SEPARATED by a win and eight per cent, Macorna and Maiden Gully YCW Eagles have plenty to play for in Saturday’s 18th and final round in Bendigo Bank Loddon Valley FNL senior footy action.
The Tigers and Eagles roll into the last round of the home-and-away series fighting to stay or claim fifth place and a berth in the elimination final.
The fifth-placed Macorna makes its way to Bridgewater to tackle the ladder-leaders from 2.15pm.
When these clubs met in round nine it was Macorna which won in the Tigers’ den by three points.
Outrun the Machine again and Macorna is assured of playing finals in its debut season in the Loddon Valley.
Lose and the Tigers will be sweating on what happens in the Maiden Gully YCW Eagles and Calivil United clash.
It’s been a testing run for the Fergus Payne-coached Macorna which played Pyramid Hill last round.
Although at home, Macorna could not halt the Bulldogs’ charge to a 95-point victory.
Best for Macorna in that contest were Josh Whittle, Fergus Bear, Josh Berryman and Sam Whinfield.
The squad and yellow and black for this round includes Kieran Foley, Toby Whinfield, Matt Colak, Broden and Xavier Wishart, Hunter Anset and Spiros Sklavenitis.
It will be a massive test for Macorna’s defence against Bridgewater gun forwards Oscar McKinley and coach Lachie Sharp who kicked 14 and 13 goals in last Saturday’s win at Calivil.
It may be a record-breaking day for Sharp who is on 138 goals and chasing the league record of 143 set by Marong’s Brandyn Grenfell in the 2022 season.
In-form players for the Mean Machine include Harry Conway, Jack Milligan, Mitch Patten and Darcy Wood.
Bridgewater’s squad includes Luke Ellings, Charlton Hindle, Josh Martyn, Jack Merrin, Harry and Jack Symons.
Maiden Gully YCW Eagles play Calivil United at Marist College Oval.
In round nine the Eagles won in the Demons’ den at Calivil by 50 points.
A Maiden Gully YCW team coached by Shawn Filo, non-playing, and Angus Monfries, playing, goes into this round knowing it’s season is not over.
Was a tough hit-out for the Eagles at Marong last Saturday where Tye Bedford, Mitch Hill, Mitch Whitham and Anthony Robins were best in an 87-point defeat.
The Eagles’ team to face the Demons includes captain Josh Worsley, Todd Delahey, Daniel Russell, Ed Crisp, Stacy Fiske, Isaac Neretlis, and Slater Piazza.
Calivil United will be determined to finish the season strongly.
Best for the Demons against Bridgewater last round were Josh Connolly, Rhys Lourie, Henry McCarthy and Sam Green.
The Sam Maher-coached Calivil United squad includes Jordan Bonanno, Sam Green, Jack Maher, Tyler Rasmussen, Ryan Strauch, Cody Thompson, Zac Tickell, and Riley Walsh.
Pyramid Hill hosts Newbridge at Mitchell Park.
The Jarrod Fitzpatrick-coached Bulldogs will be determined to bank a 15th win in the lead-up to a qualifying final.
In round nine, Pyramid Hill won a closely-fought contest on Newbridge’s ground at Deepcore Drilling Oval in Riverside Park by five goals.
Players to watch for the Bulldogs include full-forward Jhye Baddeley-Kelly, Zach Alford, Jayden Dick, Tom Downie, Harrison Goodes, Mitch Gunther, Ben Knight, Dylan Morison, and Will Perryman.
Newbridge is on the rebound from a 12-goal loss to Inglewood at Centre State Scaffolding Oval.
Best for the Jayden Cordy-coached Maroons against the Blues were James Blood, Jack McInerney, Zebb Murrell, Baxter Ash and Corey Van Aken.
The Newbridge squad includes Kobe Friswell, Dylan Lloyd, Mitch McLellan, and Zaiyden Richards.
It’s the battle of the Bears and Blues as Bears Lagoon-Serpentine plays Inglewood at Gadsden Finance Serpentine Reserve.
Jake Wilkinson will mark his final match as Bears coach.
The Bears will be determined to mark the end of his three-season stint with a victory.
Doing so will not be easy against an Inglewood team warming up for an elimination final.
