COLBINABBIN achieved a long-awaited victory on North Bendigo’s ground in Saturday’s second round in Agnico Eagle Fosterville Gold Mine Heathcote DFNL senior footy.
The Linton Jacobs-coached Colbinabbin led 47-36 at half-time before the Bulldogs fought back to make it 65-all going into the final term at Bendigo Club Oval in Atkins Street.
Inspired by the play of Nathan Basile, Isaac Carracher and Josh Smithson it was the Grasshoppers who scored 4.6 and kept the Dogs to a tally of 4.1 in the last quarter.
At the final siren Colbinabbin’s players, officials and supporters celebrated a gutsy 95-90 win in the kennel.
Gun forward Brandyn Grenfell finished with four goals as the classy Domonic Grant added two goals along with Jimmy McMurtrie and Matt Riordan.
The Bulldogs’ attack was led by Dylan Klemm on four goals as Liam Dillon and Darcy Richards booted two.
Colbinabbin’s best included Brandyn Grenfell, Daniel Hill and William Le Deux.
Best for the Rob Bennett and Ryan Hartley-coached Bulldogs were Riley Paetow, Jett Grundy, Bailey Cain, Ryan Hartley, Liam Dillon and Hamish McCartney.
Leitchville Gunbower won a hard-fought contest with Heathcote in Gunbower.
The Joel Donehue-coached Leitchville Gunbower raced to a 22-9 lead by quarter-time and was up 36-21 at the main break.
Heathcote fought back to win the third, 28-15.
Just two points separated the Bombers and Saints going into the final quarter.
A 16-7 win by LG sealed a 67-56 victory against Heathcote which had the bye in the first round.
Gun recruit Ryan Allan kicked three goals for the Bombers as Billy Hawken booted two.
The Saints’ attack was led by Rhys Bolton and Dylan Johnstone on three each.
Best for Leitchville Gunbower were Tom Brereton, Nic Cattapan, Bryce Barnstable, Zak McGregor, Lachlan Martini and Jobee Warde.
Midfielder Stefan Rasinac, young gun Seb Barnett, Dylan Johnstone, Dillon Williams, Daniel Johnstone and Rhys Bolton were best for a Saints team coached by Andrew Saladino, non-playing, and Liam Jacques, playing.
After unfurling the ’25 premiership flag, Mount Pleasant slammed on seven goals in the opening term to lead 48-3 by the first break against Harlowe Huntly Hawks in Toollen.
As the Blues added 2.6 in the second Huntly slotted three goals.
Mounts won the third, 25-7.
The Hamish Morcom-coached Hawks worked hard to win the final term, 32-14, but it was the Blues who marked a 105-60 victory.
Brodie Leonard-Shannon led the winner’s attack on three goals as Xavier Carter, Ben Weightman and Joel Wharton kicked two each.
Leading goalkicker for the Hawks was Sam Dunstan on three.
On-baller Jack Hickman was best-on-ground for the Blues as Xavier Carter, Deklan Wille, Jett Nicholas, William Wallace and Joey Bell played well.
Huntly’s best were Harrison Campbell, Sam Dunstan, Nicholas Roberts, Riley Beard, Abe Sladden and Will Lee.
The day’s play was completed with a night match between White Hills and Lockington Bamawm United at Scott Street in White Hills.
Both teams had scored upset wins against Huntly and North Bendigo in the opening round.
The Jayden Howe-coached LBU won the first quarter, 29-26, as the Demons the took the honours in the second, 16-15.
In the third it was the Cats who seized control.
As LBU scored five goals it kept the Demons to a solitary major.
The Brad McConnell and Lachie Sawyer-coached White Hills faced a 28-point deficit at the start of the final quarter.
Inspirational play by Tom Conlan, Khy Sawyer and Jake Thompson sparked the Demons fightback.
White Hills slammed on six goals and kept LBU to a tally of 1.2.
A top contest ended in a 90-87 victory for the Demons.
Five goals by Tom Conlan earnt best-on-ground honours as captain Jake Thompson also starred with five goals.
