointing thing was just that we should have won it."

Alex Smout (38 disposals) impressed again in a win that would so nearly have been a fairytale for Andrew Swan.

The ruckman put Canberra ahead with a clutch goal from the arc before University levelled the scores in his return from an anterior cruciate ligament tear.

AT A GLANCE

NEAFL round 14 - CANBERRA DEMONS 4.3 7.5 10.9 15.13 (103) drew with SYDNEY UNIVERSITY 6.2 10.4 11.8 15.13 (103)

Goals: Canberra: R.Corbett 2, M.Hardie 2, L.Meline 2, A.Swan 2, H.Carr 1, J.Osborne 1, R.Pollock 1, J.Harper 1, S.Martyn 1, K.Evans 1, T.Faul 1. University: N.Foster 4, J.Stern 3, T.Davies 2, T.Banuelos 1, J.Veale 1, A.Gulden 1, J.Hiscox 1, M.Krochmal 1, H.Morrison 1