RESULTS of this Saturday’s round 16 matches at Inglewood and Macorna will have a major bearing on just who qualifies for the Bendigo Bank Loddon Valley FNL senior footy finals.
At three rounds to go in the home-and-away series it’s Macorna in fifth position, a win and 10 per cent clear of sixth-placed Maiden Gully YCW Eagles.
On Saturday the Fergus Payne-coached Macorna will be on home turf against Calivil United as the fourth-placed Inglewood hosts Maiden Gully YCW Eagles at Centre State Scaffolding Oval.
Both matches will start at 2.15pm.
Macorna will start favourite to mark win number nine in its debut season in the Loddon Valley.
The Tigers won on Calivil’s turf in round seven by 19 points.
Macorna’s on the rebound from a 13-goal loss at Marong last round.
Key players for the Tigers include on-ballers Sam Whinfield and Kieran Foley, Dimitri Fasoulis at full-forward, Toby Whinfield, Xavier Wishart and Matt Colak in defence.
The Sam Maher-coached Calivil United is on the rebound from an eight-goal loss to Inglewood.
Chances of an upset win by the Demons will rely a lot on the play of Henry McCarthy, Jack Maher, Sam Green, Ryan Strauch, Kade Blow, Zac Tickell and Jayden Manderson.
Inglewood is chasing its fourth consecutive victory as the Blues tackle Maiden Gully YCW Eagles at Centre State Scaffolding Oval.
The Jackson Hood-coached Blues beat the Eagles by 59 points at Marist College Oval in round seven.
Players to watch for Inglewood include Charlie Aitken, Kai Cavallaro, Bregon Cotchett, Lachlan Ford, Tarran Kilcullen, Liam Marciano, Gabe Nevins and Daniel Polack.
It’s a crucial match for an Eagles’ team coached by Shawn Filo, non-playing, and Angus Monfries, playing.
The Eagles were up against the powerful Bridgewater last round.
Key players for Maiden Gully YCW include Tye Bedford, Ed Crisp, Stacy Fiske, Mitch Hill, Isaac Neretlis, Lewis Pigdon, and Daniel Russell.
Pyramid Hill is back on its turf at Mitchell Park to tackle Bears Lagoon-Serpentine.
Both teams won their latest hit-outs.
The Jarrod Fitzpatrick-coached Pyramid Hill won on Mitiamo’s ground at John Forbes Oval by 103 points as the Bears upset Newbridge by 63 points at Gadsden Finance Serpentine Oval.
A 12-3 record has Pyramid Hill in third place in the premiership race.
Gun forward Jhye Baddeley-Kelly has kicked 87 goals in his first season with the Bulldogs.
The Pyramid Hill squad for Saturday includes Isaac Brill, Tom Downie, Harrison Goodes, Mitch Gunther, Jett Hird, Ben Knight, and Lachlan Sidebottom.
Best for the Bears in their win on Newbridge’s turf at Deepcore Drilling Oval in Riverside Park were Nathan Twigg, Jaxon Addlem, Callum Draper and Llogan Mayman.
A BLS squad coached by Jake Wilkinson includes Charlie Gadsden, Andy and Steve Gladman, Darcy Hawker, Tyler Miles, Miggy Podosky, Farran Priest, and Nathan Twigg.
Newbridge is back home in Riverside Park to take on Marong.
Huge challenge for the Jayden Cordy-coached Maroons who are seventh on a six-nine record.
Key match-ups for Newbridge include Jackson Hufer at full-back against Cooper Hale, Lachie Costelow at centre half-back against Shaun Knott, and Ben Hilson in a back pocket opposed to Ryley Taylor.
In midfield the Jayden Cordy-coached Newbridge has Blake Wells, Zebb Murrell and Zaiyden Richards to take on James Toomey, Jack McCaig and Zac Justice.
Caleb Argus returns for his first match since round eight and will line up in a Newbridge attack which includes Chris Dixon, Kobe Friswell and Caleb Sanders.
In pursuit of a fifth consecutive premiership, Marong is second on a win-loss tally of 13-2.
The James Flaherty-coached Panthers team for this contest includes Jimmy Gadsden, Corey Gregg, Jai Gretgrix, and Richard Tibbett.
A high-flying Bridgewater is back on home turf to play Mitiamo.
The Mean Machine motored to a score of 202 points against Maiden Gully YCW Eagles and will have another big score in target against the Superoos.
Bridgewater coach Lachie Sharp slotted his 100th goal of the season when he kicked his 12th and final goal against the Eagles.
A formidable attack for Bridgewater includes Oscar McKinley and Oliver Watt.
The Mean Machine also had the classy Andy Collins slot three goals in his first senior match of the season.
Among the many highs in the career of Andy Collins were earning the Frank Harding Medal as Loddon Valley FNL fairest and best in the 2015 season.
Bridgewater’s best last round included Joseph Mayes and Luke Ellings.
Will be another massive test for a young Mitiamo team.
Anthony Huismann, Zach Morrison, Dylan Marshman and Kobe Galvin were best for the Luke Lougoon-coached Superoos against Pyramid Hill last round.
The Mitiamo squad includes Ryan Duncan, Bryce Laird, Joey Mizzi, and Jye Rasmussen.
The Superoos worked hard in a 127-55 loss at home against Bridgewater in the seventh round.
Loddon Valley FNL senior footy ladder:
Bridgewater 207 per cent, 52 points; Marong 167, 52; Pyramid Hill 144, 48; Inglewood 126, 36; Macorna 102, 32; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 92, 28; Newbridge 82, 24; Bears Lagoon-Serpentine 80, 16; Calivil United 46, 8; Mitiamo 48, 4.
