BY NATHAN DOLE
Four finals decided by less than a goal
MARGIN at the end of four of the weekend’s preliminary finals across the Bendigo Junior Football League was under a goal.
There were dramatic finishes to the under-12 Girls, under-12B, under-12D, and under-15 Girls, reserves in week three of the La Trobe University-backed finals series.
Preliminary final weekend kicked off with Friday night’s under-12 Girls match between St Francis Blue and Golden Square at Mercy Junortoun Sports Precinct.
St Francis Blue won a great match, 22-21, as Pippa Fishley, Bella Hope and Zara Grieve led the way.
Maiden Gully YCW’s run in the under-12A series rolled on.
The Eagles defeated the ladder-leading St Therese’s by 11 points on Sunday at Weeroona Oval.
It was a two-point thriller between White Hills Black and Huntly in the under-12B match at East West Oval in Marong’s Malone Park.
White Hills led 13-6 at quarter-time and 16-8 by half-time.
The Hawks fought back to win the third quarter, 8-2.
Both teams scored a goal in the last as the Demons led 24-22 at the final siren.
Best for White Hills Black were Liam Gladman, Declan Mills and Oliver Clark.
Huntly’s best were Ollie Wright, Nash Campbell and Riley Stevens.
In the under-12C competition, Golden Square marked a 23-15 win against Strathfieldsaye at East West Oval in Marong’s Malone Park.
Travis and Lucas Smith, and Alfie Uren were Golden Square’s best.
Cohen Matthews, Sam Green and Will Martin played well for Storm.
St Monica’s marked a one-point win against South Bendigo (2) in the under-12D preliminary final played on Eaglehawk’s turf in Canterbury Park.
The St Monica’s line-up led 15-nil at quarter-time.
The young Bloods fought back to score two goals in the second as St Monica’s led 15-12 by half-time.
It was a goal the difference going into the final quarter.
St Monica’s scored 1.3 as the red and white added 2.2.
The Kangaroos from St Monica’s jumped about as they led 34-33 when the siren sounded.
Best for St Monica’s were Mason Roulston, Lewis Harrington and Nate Hargreaves.
Ben Baker, Daniel Williams and Archie Clarke were South Bendigo’s best.
Although it was on Eaglehawk’s turf in Canterbury Park, Maiden Gully YCW won three of four quarters in a 49-10 win against Eaglehawk Two Blues in the under-12E match.
Best for the Eagles were Tommy Clapp, Dusty Balic and Jax Noonan.
The Two Blues’ best were Koby Shelton, Levi Horton and Dominic Allan.
Strathfieldsaye kicked away in the second half to record a 54-28 win against Golden Square in the under-14 seniors match at East West Oval in Marong.
Storm led 28-19 at half-time and then scored four straight goals as the wayward Bulldogs added seven behinds in the third quarter.
Darcy Tyler, Dominic Gormly and Ollie Long led Storm’s charge.
Best for Golden Square were Will Donnelly, Jake Rosa and Jack Allen.
Rochester advanced to the under-14 reserves, division one grand final after a 61-38 win against Kangaroo Flat in Sunday’s match at Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park.
Harvey Keating, Asher Rasmussen and Hugh Acocks were best for the Tigers.
Kangaroo Flat’s best were Harley Nelson, Oliver Salau and Oliver Bird.
Marong kicked on for a 54-33 win against Huntly in the under-14 reserves, division two match at Marong’s Malone Park.
The Panthers led 31-20 at half-time and 44-33 at a quarter to go.
Marong added 1.4 and kept the Hawks scoreless in the final term.
Best for the Panthers were Cooper Bray, Will Hope and Jack Metherell.
Huntly’s best were James Clark, Lachlan Norman and Caden Wheelhouse.
A big weekend for White Hills included a 77-16 for the Demons in the under-14 reserves, division three match against Golden Square at Weeroona Oval.
Best for Golden Square were Tim Byrne, Kyden Graham and Noah Smith.