A knee injury meant gun ruckman Tyler Phillips spent most of the match in attack where he kicked six goals for the Cats.
Best for White Hills included Patrick Eefting, ruckman Jack Lawton and Lachlan Martin.
LBU’s best were Tyler Phillips, Joseph Wolfe, Marcus Angove, Cooper Mitchell, Patrick Keele and Bowden Stone.
Elmore had the bye.
Agnico Eagle Fosterville Gold Mine-backed Heathcote DFNL senior footy ladder:
Mount Pleasant 139 per cent, 8 points; Colbinabbin 113, 8; White Hills 111, 8; Leitchville Gunbower 104, 4; Lockington Bamawm United 100, 4; North Bendigo 94, 0; Heathcote 83, 0; Elmore 77, 0; Huntly 65, 0.
Round three will be played on Sunday from 2.20pm.
The second and third-placed Colbinabbin and White Hills meet on the Grasshoppers’ turf at M.J. Morgan Oval in Colbinabbin.
Another big match will be at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve where the Hawks tackle Heathcote.
Elmore takes on a North Bendigo line-up reeling from consecutive defeats on the Bloods’ ground at Elmore Recreation Reserve.
It’s the Cats against the Blues as Lockington Bamawm United faces the ladder-leading Mount Pleasant at Lockington’s Nichol Trading Oval.
Leitchville Gunbower has the bye.
Leaders in the senior goalkicking race:
9 Brandyn Grenfell, C.
7 Tyler Phillips, LBU.
6 Ryan Allan, LG; Jake Thompson, WH; Ben Weightman, MP.
5 Tom Conlan, WH; Dylan Klemm, NB.
4 Bailey Cain, NB.
3 Rhys Bolton, H’cote; Liam Dillon, NB; Sam Dunstan, Huntly; Blake Dye, LG; James Harney, E; Dylan Johnstone, H’cote; Thomas Leech, LBU; Brodie Leonard-Shannon, MP.
In netball action………the Leitchville Gunbower Bombers scored a six-goal win against Heathcote in Saturday’s second round of A-grade netball in the Agnico Eagle Fosterville Gold Mine Heathcote DFNL season.
On the rebound from a first-round defeat the Katie Pollock-coached LG faced a Heathcote team in its first match of the ’26 campaign.
A closely-fought game went Leitchville Gunbower’s way, 46-40 against the Brooke Price-coached Saints.
There were big wins for the league’s top guns in Colbinabbin, Mount Pleasant and White Hills.
The Jen McIntyre-coached Colbinabbin made its way to Bendigo Club Oval in North Bendigo’s Atkins Street.
Slick passing and accurate goaling were the key as the Grasshoppers marked a 57-30 victory against the Kiralee Kinder-coached North Bendigo team.
Mount Pleasant dominated play against the Harlowe Huntly Hawks in Toolleen.
The Anthea McCleary-coached Blues took the points, 77-40, against a Hawks team coached by Kym Bell and Ash Sherlock.
Round two was completed with Saturday night’s match between White Hills and Lockington Bamawm United in the Demons’ den in Scott Street.
The Elley Lawton-coached won 77-40 against the Stacy Bacon-coached LBU Cats.
Elmore had the bye.
Standings in the Heathcote DFNL A-grade netball competition:
Mount Pleasant 250 per cent, 8 points; Colbinabbin 196, 8; White Hills 147, 8; North Bendigo 82, 4; Leitchville Gunbower 56, 4; Heathcote 86, 0; Lockington Bamawm United 68, 0; Huntly 62, 0; Elmore 49, 0.
An intense rivalry between Colbinabbin and White Hills will be renewed in next Sunday’s round three match at Colbinabbin’s M.J. Morgan Reserve.
The Grasshoppers and Demons will play from 2.30pm.
Other matches starting at 2.30pm will be at Elmore, Huntly and Lockington.
After a second-round bye, Elmore returns to its court to face North Bendigo.
The Harlowe Huntly Hawks take on Heathcote in the Hawks’ nest at Strauch Reserve.
