FANS of the Bloods, Blues, Bulldogs, Demons, Dragons, Eagles, Hawks, Kangaroos, Magpies, Panthers, Saints, Storm and Tigers will flock to Bendigo Junior Football League finals this weekend.
First of four weekends of finals will feature 16 clubs.
Some clubs are represented more than once across elimination, qualifying or first semi-finals.
The finals kick off with Friday night’s under-12 Girls matches at Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park.
All other finals will be played on Sunday at Marist College in Maiden Gully, Toolleen, or White Hills.
It was an exciting finish to the 16th and final round of the home-and-away series across the weekend.
There were 10 matches decided by two goals or less.
Closest margin was a point as the Maiden Gully YCW Eagles clung on for a 32-31 victory in the under-12D match against Eaglehawk Hawks.
The Hawks led 22-7 at half-time before the Eagles clawed their way back by winning the third term, 12-3.
Maiden Gully YCW scored 2.1 in the last as it kept Eaglehawk to a goal.
The Eagles’ attack was led by Fletcher McCallum on two as Tennyson Barnett, Sullivan Bracey and Memphis Harrison were also on target.
Goalkickers for Eaglehawk were Kobee Mulcahy, two; Cage Alderton and Chase Horton.
The Eagles’ best were Sullivan Bracey, Fletcher McCallum, Tennyson Barnett, Hudson Lawry, Will Isaacs and Ed Duggan.
Charlie Welch, Ned Hocking, George Prime, Max Metherell, Jackson Nowell and Kobee Mulcahy played well for the Borough.
It was an all-South Bendigo match as Red faced White in the under-12 girls at Quinn Oval in the Mercy Junortoun Sports Precinct.
Red won 15-11 as Remi Morrice and Leila Pellegrino kicked goals.
Best for Red were Leila Pellegrino, Remi Morrice, Annabelle Reeves, Reeva Cluff, Harmony Owen and Eliza Obudzinski.
Maddi Barry, Indi Saunders, Sophie Pedrotti, Baylee Mahon and Macie Pilcher played well for White.
St Therese’s won 11-1 on Rochester’s ground at Windridge Oval.
Sage Reid goaled for the Sharks and was best along with Elsie Gretgrix, Florence Lapthorne, Lyra Haythorpe, Zinea Griffiths and Lola White.
Rochester’s best were Macey Macfarlane, Frankie Hay, Ella Forde, Ava Rasmussen, Willow Brooks and Meila Dickinson.
Golden Square won the under-12A clash with Maiden Gully YCW Eagles by five points.
The Bulldogs raced to a 22-nil lead by quarter-time at California Gully.
In the second the Eagles fought back to trail 16-22 at half-time.
Golden Square led 26-17 going into the final term.
Although the Eagles won the last, 12-8, it was Golden Square which took the premiership points in a 34-29 victory.
Logan Shatwell kicked four goals and was best for Golden Square along with Levi Walsh, Lewis Harrington, Charlie Pell, Jasper Duncan and Nixon Shiels.
The Eagles’ attack was led by Ethan Van Den Aarsen on three.
Maiden Gully YCW’s best were Kele Evans, Ryder Cavalier, Xavier Tweed, Jake Wiltshire, Oscar Barras and Dusty Balic.
Bendigo JFL round 16 scoreboard:
Under-12 Girls:
South Bendigo Red 2.3 (15) d South Bendigo White 1.5 (11), St Therese’s 1.5 (11) d Rochester 0.1 (1), Golden Square 4.9 (33) d Marong Blue 0.3 (3), St Francis Green 8.9 (57) d Eaglehawk 0.0 (0), Mount Pleasant 13.19 (97) d Marong Yellow 2.0 (12), White Hills bye.
Under-12A:
Golden Square 4.10 (34) d Maiden Gully YCW 4.5 (29), South Bendigo 9.0 (54) d St Therese’s 6.6 (42), Eaglehawk Eagles 9.5 (59) d St Francis 3.8 (26).