Strathfieldsaye was too strong for White Hills in the under-15 Girls, seniors match at Weerona Oval.
The Storm line-up surged into the grand final on the back of a 32-8 victory.
Sandhurst marked an 18-14 victory against Strathfieldsaye in the under-15 Girls, reserves match at Weeroona Oval.
Georgia Bray, Poppy Carter and Poppy Wainwright were Sandhurst’s best.
Strathfieldsaye fought from three goals down at half-time to beat South Bendigo by 23 points in the under-16 seniors preliminary final at Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park.
It was the Bloods who dominated most of the first half and led 34-16 at the break.
Storm worked hard to score 2.2 in the third, but South scored a goal to hold a 10-point lead going into the final term.
Strathfieldsaye slammed on six unanswered goals in the last to win 66-43 and charge into the grand final.
Best for Storm were Seamus Doherty, Tyce Griffin and Will Bartlett.
Jack Bell kicked four goals and was best for the Bloods along with Rylan Newman and Louis Eddy.
The Huntly Hawks turned a five-point deficit at half-time into a 39-point win against Strathfieldsaye in the under-16 reserves, division one match at Marong’s Malone Park.
Storm led 28-23 at half-time, but Huntly took charge after the main break.
As the Hawks added 8.6 they kept Storm to a tally of 1.4.
Huntly led 77-38 at the final siren in a contest where Zethan Jensen, Joseph Buchanan and Oscar Davies were best for the brown and gold.
Strathfieldsaye’s best were Sam Whitford, Jack DeAraugo and Lucas Sharam.
It was a great match between Rochester and Kangaroo Flat in the under-16 reserves, division two match at Canterbury Park in Eaglehawk.
Scores were 30-all at half-time.
The Tigers won the third term, 16-13, against the accurate Roos who had scored 7.1 in the opening three quarters.
Led by the play of Sam Seabrook, Cale James and Mitch Munro it was Rochester which won the last term, 13-2, and the match, 59-45.
Clayton Smith, Brayden Franken and Lachlan Coghill were best for the Kangaroos.
Operations manager for junior/women’s football for AFL Central Victoria, Nathan Williams said the Bendigo JFL’s grand final weekend kicks off with Friday night’s under-12 Girls match at Mercy Junortoun Sports Precinct in McIvor Road.
On Saturday it will be Sandhurst against Strathfieldsaye in the under-16 seniors match at Queen Elizabeth Oval from 8.45am as a lead-in to the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL preliminary finals.
Grand finals for under-12 B-E divisions will be on Saturday at Harry Trott Oval in Neale Street, Kennington.
The under-12A, under-14, under-15 Girls and under-16 matches will all be on Sunday on Triple M Park or the adjacent Enterprise Oval in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane.
“There are 16 of 22 clubs represented in grand finals,” Williams said.
“Sandhurst has four teams to play, and Maiden Gully YCW, Strathfieldsaye and White Hills all have three teams to compete.
“Other clubs to mark multiple appearances in grand finals are Marong, North Bendigo and Rochester on two.”
Scoreboard from the Bendigo JFL’s preliminary finals in week three of the La Trobe University-backed finals series:
Under-12 Girls:
St Francis Blue 3.3 (21) d Golden Square 3.2 (20).
GOALS – St Francis Blue: Scarlett Woodmore 2, Millie Balic. Golden Square: Willow Dellar 2, Stella Tully.
BEST – St Francis Blue: Pippa Fishley, Bella Hope, Zara Grieve, Cammie Fitzgerald, Emmalene Pollock, Colbie O’Bree.
Under-12A:
Maiden Gully YCW 7.7 (49) d St Therese’s 6.2 (38).
Under-12B:
White Hills Black 3.6 (24) d Huntly 3.4 (22).
GOALS – White Hills Black: Chase Kelson, Patrick Millar, Hudson Ruffell. Huntly: Nash Campbell, Isaac Plant, Riley Stevens.
