WEEK one in the Agnico Eagle Fosterville Gold Mine Heathcote DFNL senior footy finals series was capped by wins by Lockington Bamawm United and Colbinabbin.
On Sunday the Jayden Howe-coached LBU Cats put Heathcote out of the premiership race as they won the elimination final in Elmore by 49 points.
It was a terrific start to the match as LBU scored 5.3 and the Saints racked up 5.1 in the first quarter.
The Cats gained a 14-point buffer by half-time as they won the second term, 33-21.
Quarter three was to be decisive.
Lockington Bamawm United’s dominance was reflected by a tally of 12 scoring shots in which it added 5.7 and the Saints were held to a tally of two goals.
LBU led 103-64 going into the final term.
It was 20-all in the last as LBU marked a 123-84 victory.
Thomas Leech capped his first match back from suspension with a match-high five goals as Brayden Hull kicked four majors for LBU.
Other multiple goalkickers for the Cats were Nick Smart on three as Jesse Collins and Bowden Stone slotted two each.
The pacy and skilful Justin Bateson capped a great match for the Saints by kicking five goals as key forwards Dylan Johnstone and Sean Williams added two each.
Best for LBU were Patrick Keele, Bowden Stone, Thomas Leech, Brayden Hull, Nick Smart and Ed Brentnall.
Heathcote’s best were Justin Bateson, Callum Birch, co-coach Liam Jacques, Will Tobin, Daniel Butler and Dillon Williams.
The Cats will now take on North Bendigo in next Sunday’s first semi-final at Toolleen Recreation Reserve.
It was a disappointing end to a promising season for Heathcote which was without its best player in Stefan Rasinac, leg injury, for the must-win contest.
The Saints were jointly coached by Andrew Saladino, non-playing, and Liam Jacques, playing.
On Saturday it was Colbinabbin which dominated most of the second half to score a 21-point victory against North Bendigo in the seniors qualifying final at Pigeon Park in Heathcote’s Barrack Reserve.
An evenly-fought first quarter went North Bendigo’s way, 15-14.
The Bulldogs’ accuracy was a key as it scored 3.1 and the Grasshoppers added 2.3 in the second.
Quarter three was when the green and gold charged clear.
The Linton Jacobs-coached Colbinabbin took control at many of the centre breaks, often had more numbers at the contest, and forced plenty of mistakes by the red, white and blue.
As Colbinabbin played with purpose the Bulldogs often ran into trouble with sideways handpasses and kicks.
Back-to-back goals put the Grasshoppers in front, 42-35 in the ninth minute.
When Alex Carr marked and goaled Colbinabbin had gained a 13-point buffer.
A series of passes which began at half-back was capped with a running goal by Laine Fitzgerald.
As Colbinabbin often hit forwards in space it was stark contrast in North Bendigo’s forward 50m arc.
The Grasshoppers’ defence teamed superbly.
From a tally of seven scoring shots, Colbinabbin racked up 4.3.
A disappointing term for North Bendigo resulted in just four behinds as Colbinabbin led by three goals going into the last quarter.
A Bulldogs’ team coached by Rob Bennett, non-playing, and Ryan Hartley, playing, broke the scoring drought when Jake Dean was freed in the fourth minute.
Colbinabbin replied in less than a minute as Hawthorn premiership ruckman Ben “Big Boy” McEvoy won the hit-out and then followed up to work the ball to Nathan Basile to goal on the run.
A Carr pass to an unguarded William Le Deux near the goalsquare brought up Colbinabbin’s 10th goal and a 22-point lead in the 11th minute.
Bulldogs’ hopes lifted when they won the centre break and after a chain of handpasses it was Will Bennett who goaled on the run to be within 16 points at the 12-minute mark.
North Bendigo did plenty of attacking, but a Colbinabbin defence which included Tanner Nally, Jai Carn, Connor Aldous and Matt Riordan repelled many moves.
When McEvoy floated across a contest to mark and kick truly the match was done.
Seconds after McEvoy’s major the siren sounded as Colbinabbin savoured a 74-53 victory and a date with reigning premier Mount Pleasant in next Saturday’s second semi-final in White Hills.
The Grasshoppers’ attack was led by Laine Fitzgerald on three goals as Carr, Le Deux and McEvoy kicked two each, and Nathan Basile and Charlie Ryan were also on target.
Was a tough afternoon for the North Bendigo attack in which Jordan Ford kicked two goals as Will Bennett, Bailey Cain, Jake Dean, Liam Dillon and Ryan Hartley added one each.
Best afield honours went to Grasshoppers’ on-baller Nathan Basile as Josh Smithson, Tanner Nally, Isaac Carracher, Toby Howlett and Ben McEvoy also starred.
The experienced Darcy Richards was North Bendigo’s best along with Jesse Clark, Matt Gray, Will Gilmore and Bailey Cain.
The Bulldogs now call on the double chance by finishing in the top three when it plays Lockington Bamawm United in next Sunday’s first semi-final in Toolleen.
In the reserves competition, Mount Pleasant dominated Sunday’s elimination final against White Hills.
The Blues led 26-7 at quarter-time and matched that tally in the second as they kept White Hills scoreless.
Mount Pleasant’s consistent output was superb as it again scored 4.2 in the third term as the Demons added 1.1.
Six goals in the last capped a 119-16 victory for the Blues.
Jesse O’Connell led the Mount Pleasant attack on six goals as Nick Edwards kicked four.
Other multiple goalkickers for the Blues were Daniel Dempster on three as Hayden Gillingham and Jacob Smith added two each.