In round nine Inglewood marked 150th anniversary celebrations with a stand-alone match at home against the Bears.
The Blues won by seven goals.
Bears Lagoon-Serpentine takes winning form into this contest after a 47-point win at home against Mitiamo last round.
Best for BLS in that contest were Nathan Twigg, Tanner Rayner, Tyler Miles and Jack White.
The Bears’ squad includes Hamish Catto, Andy and Steve Gladman, Mitch Hancock, Darcy Hawker, Joseph Ketterer, and Farran Priest.
An Inglewood team coached by Jackson Hood is brilliantly led by Daniel Polack, Liam Marciano, Thomas Kennedy, Gabe Nevins, Charlie Aitken and Bregon Cotchett.
Players to watch for the Blues include Mischa Fraillon, Cade Cohalan and Mitch Pickering.
Mitiamo and Marong clash at Mitiamo’s John Forbes Oval.
It’s been a big week for Marong which had its move to the Bendigo FNL from the ’27 season approved by the AFL Central Victoria region council.
On-field there’s plenty more for the James Flaherty-coached Marong to pursue as the Panthers chase a fifth consecutive premiership.
It’s a tough way for Mitiamo to end the season.
Best for Mitiamo in last Saturday’s play at Serpentine were Joey Mizzi, Scott Baldwin, Ryan Clark and Oliver Lythgo.
A Superoos’ squad coached by Luke Lougoon includes Jacob Cassells, Waylon Draper, Kobe Galvin and Bryce Laird.
Mitiamo faces an opponent which has class and experience on every line.
Players to watch in the Panthers’ line-up include Cooper Hale, Shaun Knott and Ryley Taylor in attack, ruckman Michael Bradbury, Jack and Noah McCaig, Jimmy Gadsden and Lachlan Lee.
Loddon Valley FNL senior footy ladder after 17 rounds:
Bridgewater 246 per cent, 60 points; Marong 178, 60; Pyramid Hill 160, 56; Inglewood 130, 40; Macorna 95, 36; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 87, 32; Newbridge 74, 24; Bears Lagoon-Serpentine 79, 20; Calivil United 44, 8; Mitiamo 44, 4.
Leaders in the goalkicking race:
138 Lachie Sharp, B.
108 Jhye Baddeley-Kelly, PH.
51 Oscar McKinley, B.
48 Cooper Hale, Mar.
47 Dimitri Fasoulis, Mac.
44 Cooper Hale, Mar.
37 Mischa Fraillon, I.
35 Farran Priest, BLS.
34 Henry McCarthy, CU.
25 Seb Erharter, Mac.
24 Shaun Knott, Mar.; Ryley Taylor, Mar.
22 Tye Bedford, MGYCW; Bregon Cotchett, I; Todd Delahey, MGYCW; Caleb Sanders, N.
21 Brodie Carr, New.; Mitch Hill, MGYCW.
20 Zach Alford, PH; Noah McCaig, Mar.; Angus Monfries, MGYCW; Seth Wright, Miti.
In the netball action…….THREE teams are vying to be in the A-grade netball elimination final when the 18th round in the Bendigo Bank Loddon Valley FNL season is played on Saturday.
Marong and Inglewood hold fourth and fifth place respectively.
Both are on 42 premiership points, but under pressure from Pyramid Hill which is on 40 points.
Results from matches in Mitiamo, Pyramid Hill and Serpentine will determine who meets in the elimination final on August 23 at Pyramid Hill’s Mitchell Park.
It’s a huge task for Marong to qualify as it takes on the unbeaten Mitiamo on its court at John Forbes Oval from 3pm.
When these teams met in round nine it was the Jen Wilson-coached Superoos which leapt to a 65-37 victory at Jackal Oval in Marong’s Malone Park.
The Bridget Willox and Bianca Garton-coached Panthers will be trying to do what no other team has done in ’26 – beat the Superoos.
Do so and Marong will have richly deserved its place in the finals series.
Mitiamo is chasing a premiership hat-trick and has earnt a break in the first week of the finals campaign.
First of the A-grade matches will be from 2.30pm when Bears Lagoon-Serpentine faces Inglewood at Gadsden Finance Serpentine Reserve.