BEST – White Hills Black: Liam Gladman, Declan Mills, Oliver Clark, Jensen Sawyer, Tobi Nichols, Chase Kelson. Huntly: Ollie Wright, Nash Campbell, Riley Stevens, Thomas Barlow, Cooper Bateson, Kyan Manson.
Under-12C:
Golden Square 3.5 (23) d Strathfieldsaye 2.3 (15).
GOALS – Golden Square: Jarrod Carmichael, Issac Taylor, Steven Wellington. Strathfieldsaye: Lennon Clarke, Will Martin.
BEST – Golden Square: Travis Smith, Lucas Smith, Alfie Uren, Conor Elliott, Issac Taylor, Jarrod Carmichael. Strathfieldsaye: Cohen Matthews, Sam Green, Will Maritn, Nathaniel Hodgskiss, Jackson Brasher, Raven Menzel.
Under-12D:
St Monica’s 4.10 (34) d South Bendigo 5.3 (33).
GOALS – St Monica’s: Lewis Harrington, Mason Roulston 2. South Bendigo: Ben Baker 3, Archie Clarke, Max McClure.
BEST – St Monica’s: Mason Roulston, Lewis Harrington, Nate Hargreaves, Spencer Salathiel, Tayden-Jamieson Clements, Mitchell Bird. South Bendigo: Ben Baker, Daniel Williams, Archie Clarke, Calvin Jones-Moore, George Conroy, Navarre Blake.
Under-12E:
Maiden Gully YCW 7.7 (49) d Eaglehawk Two Blues 1.4 (10).
GOALS – Maiden Gully YCW: Dusty Balic 2, Riley Butt, Scott Davis, Mac Doherty, Andrew Teece (only names supplied). Eaglehawk Two Blues: Xavier Rayner.
BEST – Maiden Gully YCW: Tommy Clapp, Dusty Balic, Jax Noonan, Andrew Teece, Blair Coghill, Connor Wyatt. Eaglehawk Two Blues: Koby Shelton, Levi Horton, Dominic Allan.
Under-14 seniors:
Strathfieldsaye 7.12 (54) d Golden Square 3.10 (28).
GOALS – Strathfieldsaye: Spencer Worthington 2, Ted Brandt, Eli Fennell, Charlie Giddings, Keelan McInerney, Levi van Dillen. Golden Square: Jack Allen 2, Carter Andrews.
BEST – Strathfieldsaye: Darcy Tyler, Dominic Gormly, Ollie Long, Nicholas Hietbrink, Spencer Worthington, Charlie Giddings. Golden Square: Will Donnelly, Jake Rosa, jack Allen, Ryan McLean, Aiden Lear, Oisin Dunne.
Under-14 reserves, division one:
Rochester 9.7 (61) d Kangaroo Flat 6.2 (38).
GOALS – Rochester: Mason Mundie 2, Hugh Acocks, Declan Carmichael, Makore Dickinson. Harvey Keating, Heath Kyne, Archer Rasmussen, Harry Rasmussen. Kangaroo Flat: Beau Blythman, Astin Clayton, Hale McIntosh, Oliver Salau, Sebastian Sharpe, Jackson Thatcher.
Under-14 reserves, division two:
Marong 7.12 (54) d Huntly 5.3 (33).
GOALS – Marong: Will Hope 3, Jack Metherell 2, Lachlan Bennett, Kobi Mensforth. Huntly: Ryder Marriott 3, Rhys Pitson, Jacob Rothacker.
BEST – Marong: Cooper Bray, Will Hope, Jack Metherell, Ash Curnow, Caden McCurdy, Finn Neivandt. Huntly: James Clark, Lachlan Norman, Caden Wheelhouse, Callum Fahy, Jacob Rothacker, Flynn Corboy.
Under-14 reserves, division three:
White Hills 11.11 (77) d Golden Square 2.4 (16).
Golden Square: Tyler Worbs 2.
Golden Square: Tim Byrne, Kyden Graham, Noah Smith, Max Bennallack, Jacob Davies, Tyler Worbs.