Under-12B:
Maryborough 4.8 (32) d Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 2.6 (18), North Bendigo Red 4.6 (30) d Marong Red 2.1 (13), Heathcote 5.7 (37) d St Therese’s 2.1 (13), Huntly 12.10 (82) d Quarry Hill 4.7 (31), Castlemaine 11.16 (82) d Strathfieldsaye 0.3 (3).
Under-12C:
Marong Blue 4.6 (30) d Golden Square 2.3 (15), White Hills Black 9.11 (65) d South Bendigo 1.0 (6), St Kilian’s-St Peter’s 18.16 (124) d St Francis 0.0 (0).
Under-12D:
Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 5.2 (32) d Eaglehawk Hawks 4.7 (31), Kangaroo Flat 8.7 (55) d Golden Square 0.4 (4), South Bendigo 11.12 (78) d Strathfieldsaye 2.3 (15), St Monica’s 10.13 (73) d White Hills Red 1.1 (7).
Under-14 seniors:
Golden Square 9.5 (59) d Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 5.6 (36), Strathfieldsaye 9.9 (63) d South Bendigo 5.5 (35), Sandhurst bye.
Under-14 reserves, division one:
Eaglehawk 9.11 (65) d Sandhurst 7.7 (49), Marong 11.11 (77) d Golden Square 4.4 (28), South Bendigo 14.10 (94) d Strathfieldsaye 6.7 (43), White Hills Black 12.12 (84) d Maryborough 5.2 (32), Castlemaine 14.10 (94) d Huntly 2.11 (23), Rochester 22.15 (147) d Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 2.0 (12).
Under-14 reserves, division two:
North Bendigo 9.10 (64) d Strathfieldsaye 7.9 (51), South Bendigo 5.14 (44) d Kangaroo Flat 3.11 (29), White Hills Red 25.17 (167) d Eaglehawk 1.3 (9), Mount Pleasant bye.
Under-15 Girls, seniors:
Strathfieldsaye 7.11 (53) d Sandhurst A 7.3 (45), Sandhurst B 3.5 (23) d Marong 0.4 (4), Castlemaine 6.8 (44) d Kangaroo Flat 1.2 (8), Eaglehawk 5.10 (40) d Golden Square 1.0 (6).
Under-15 Girls, reserves:
White Hills 3.1 (19) d North Bendigo 1.2 (8), Strathfieldsaye 6.1 (37) d Rochester 1.3 (9), Mount Pleasant 11.6 (72) d Marong 2.1 (13).
Under-16 seniors:
South Bendigo 12.10 (82) d Golden Square 7.6 (48), Strathfieldsaye 27.9 (171) d Castlemaine 2.7 (19), Sandhurst bye.
Under-16 reserves, division one:
Strathfieldsaye 4.11 (35) d Eaglehawk 4.6 (30), Kangaroo Flat 7.7 (49) d Marong 5.10 (40), Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 10.9 (69) d Rochester 1.6 (12), White Hills 11.14 (80) d Maryborough 2.7 (19), Huntly 23.16 (154) d South Bendigo 0.3 (3), Sandhurst bye.
Under-16 reserves, division two:
Leitchville Gunbower 6.11 (47) d Heathcote/Mount Pleasant 5.5 (35), Lockington Bamawm United Cats 11.8 (74) d Golden Square 8.4 (52), Kangaroo Flat bye.
Bendigo JFL ladders after 16 rounds:
Under-12 Girls:
St Therese’s 100 match ratio, 1968 per cent; St Francis Green 85, 286; Golden Square 80, 345; Rochester 64, 219; Mount Pleasant 60, 152; White Hills 50, 80; South Bendigo White 46, 81; South Bendigo Red 35, 74; Marong Blue 20, 41; Eaglehawk 6, 12; Marong Yellow 4, 0.
Under-12A:
Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 50 points, Golden Square 40, Eaglehawk Eagles 36, South Bendigo 34, St Therese’s 32, St Francis 24.
Under-12B:
Castlemaine 60 points, Huntly 52, Heathcote 36, Strathfieldsaye 36, North Bendigo Red 32, Quarry Hill 28, Maryborough 28, Marong Red 24, St Therese’s 16, Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 12.
