MOUNT Pleasant won a hard-fought contest with Leitchville Gunbower in Saturday’s 12th round of senior footy in the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL season.
The Blues won three of four quarters to clinch a 78-54 victory on the Bombers’ ground in Gunbower.
Mount Pleasant made a great start to lead 26-1 by the first break.
The Bombers struck back to win the second term, 25-18.
An evenly-fought third quarter went the way of the Blues, 21-19.
With ruckman Michael Whiting in hot form, Mount Pleasant won the final term, 13-9.
Ben Weightman and Fletcher White kicked two goals as seven team-mates were on target for Mounts.
Leitchville Gunbower captain Tom Brereton kicked two goals.
A best afield performance by Michael Whiting against reigning Cheatley medallist Jobee Warde was among his career highs.
The Blues’ best included Fletcher White, Riley McNamara, Sam Greene, Jack Teasdale and William Wallace.
Mount Pleasant co-coaches Josh Hann and Adam Baird were on the sidelines, along with director of coaching Cam Carter.
Best for the Shannon Keam-coached LG Bombers were Ben Embleton, Charles Hancock, Austin Windridge, Brad Green, Jye Keath and Tom Brereton.
North Bendigo capitalised on the breeze, especially in the second and four quarters against the Winslow Constructors White Hills Demons at Bendigo Club Oval in North Bendigo’s Atkins Street.
The unbeaten Bulldogs led 28-1 at quarter-time and then slammed on 11 goals in the second to lead 99-8 at half-time.
White Hills fought back to score four goals in the third term as the Dogs added 4.4.
With Jake Dean and Dylan Klemm taking plenty of marks, North Bendigo scored another 11 goals in the final term to complete a 199-44 victory.
Klemm kicked a match-high seven goals as Dean booted six.
Bulldogs’ co-coach Ryan Hartley and Cody Riddick added three majors as Liam Dillon, Brandon Etherington and Storm Giri chipped in with two each.
White Hills had seven goalkickers.
Best for North Bendigo were Ryan Hartley, ruckman Jordan Hargreaves, midfielders Nic Waterson and Riley Paetow, and Dylan Klemm and Jake Dean in attack.
A Bulldogs line-up which has Rob Bennett as non-playing co-coach will tackle Huntly on its turf next Saturday.
Best for the Demons were Patrick Crawford, Harry Sheilds, Macauley Johnson, Jake Dickens, Oliver Edmiston and Jayden Sheean.
White Hills has Ben Taylor, playing, and Brad McConnell, non-playing, as co-coaches.
Colbinabbin welcomed back Hadleigh Sirrett for his first senior match in the green and gold since the ’22 season.
The Linton Jacobs-coached Colbinabbin was on home turf at M.J. Morgan Oval against Lockington Bamawm United.
The Grasshoppers were under pressure in the first hour as LBU scored 4.8 and Colbo was on 6.5 at the main break.
In the second half Colbinabbin kept the Cats goalless as it added six goals to complete an 83-36 victory.
Nick Knight’s great season kept rolling as he kicked four goals for Colbinabbin as did gun forward Brandyn Grenfell.
LBU’s attack was led by Matt Butler on three.
Best for Colbinabbin were Dean Smith, Nathan Basile, Isaac Carracher, Daniel Hill, Alex Carr and Dominic Monteleone.
Jack O’Callaghan, Tyler Phillips, Matt Hore, Bowden Stone, Cody Mann and Brayden Hull were best for the Jayden Howe-coached LBU.
The Harlowe Huntly Hawks kept Elmore to a goal in the second half on their way to a 67-point victory on Elmore’s turf.
The Hawks raced to a 36-13 lead by quarter-time, but Elmore hit back to win the second term, 26-15.
As Huntly slammed on six goals in quarter three it kept the Bloods scoreless.
The Hamish Morcom-coached Hawks added another three goals in the final term to complete a 113-46 victory.
Key forward Sam Dunstan kicked seven goals for the Hawks as Jacob Greenwood booted two in a best-on-ground performance.
The brown and gold also had Deacon Wheelhouse and Harry Whittle add two goals each.
Elmore’s leading goalkickers were Liam Bianco and Jake Dick-O’Flaherty on two.
Best for Huntly were Jacob Greenwood, ruckman Nathan Dunstan, Sam Dunstan, captain Steve Kairn, Deacon Wheelhouse and Kyle Forster.
James Harney, Cobi Fitzpatrick, Lachie Munro, Matt O’Dwyer, Liam Bianco and Zack Holmberg were best for the Nathan Kay-coached Bloods.
Heathcote had the bye.
Heathcote DFNL senior footy ladder:
North Bendigo 284 per cent, 40 points; Colbinabbin 190, 32; Mount Pleasant 149, 32; Huntly 109, 30; Leitchville Gunbower 102, 22; Elmore 66, 16; Lockington Bamawm United 72, 14; White Hills 46, 4; Heathcote 61, 2.
In next Saturday’s round 13 action it will be the Harlowe Huntly Hawks against North Bendigo at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve from 2.30pm.
Heathcote will be fighting to mark its first victory of the season when it plays Lockington Bamawm United at Pigeon Park in Heathcote’s Barrack Reserve.
Mount Pleasant takes on Elmore in the battle of the Blues and Bloods in Toolleen.
Colbinabbin plays Leitchville Gunbower at Colbinabbin’s M.J. Morgan Oval.
The Winslow Constructors White Hills Demons have the bye.
Leading goalkickers:
46 Sam Dunstan, Huntly.
34 Brandyn Grenfell, Colbinabbin.
32 Dylan Klemm, North Bendigo.
31 Jake Dean, North Bendigo.
30 Mitch Bennett, Mount Pleasant.
30 Cody Riddick, North Bendigo.
25 Nick Knight, Colbinabbin.
24 James Harney, Elmore.
22 Alex Carr, Colbinabbin.
22 Dylan Johnstone, Heathcote.
19 Brodie-Leonard-Shannon, Mount Pleasant.
19 Darcy Richards, North Bendigo.
18 Billy Hawken, Leitchville Gunbower.
16 Blake Dye, Leitchville Gunbower.
16 Thomas Leech, Lockington Bamawm United.
15 Matt Butler, Lockington Bamawm United.
15 Ryan Hartley, North Bendigo.
15 Chris Horman, Leitchville Gunbower.
15 Zak Saad, Heathcote.
14 Jack Reiter, Lockington Bamawm United.
14 Abe Sladden, Huntly.
14 Lachy Wilson, Huntly.
13 Liam Dillon, North Bendigo.
12 Jack Hickman, Mount Pleasant.
12 Nathan Kay, Elmore.
12 Matt O’Dwyer, Elmore.
11 Adam Baird, Mount Pleasant.
11 Jackson Jones, Heathcote.
11 Cohen Kekich, White Hills.
11 Ibrahim Taha, Heathcote.
11 Jack Teasdale, Mount Pleasant.
10 Liam Bianco, Elmore.
10 Bart Phillips, Lockington Bamawm United.
10 Jake Thompson, White Hills.
10 Nic Waterson, North Bendigo.
10 Ben Weightman, Mount Pleasant.