Lockington Bamawm United faces Mount Pleasant at Lockington’s Nichol Trading Oval.
Leitchville Gunbower has the bye.
Round two scoreboard:
A-reserve:
Leitchville Gunbower 60 d Heathcote 36, Mount Pleasant 59 d Huntly 40, North Bendigo 52 lt Colbinabbin 57, White Hills 43 d Lockington Bamawm United 17, Elmore bye.
B-grade:
Leitchville Gunbower 53 d Heathcote 40, Mount Pleasant 49 d Huntly 40, North Bendigo 21 lt Colbinabbin 26, White Hills 60 d Lockington Bamawm United 24, Elmore bye.
B-reserve:
Leitchville Gunbower 14 lt Heathcote 57, Mount Pleasant 36 lt Huntly 60, North Bendigo 50 d Colbinabbin 23, White Hills 41 lt Lockington Bamawm United 57, Elmore bye.
17-and-under:
Leitchville Gunbower 46 d Heathcote 27, Mount Pleasant 53 d Huntly 31, North Bendigo 25 lt Colbinabbin 27, White Hills 48 d Lockington Bamawm United 47, Elmore bye.
15-and-under:
Leitchville Gunbower 34 d Heathcote 29, Mount Pleasant 31 d Huntly 24, North Bendigo 17 lt Colbinabbin 29, White Hills 27 lt Lockington Bamawm United 37, Elmore bye.
13-and-under:
Leitchville Gunbower 56 d Heathcote 1, Mount Pleasant 28 d Huntly 13, North Bendigo 15 lt Colbinabbin 30, White Hills 10 lt Lockington Bamawm United 36, Elmore bye.
League ladders after two rounds:
A-reserve:
Mount Pleasant 138 for, 59 against, 8 points; White Hills 83, 52, 8; Colbinabbin 101, 83, 8; North Bendigo 116, 87, 4; Leitchville Gunbower 79, 115, 4; Huntly 75, 99, 0; Elmore 31, 44, 0; Heathcote 36, 60, 0; Lockington Bamawm United 47, 107, 0.
B-grade:
White Hills 108 for, 48 against, 8 points; Mount Pleasant 113, 80, 8; Colbinabbin 26, 26, 4; Leitchville Gunbower 93, 104, 4; Elmore 5, 0, 4; North Bendigo 47, 52, 2; Lockington Bamawm United 50, 86, 2; Heathcote 40, 53, 0; Huntly 64, 97, 0.
B-reserve:
Huntly 103 for, 69 against, 8 points; Lockington Bamawm United 101, 73, 8; Heathcote 57, 14, 4; Elmore 72, 24, 4; North Bendigo 82, 67, 4; Mount Pleasant 82, 78, 4; White Hills 74, 100, 0; Colbinabbin 47, 122, 0; Leitchville Gunbower 32, 103, 0.
17-and-under:
Mount Pleasant 92 for, 54 against, 8 points; White Hills 100, 78, 8; Colbinabbin 53, 51, 6; Lockington Bamawm United 82, 72, 4; Leitchville Gunbower 69, 66, 4; Elmore 26, 26, 2; North Bendigo 49, 62, 0; Huntly 62, 105, 0; Heathcote 27, 46, 0.
15-and-under:
Lockington Bamawm United 92 for, 39 against, 8 points; Colbinabbin 64, 43, 8; Mount Pleasant 63, 46, 8; White Hills 79, 49, 4; Leitchville Gunbower 56, 61, 4; Heathcote 29, 34, 0; Elmore 26, 35, 0; Huntly 36, 83, 0; North Bendigo 29, 84, 0.
13-and-under:
Leitchville Gunbower 76 for, 16 against, 8 points; Lockington Bamawm United 69, 24, 8; Colbinabbin 59, 42, 8; Mount Pleasant 43, 33, 4; Huntly 34, 39, 4; Elmore 27, 29, 0; North Bendigo 29, 63, 0; White Hills 21, 57, 0; Heathcote 1, 56, 0.