Under-12C:
White Hills Black 56 points, St Kilian’s-St Peter’s 44, Marong Blue 32, South Bendigo 28, Golden Square 16, St Francis 12.
Under-12D:
Kangaroo Flat 52 points, St Monica’s 48, Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 40, South Bendigo 28, Golden Square 24, White Hills Red 16, Eaglehawk Hawks 16, Strathfieldsaye 8.
Under-14 seniors:
Strathfieldsaye 100 match ratio, South Bendigo 71, Golden Square 42, Sandhurst 38, Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 35.
Under-14 reserves, division one:
Castlemaine 52 points, Rochester 52, White Hills Black 52, Maryborough 42, South Bendigo 42, Eaglehawk 32, Huntly 28, Strathfieldsaye 24, Marong 20, Golden Square 20, Sandhurst 16, Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 8.
Under-14 reserves, division two:
Kangaroo Flat 67 match ratio, White Hills Red 66, Mount Pleasant 53, North Bendigo 50, Strathfieldsaye 33, South Bendigo 32, Eaglehawk 0.
Under-15 Girls, seniors:
Sandhurst A 52 points, Marong 44, Sandhurst B 40, Strathfieldsaye 36, Eaglehawk 36, Kangaroo Flat 28, Castlemaine 24, Golden Square 12.
Under-15 Girls, reserves:
White Hills 54 points, Rochester 38, Strathfieldsaye 36, Mount Pleasant 36, North Bendigo 2, Marong 0.
Under-16 seniors:
Sandhurst 92 match ratio, Strathfieldsaye 71, South Bendigo 53, Golden Square 46, Castlemaine 21.
Under-16 reserves, division one:
Huntly 86 match ratio, Strathfieldsaye 73, Marong 73, Kangaroo Flat 64, Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 60, White Hills 53, Maryborough 42, Rochester 40, Sandhurst 26, Eaglehawk 13, South Bendigo 13.
Under-16 reserves, division two:
Lockington Bamawm United Cats 76 match ratio, Leitchville Gunbower 61, Golden Square 53, Kangaroo Flat 30, Heathcote/Mount Pleasant 0.
Schedule for Friday night’s finals:
Under-12 Girls, qualifying final: St Francis Green v Golden Square, 5.15pm at Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park.
Under-12 Girls, elimination final: Rochester v Mount Pleasant, 6.15pm at Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park.
Schedule for Sunday’s finals:
Under-12A, first semi-final: Eaglehawk Eagles v South Bendigo, 9am at White Hills.
Under-12B, elimination final: Strathfieldsaye v North Bendigo, 9am at Toolleen.
Under-12B, qualifying final: Huntly v Heathcote, 1.50pm at Toolleen.
Under-12C, first semi-final: Marong Blue v South Bendigo, 10.20am at Marist College.
Under-12D, first semi-final: Maiden Gully YCW Eagles v South Bendigo, 9am at Marist College.
Under-14 seniors, first semi-final: Golden Square v Sandhurst, 3.10pm at White Hills.
Under-14 reserves, division one, qualifying final: Rochester v White Hills Black, 11.40am at White Hills.
Under-14 reserves, division one, elimination final: Maryborough v South Bendigo, 11.40am at Marist College.
Under-14 reserves, division two, first semi-final: Mount Pleasant v North Bendigo, 10.20am at Toolleen.
Under-15 Girls, seniors, first semi-final: Sandhurst B v Strathfieldsaye, 10.20am at White Hills.
Under-15 Girls, reserves, first semi-final: Strathfieldsaye v Mount Pleasant, 3.10pm at Toolleen.
Under-16 seniors, first semi-final: South Bendigo v Golden Square, 1.25pm at White Hills.
Under-16 reserves, division one, qualifying final: Strathfieldsaye v Marong, 1.25pm at Marist College.
Under-16 reserves, division one, elimination final: Kangaroo Flat v Maiden Gully YCW Eagles, 3.10pm at Marist College.
Under-16 reserves, division two, first semi-final: Golden Square v Kangaroo Flat, 12.05pm at Toolleen.