BY NATHAN DOLE
Four crucial contests to be played
FOUR crucial matches will be played this Saturday as the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL marks the 16th round in the senior footy action.
It’s first against fourth as Winslow White Hills Demons host Leitchville Gunbower at the Scott Street ground.
A Mount Pleasant line-up fighting to regain fifth place tackles North Bendigo at Toolleen.
Lockington Bamawm United meets the in-form Colbinabbin on the Cats’ turf at Nichol Trading Oval.
The Harlowe Huntly Hawks will be home at Strauch Reserve to play Elmore.
Beaten just twice, White Hills will start favourite to take the points against the Bombers in the Demons’ den in Scott Street.
The Jack Fallon and Kaiden Antonowicz-coached White Hills won last Saturday’s shortened match at Elmore by 56 points.
A loss to Heathcote at Leitchville meant Leitchville Gunbower dropped to the fourth rung.
The Bombers take on an opponent unbeaten at home this season.
In-form players for White Hills include ruckman Callum Crisp, on-baller Mitch Dole, Jake Pallprat at half-back, captain Rhys Irwin, and defender Cameron Taggert.
A talented attack is led by Kaiden Antonowicz, Liam Bartels, James Davies and Cohen Kekich.
Key players for Leitchville Gunbower include Blake Dye, Chris Horman, ruckman Jobee Warde, Lachlan Sverns, Fraser Buchanan and Hoby Bussey.
The Bombers will also look for big games from the likes of Thomas Guerra, Billy Hawken, Jye Keath and Tom Brereton.
After a 46-point loss on Colbinabbin’s turf, Mount Pleasant will be fired up for its clash with North Bendigo.
There’s plenty riding on this contest between the Blues and Bulldogs at Toolleen.
A win for a Mount Pleasant team which has Cam Carter as director of coaching and Ben Bisset and Jack Hickman as playing coaches will keep the heat on the fifth-placed Colbinabbin.
North Bendigo is staring at the prospect of a hat-trick of defeats which has not happened for many seasons.
Just eight points separated the Blues and Bulldogs when North Bendigo won at Bendigo Club Oval in Atkins Street in round seven.
Mount Pleasant’s line-up for this Saturday includes captain and ruckman Chris Down, Daniel and Michael Whiting, Bailey and Fletcher White, Zac Featherby and Reardon McIvor.
Last season it was Mitch Rovers who carved up North Bendigo’s on-ballers and defence as the Blues beat the Bulldogs at Toolleen.
The Rob Bennett-coached North Bendigo will be wary of allowing Rovers free reign again.
Key players for the Bulldogs include Ryan Hartley, Hamish McCartney at centre half-back, Jordan Quirk at full-back, midfielders Nic Waterson and Bailey Cain, and forwards Dylan Klemm and Jake Dean.
It will be a big test for Bulldogs’ ruckman Aidan Brohm against Chris Down.
Lockington Bamawm United is home at Nichol Trading Oval to play Colbinabbin.
The Stacy Fiske-coached LBU will be determined to continue its winning record on home turf against the Grasshoppers.
Key match-ups include LBU star Tyler Phillips in the ruck against Patrick Taban, rover Vincent Ryan opposed to Colbo captain Will Lowe, and Joseph Wolfe in the centre against Nathan Basile.
The Cats also have the experience and toughness of Brodie and Jesse Collins, Thomas Leech and Stuart Taylor.
It’s been a terrific run by the Jed Brain-coached Colbinabbin to now have seven-seven record and a strong chance to feature in the finals.
Colbinabbin’s run across the last three rounds of the home-and-away series is Lockington, away; bye; and North Bendigo on the Grasshoppers’ ground at M.J. Morgan Oval.
Players to watch for the green and gold include Alex Carr at centre half-forward, Clint Shields, Charles Ryan, Logan Fitzgerald, Jai Carn, Nick Knight and Aidan Basile.
The Harlowe Huntly Hawks will be back on their turf at Strauch Reserve to take on Elmore.
A three-point win at North Bendigo last Saturday has kept Huntly in the finals race.
It’s a danger game for the Hamish Morcom-coached Hawks who won at Elmore in round seven by a point.
Since a move to defence, Harry Whittle has starred for the brown and gold in recent weeks.
Best in the win against the Bulldogs included Tori Ferguson, Jackson Fry and Matt Jeffries.
Other key players for the Hawks include Lachy Wilson at full-forward, Abe Sladden and Flynn Campbell across half-forward, Ben Daley in the centre, Mitch Avard and Darby Walsh in defence.
A tally of 43 goals has Elmore’s gun forward James Harney in fourth place in the league’s goalkicking race.
Keys to the chances of the Nathan Kay-coached Bloods taking the points in the Hawks’ nest include ruckman Daniel Russell, Luke Price, Rhys Holmberg, Brae Mensforth, Joseph Harney, Mattia Curry and Nick Mayne.
Heathcote has the bye.
Heathcote DFNL senior footy ladder:
White Hills 187 per cent, 48 points; North Bendigo 162, 40; Heathcote 119, 32; Leitchville Gunbower 100, 32; Colbinabbin 96, 28; Mount Pleasant 115, 24; Huntly 70, 20; Lockington Bamawm United 69, 12; Elmore 44, 4.
Leading goalkickers:
53 Kaiden Antonowicz, White Hills.
48 Corey Grindlay, Heathcote.
47 Dylan Klemm, North Bendigo.
43 James Harney, Elmore.
37 Ben Bisset, Mount Pleasant.
35 Liam Bartels, White Hills.
32 Alex Carr, Colbinabbin.
25 Jake Dean, North Bendigo.
25 Cohen Kekich, White Hills.
25 Lachy Wilson, Huntly.
24 Clint Shields, Colbinabbin.
23 James Davies, White Hills.
23 Anthony McMahon, Lockington Bamawm United.
21 Mitch Bennett, Mount Pleasant.
21 Thomas Leech, Lockington Bamawm United.
20 Sam Barnes, North Bendigo.
18 Mitch Dole, White Hills.
18 Jordan Ford, North Bendigo.
17 Fraser Buchanan, Leitchville Gunbower.
17 Cooper Webber-Mirkin, Heathcote.
16 Jackson Conforti, Heathcote.
16 Jack Reiter, Lockington Bamawm United.
16 Mitch Rovers, Mount Pleasant.
15 Liam Birch, Heathcote.
15 Chris Horman, Leitchville Gunbower.
14 Billy Hawken, Leitchville Gunbower.
14 Jack Hickman, Mount Pleasant.
14 Caleb Hislop, Leitchville Gunbower.
14 Charles Ryan, Colbinabbin.
14 Jordan Wilson, Colbinabbin.
13 Jed Brain, Colbinabbin.
13 Nathan Kay, Elmore.
13 Jaxson Nihill, Mount Pleasant.
13 Zak Saad, Heathcote.
12 Pat Bogers, North Bendigo.
12 Ben Taylor, White Hills.
11 Flynn Campbell, Huntly.
11 Hamish Morcom, Huntly.
11 Nic Waterson, North Bendigo.
10 Ryan Hartley, North Bendigo.
10 Hakeem Johnson, North Bendigo.
10 Abe Sladden, Huntly.