The Dani O’Toole-coached Inglewood should extend its season by at least another week by taking the points against the Bears.
The Blues won the round nine clash with BLS at Centre State Scaffolding Oval in Inglewood by 15 goals.
A Bears’ team coached by Erin Varker will be determined to mark its fourth victory and end the season on a high.
Pyramid Hill must beat Newbridge and rely on Marong or Inglewood being beaten to keep its premiership aspirations alive.
The Bulldogs have home-court advantage at Mitchell Park for this crucial clash with the second-placed Maroons.
Both take winning form into this match.
Pyramid Hill won last Saturday’s match at Macorna by 16 goals as the Hayley Martiniello-coached Newbridge won at Inglewood by four goals.
The Bulldogs won at Deepcore Drilling Oval in Newbridge’s Riverside Park by six goals in round nine.
Huge task for a Pyramid Hill team coached by Chelsea Emmerson, Amber Dingwall and Darci Tierney as Newbridge is on a five-game winning streak.
Bridgewater will warm up for a qualifying final appearance when it hosts Macorna.
The Carly Wild and Lou Dupuy-coached Bridgewater won the round nine match on Macorna’s court by 34 goals.
A Macorna line-up coached by Brooke Allison will have gained a lot of confidence from scoring 42 goals against Pyramid Hill last Saturday.
Maiden Gully YCW Eagles play Calivil United at Marist College Oval.
Both teams will be keen to end their season with a victory.
In round nine it was the Demons who fired to a 62-35 win against the Eagles at Calivil Recreation Reserve.
The Annie Blow and Alex Ingram-coached Calivil United is eyeing a seventh victory and will cap this campaign by finishing in seventh place.
It’s been a tough season for the Christie Griffiths-coached Maiden Gully YCW which rolls into this round in eighth place on three wins.
Standings in the Loddon Valley FNL A-grade netball competition after 17 rounds:
Mitiamo 195 per cent, 68 points; Newbridge 125, 52; Bridgewater 147, 48; Marong 111, 42; Inglewood 100, 42; Pyramid Hill 113, 40; Calivil United 85, 24; Bears Lagoon-Serpentine 61, 12; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 60, 12; Macorna 54, 0.
Loddon Valley FNL netball ladders after 17 rounds:
A-reserve:
Bridgewater 210 per cent, 68 points; Newbridge 156, 56; Marong 150, 54; Calivil United 106, 42; Pyramid Hill 111, 38; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 107, 34; Mitiamo 79, 20; Inglewood 74, 12; Macorna 51, 12; Bears Lagoon-Serpentine 34, 4.
B-grade:
Newbridge 261 per cent, 68 points; Bridgewater 153, 60; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 108, 44; Calivil United 106, 40; Marong 104, 38; Inglewood 98, 36; Pyramid Hill 87, 20; Bears Lagoon-Serpentine 77, 18; Macorna 73, 16; Mitiamo 37, 0.
B-reserve:
Bridgewater 175 per cent, 64 points; Calivil United 128, 54; Inglewood 117, 46; Newbridge 131, 44; Marong 128, 40; Mitiamo 121, 40; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 92, 26; Pyramid Hill 98, 20; Bears Lagoon-Serpentine 51, 8; Macorna 29, 0.
17-and-under:
Calivil United 321 per cent, 68 points; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 169, 60; Mitiamo 130, 48; Pyramid Hill 105, 40; Bridgewater 102, 40; Marong 108, 36; Macorna 53, 20; Newbridge 38, 16; Inglewood 35, 8.
15-and-under:
Newbridge 397 per cent, 68 points; Calivil United 521, 60; Marong 244, 52; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 163, 44; Bridgewater 83, 40; Pyramid Hill 45, 24; Mitiamo 41, 20; Inglewood 36, 16; Bears Lagoon-Serpentine 23, 12; Macorna 31, 4.
13-and-under:
Calivil United 936 per cent, 68 points; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 362, 64; Mitiamo 166, 52; Newbridge 141, 44; Marong 105, 36; Bridgewater 77, 32; Pyramid Hill 38, 20; Inglewood 39, 16; Bears Lagoon-Serpentine 22, 8; Macorna 13, 0.