Under-15 Girls, seniors:
Strathfieldsaye 5.2 (32) d White Hills 1.2 (8).
Under-15 Girls, reserves:
Sandhurst 2.6 (18) d Strathfieldsaye 1.8 (14).
GOALS – Sandhurst: Georgia Bray, Shyleeka Wellington.
BEST – Sandhurst: Georgia Bray, Poppy Carter, Poppy Wainwright, Shyleeka Wellington, Verity Greenwell, Kiara Daly.
Under-16 seniors:
Strathfieldsaye 10.6 (66) d South Bendigo 6.7 (43).
GOALS – Strathfieldsaye: Tyce Griffin 3, Charlie Elliott 2, Harrison Bennett, Seamus Doherty, Cooper Lacey, Jordan Mathews, Jake Schubert. South Bendigo: Jack Bell 4, Max Kornmann, Maysen Pettersen.
BEST – Strathfieldsaye: Seamus Doherty, Tyce Griffin, Will Bartlett, Charlie Elliott, Archie Stevens, Will Mayes. South Bendigo: Jack Bell, Rylan Newman, Louis Eddy, Harry Purcell, Harry Warne, Anthony Gray.
Under-16 reserves, division one:
Huntly 11.11 (77) d Strathfieldsaye 5.8 (38).
GOALS – Huntly: Oscar Davies 5, Zayver Marwood 2, Hudson Archer, Joseph Buchanan, Mitchell Lawrence, Harley Matthews. Strathfieldsaye: Jack DeAraugo 3, Kaleb Hodgskiss, Nathan Jones-Stibbe.
Under-16 reserves, division two:
Rochester 8.11 (59) d Kangaroo Flat 7.3 (45).
GOALS – Rochester: Jimmy Otto 3, Ben Hewes 2, Cale James, Darby Martin, Kade Pearse. Kangaroo Flat: Jye Clarke 2, Logan Barton, Ryan Mitchell, Trae Richardson, Tyler Sanders, Cooper Scholes.
BEST – Rochester: Sam Seabrook, Cale James, Mitch Munro, Darcey Pump, Jimmy Otto, Amon Riordan. Kangaroo Flat: Clayton Smith, Brayden Franken, Lachlan Coghill, Ryan Mitchell, Jye Clarke, James Goudge.
Schedule for this weekend’s Bendigo JFL grand finals:
Friday at Mercy Sports Precinct Junortoun:
Under-12 Girls:
St Therese’s v St Francis Blue, 5.30pm on O’Keefe Oval 2.
Saturday at Queen Elizabeth Oval, View Street, Bendigo:
Under-16 seniors:
Sandhurst v Strathfieldsaye at 8.45am.
Saturday at Harry Trott Oval, Neale Street, Kennington:
Under-12E:
North Bendigo Red v Maiden Gully YCW at 8.45am.
Under-12C:
Maiden Gully YCW v Golden Square at 10.15am.
Under-12D:
South Bendigo (3) v St Monica’s at 11.45am.
Under-12B:
Eaglehawk Eagles v White Hills Black at 1.15pm.
Sunday at Triple M Park, Tannery Lane, Strathfieldsaye:
Under-12A:
St Francis v Maiden Gully YCW Eagles at 8.45am.
Under-16 reserves, division one:
Castlemaine v Huntly at 10.15am.
Under-16 reserves, division two:
Marong v Rochester at 12.05pm.
Under-15 Girls, seniors:
Sandhurst v Strathfieldsaye at 1.55pm.
Under-14 seniors:
Sandhurst v Strathfieldsaye at 3.25pm.
Sunday at Enterprise Oval, Tannery Lane, Strathfieldsaye:
Under-14 reserves, division three:
North Bendigo v White Hills at 9am.
Under-14 reserves, division one:
White Hills v Rochester at 10.55am.
Under-15 Girls, reserves:
Kangaroo Flat v Sandhurst at 12.50pm.
Under-14 reserves, division two:
Maryborough v Marong at 2.20pm.