-By Nathan Dole
ELMORE and Huntly marked important victories in Saturday’s seventh round in the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL senior footy season.
A seven-point by Elmore on Lockington Bamawm United’s ground at Nichol Trading Oval put the Bloods on the ladder’s fifth rung.
The Harlowe Huntly Hawks overcame a three-goal deficit at the start of the final quarter at Toolleen to beat Mount Pleasant by two points.
Top teams North Bendigo and Colbinabbin dominated their matches to claim wins by 150 and 123 points.
As the fifth-placed Leitchville Gunbower had the bye it was a chance for Lockington Bamawm United or Elmore to move into the top five.
The LBU Cats led 28-20 at quarter-time and then scored 6.3 as the Bloods were held to a tally of 2.1 in the second term.
Elmore upped its play to win the third quarter, 28-13.
Just as it had done the previous round the Nathan Kay-coached Elmore unleashed another brilliant final term.
The Bloods slammed on 5.3 and kept the Cats to a score of 1.1 as a 19-point deficit was turned into a seven point victory.
At the final siren the Bloods players and fans celebrated a 94-87 win.
Elmore captain Rhys Holmberg led the attack on three goals as Jake Dick-O’Flaherty, Lachie Gawel, Nathan Kay and Matt O’Dwyer added two each.
Leading goalkickers for LBU were Matthew Butler with a match-high six as Jeremy Mundie and Jack Reiter kicked two.
Elmore’s best were Lachie Munro, Kynan Sharpe, Lachie Gawel, Phil Smith, Jake Dick-O’Flaherty and Jack Smith.
Tyler Smith, Bowden Stone, Matthew Butler, Jack O’Callaghan, Cody Betts and Lochlan Basham were best for the Jayden Howe-coached LBU Cats.
It was a terrific contest between Mount Pleasant and Huntly at Toolleen.
Mount Pleasant led 24-10 at quarter-time before Huntly hit back to win the second quarter, 17-8.
The Blues surged to a three-goal lead by three-quarter time after it scored 4.2 to 2.1 in the thrd.
From there it was the Hamish Morcom-coached Hawks who dominated play.
The brown and gold slammed on 5.4 as Mounts added 2.2 in the last.
At the final siren Huntly led 74-72.
Abe Sladden led the Hawks’ attack on four goals as gun forward Sam Dunstan chipped in with three.
Mitch Bennett kicked a match-high four goals for Mount Pleasant as co-coach Josh Hann and Ben Miller added two each.
Best for Huntly were Hamish Morcom, Harrison and Flynn Campbell, Dale Lowry, Harry Whittle and ruckman Nathan Dunstan.
Bailey White, Deklan Wille, William Wallace, Bryce Hinneberg, Jack Hickman and Ben Miller were best for the Blues.
A Mounts team which had playing co-coach Adam Baird on the sidelines and Cam Carter as director of coaching has the bye next round before playing at Colbinabbin on June 14.
A 14-goal blitz by North Bendigo summed up the Bulldogs’ dominance on Heathcote’s turf at Pigeon Park in Barrack Reserve.
The unbeaten ladder-leaders won the first quarter, 32-9 and then added four goals as the Saints scored 1.2 in the second.
Quarter three was to be one of North Bendigo’s best in many seasons.
The Bulldogs scored 14.2 as the Saints added two majors.
A North Bendigo team which has Rob Bennett as non-playing co-coach and Ryan Hartley as playing co-coach was ruthless in its approach.
The Bulldogs added another seven goals in the final term to complete a 188-38 victory and continue their hoodoo against the Saints.
Jake Dean and Cody Riddick both kicked six goals as Dylan Klemm added five.
Other multiple goalkickers for the Bulldogs were Darcy Richards, four; Liam Dillon, three; and Riley Paetow, two.
The Saints’ attack was led by Dylan Johnstone and Jackson Jones on two.
Best for North Bendigo were Harrison Jarvie, Riley Paetow, Bailey Cain, Liam Dillon, Cody Riddick and Jake Dean.
Jackson Jones, Codie Price, Connor Hamilton, Will Tobin, Lachlan Freeman Taber and Ibrahim Taha were best for the Saints.
Heathcote has had Andrew Saladino, non-playing, and Liam Jacques, playing, team up to coach the team.
Injury meant Jacques did not play on Saturday.
Colbinabbin’s consistency in all four quarters was a highlight in a 144-21 win on home turf at M.J. Morgan Oval against the Winslow Constructors White Hills Demons.
The Linton Jacobs-coached Grasshoppers raced to a 35-1 lead by quarter-time and then won the second, 29-8.
As Colbinabbin scored 11.14 in the second half it worked incredibly hard in defence to limit the Demons to a tally of four behinds.
Brandyn Grenfell led Colbinabbin’s attack on seven goals as Alex Carr and Nick Knight booted four majors and Sam Ryan chipped in with two.
Isaac Tzouroutis kicked both of the Demons goals.
Best for Colbinabbin were Jude and Charles Ryan, Nathan Basile, Isaac Carracher, Jack Lear and Jai Carn.
Patrick Crawford, Isaac Tzouroutis, Nic Wallace, Josh Dwyer, Mitch Dole and Oliver Edmiston were best for a White Hills team coached by Ben Taylor, playing, and Brad McConnell, non-playing.
Leitchville Gunbower had the bye.
Heathcote DFNL senior footy ladder:
North Bendigo 248 per cent, 24 points; Colbinabbin 218, 20; Mount Pleasant 171, 20; Huntly 94, 16; Elmore 81, 12; Leitchville Gunbower 87, 10; Lockington Bamawm United 75, 8; Heathcote 54, 2; White Hills 37, 0.
In next Saturday’s eighth round, Harlowe Huntly Hawks face Colbinabbin at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve from 2.30pm.
The Winslow Constructors White Hills meets Heathcote in the clash of the Demons and Saints in the Scott Street den in White Hills.
North Bendigo tackles Lockington Bamawm United in a showdown of the Bulldogs and Cats at Bendigo Club Oval in North Bendigo’s Atkins Street.
A resurgent Elmore will be chasing a third win in a row when it hosts Leitchville Gunbower at Elmore Recreation Reserve.
Mount Pleasant has the bye.
Leading goalkickers:
29 Mitch Bennett, Mount Pleasant.
24 Sam Dunstan, Huntly.
23 Brandyn Grenfell, Colbinabbin.
23 Cody Riddick, North Bendigo.
19 Dylan Klemm, North Bendigo.
18 Jake Dean, North Bendigo.
16 James Harney, Elmore.
16 Brodie Leonard-Shannon, Mount Pleasant.
15 Alex Carr, Colbinabbin.
14 Dylan Johnstone, Heathcote.
14 Nick Knight, Colbinabbin.
13 Darcy Richards, North Bendigo.
11 Cohen Kekich, White Hills.
11 Zak Saad, Heathcote.
10 Billy Hawken, Leitchville Gunbower.
10 Jack Hickman, Mount Pleasant.
10 Matt O’Dwyer, Elmore.
10 Abe Sladden, Huntly.
9 Nathan Kay, Elmore.
9 Thomas Leech, Lockington Bamawm United.
9 Jack Reiter, Lockington Bamawm United.