Leaders in the goalkicking race:
100 Lachie Sharp, B.
87 Jhye Baddeley-Kelly, PH.
47 Dimitri Fasoulis, Mac.
44 Cooper Hale, Mar.
37 Oscar McKinley, B.
33 Mischa Fraillon, I; Farran Priest, BLS.
31 Henry McCarthy, CU.
22 Todd Delahey, MGYCW; Caleb Sanders, N.
21 Seb Erharter, Mac.
20 Bregon Cotchett, I.
19 Zach Alford, PH; Michael Bradbury, Mar.; Brodie Carr, N; Mitch Hill, MGYCW; Shaun Knott, Mar.; Angus Monfries, MGYCW; Seth Wright, Miti.
In the netball action…….TOP two on the A-grade netball ladder, Mitiamo and Bridgewater meet in Saturday’s 16th round in the Bendigo Bank Loddon Valley FNL season.
The second-placed Bridgewater will host the unbeaten Mitiamo from 3pm.
When they met in round seven the Jen Wilson-coached Superoos scored a 63-49 victory on their court at Mitiamo’s John Forbes Oval.
Both teams were in top form last round.
In a rematch of the ’25 grand final it was Mitiamo which scored a 66-51 win at home against Pyramid Hill.
The Carly Wild and Lou Dupuy-coached Bridgewater netted a 79-38 victory on the Maiden Gully YCW Eagles’ court at Marist College.
Another big match on Saturday will be at Deepcore Drilling Oval in Newbridge’s Riverside Park where the Maroons take on Marong.
It’s third against fourth, but the Hayley Martiniello-coached Newbridge is six points clear of Marong.
The Maroons won last Saturday’s match on Bears Lagoon-Serpentine’s court by 30 goals as Marong beat Macorna by 36 goals at Jackal Oval in Marong’s Malone Park.
A Panthers’ line-up coached by Bridget Willox and Bianca Garton will be determined to take the points from Newbridge.
Fifth in the premiership race, Inglewood will face Maiden Gully YCW Eagles on the Blues’ court at Inglewood’s Centre State Scaffolding Oval.
The Dani O’Toole-coached Blues beat the Eagles by 29 goals in round seven.
Was a tough hit-out for Inglewood at Calivil last round where the Blues claimed a 63-55 victory.
The Christie Griffiths-coached Eagles will be keen to hit back after a disappointing result against Bridgewater.
It’s the Tigers against the Demons as Macorna hosts Calivil United.
In round seven it was Calivil United which claimed a 15-goal win at home against the yellow and black.
The Brooke Allison-coached Macorna is chasing the club’s first A-grade victory in the Loddon Valley.
A Calivil United team coached by Annie Blow and Alex Ingram will be fighting to chalk up win number six.
Pyramid Hill will be on its court at Mitchell Park against Bears Lagoon-Serpentine.
Runner-up last season, Pyramid Hill is facing a huge challenge to qualify for finals.
The Bulldogs must defeat the Bears and also results falling their way across this round and the next two.
A Pyramid Hill team coached by Chelsea Emmerson, Amber Dingwall and Darci Tierney defeated the Bears earlier in the season.
An upset win could lift the Erin Varker-coached Bears Lagooon-Serpentine to the eighth rung on the ladder.
Standings in the Loddon Valley FNL A-grade netball competition:
Mitiamo 191 per cent, 60 points; Bridgewater 156, 44; Newbridge 126, 44; Marong 108, 38; Inglewood 95, 38; Pyramid Mill 109, 32; Calivil United 85, 20; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 64, 12; Bears Lagoon-Serpentine 63, 12; Macorna 51, 0.
Loddon Valley FNL netball ladders after 15 rounds:
A-reserve:
Bridgewater 200 per cent, 60 points; Marong 160, 50; Newbridge 154, 48; Calivil United 113, 38; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 109, 30; Pyramid Hill 98, 30; Mitiamo 79, 16; Inglewood 78, 12; Macorna 52, 12; Bears Lagoon-Serpentine 33, 4.
B-grade:
Newbridge 254 per cent, 60 points; Bridgewater 146, 52; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 108, 40; Marong 113, 38; Calivil United 106, 36; Inglewood 105, 32; Macorna 76, 16; Bears Lagoon-Serpentine 75, 14; Pyramid Hill 80, 12; Mitiamo 36, 0.
B-reserve:
Bridgewater 188 per cent, 56 points; Calivil United 124, 48; Newbridge 145, 44; Inglewood 111, 40; Mitiamo 120, 36; Marong 128, 32; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 94, 24; Pyramid Hill 89, 12; Bears Lagoon-Serpentine 51, 8; Macorna 28, 0.
17-and-under:
Calivil United 322 per cent, 60 points; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 163, 52; Mitiamo 132, 44; Bridgewater 115, 40; Marong 104, 32; Pyramid Hill 101, 32; Macorna 55, 20; Newbridge 34, 12; Inglewood 35, 8.
15-and-under:
Newbridge 407 per cent, 60 points; Calivil United 508, 52; Marong 289, 48; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 172, 40; Bridgewater 90, 36; Pyramid Hill 39, 16; Inglewood 38, 16; Mitiamo 38, 16; Bears Lagoon-Serpentine 20, 12; Macorna 33, 4.
13-and-under:
Calivil United 908 per cent, 60 points; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 357, 56; Mitiamo 151, 44; Newbridge 127, 36; Marong 118, 36; Bridgewater 86, 32; Inglewood 48, 16; Pyramid Hill 32, 12; Bears Lagoon-Serpentine 22, 8; Macorna 13, 0.