Ben Masters and Harry Sheilds were on target for White Hills.
Best for Mount Pleasant were ruckman Chris Down, Nathan Ross, Daniel Dempster, William Bowles, Nick Edwards and Jack Kristiansen.
Nic Santas, Will Malone, Mitch Griffin, Peter Shaw, Tamba Basha and Jesse Crawford were best for the Demons.
The Blues have home-ground advantage for next Sunday’s first semi-final against Huntly at Toolleen Recreation Reserve.
Lockington Bamawm United doubled the score of the Harlowe Huntly Hawks in Saturday’s reserves qualifying final at Heathcote’s Pigeon Park.
The LBU Cats led 20-7 at quarter-time and then scored four goals as it kept the Hawks to a tally of two majors in the second half.
By half-time the Cats were up 47-20.
LBU won the next two quarters, 14-7 and 17-12.
A 78-39 victory put LBU into next Saturday’s second semi-final against the unbeaten North Bendigo.
Jack Jansen kicked five goals for the Cats as Henry Peris slotted four.
Other goalkickers for LBU were Toby Coutts and Joel Felmingham.
Huntly’s attack was led by Toby Brook on four goals as Jackson Dole added the other.
The Cats’ best were Joel Felmingham, Cody Betts, Kyle Baker, Henry Peris, Jack Jansen and Jacob Haines.
Best for the Hawks were Jack Burns, Toby Brook, Lachie Ross, Jayden Kiel, Lachlan Brook and Hunter Connors.
Huntly stayed in the under-18s premiership race after it won Sunday’s elimination final against Colbinabbin by four goals.
The Hawks led 13-1 at quarter-time and then scored three straight goals as Colbinabbin added three behinds in the second term.
When the siren sounded for half-time the brown and gold led 31-4.
Quarter three went the way of the Grasshoppers, 14-9.
There was plenty of attacking by both teams in the final term.
Huntly scored 3.2 as the green and gold added three goals.
The Hawks marked a 60-36 victory in which Zavyer Marwood kicked three goals and Cash Caldis, Harley Matthews, Jack Mullane, Caleb Pellegrino and Kallen Villani were also on target.
Colbinabbin’s attack was led by Flynn Maddren on two goals as Mannix Grieve, Jake Munro and Henry O’Callaghan added a goal each.
Best for Huntly were Zane Whyte, Caleb Pellegrino, Zavyer Marwood, Cash Caldis, Hudson Archer and Oscar Davies.
The Grasshoppers’ best were Mannix Grieve, Elliot Ryan, Flynn Maddren, Luca Tresize, Henry O’Callaghan and Jackson Young.
It’s a showdown between the Cats and Hawks as Lockington Bamawm United meets Huntly in next Sunday’s first semi-final in Toolleen.
Mount Pleasant scored a two-goal win after the under-18s qualifying final against Lockington Bamawm United went into extra time.
Three-minute halves decided the result.
The Mounts line-up led 21-14 at quarter-time before LBU hit back to win the second term, nine-one.
Scores were locked on 30-all going into the last quarter.
The Blues almost doubled their score as they added 4.2 and LBU scored 2.2.
At the siren Mount Pleasant led 56-44.
Goalkickers for the Blues were Joseph Buchanan and Ed Harrop on two each as Jimmy Baker, Sonny Cluff, Bailey Holland and James Mathews were also on target.
Jack Alberni led the Cats’ attack on three goals as Harrison Condliffe, Fletcher Shandley and Ted Voss kicked one each.
Best for Mount Pleasant were Van Bortolotto, James Balic, Kaleb Hodgskiss, James Mathews, Mitch Lawrence and Ed Harrop.
Harrison Keele, Harrison Lees, Campbell Keele, William Walshe, Noah Fletcher and Charlie McIntyre played well for LBU.
The Blues take on White Hills in next Saturday’s second semi-final at the Scott Street ground in White Hills.
First match in the finals series was the under-15s qualifying final between Lockington Bamawm United and Rebels.
It was a three-point margin at half-time as the LBU Cats were up 22-19.
As Lockington Bamawm United scored 3.1 in the third it kept Rebels to a point.
The Cats led 41-20 going into the final term.
Rebels fought on strongly to score three straight goals, but LBU added 2.2 on its way to a 55-38 victory.
Cody Cook, Finn Hughes and Paddy Kenna led the Cats’ attack on two goals each as Raiden Baines and Hayden Keele were also on target.
For the Rebels it was Nicolas Weppner who kicked a match-high three goals as Heath Ogden, Jordan Peters and Dan Simmie added one each.
Best for LBU were Paddy Kenna, Raiden Baines, Hunter Sharp, Ryder Murray, Fletcher Norman and Coby Isherwood.
The Rebels’ best were Heath Odgen, Nicolas Weppner, Jordan Peters, Zachary Froon, Josh Hawking and Charlie Pascoe.
Lockington Bamawm United will tackle Leitchville Gunbower in Saturday’s second semi-final.
On Sunday it was Heathcote which marked a nine-goal win against Mount Pleasant in the under-15s elimination final.
The Saints won every quarter on the Elmore ground.
Heathcote led 15-nil at quarter-time and then scored 3.3 as the Blues added a solitary major in the second term.
Best term of the match was the third where the Saints added four goals and Mount Pleasant kicked two goals.
At the final siren Heathcote led 74-20.
Saints’ captain Max Dellar led the attack with four goals as Jack Brooke, Isaac Pianta Cook and Luca Slee kicked two each and Cooper Mitchell the other.
Goalkickers for Mount Pleasant were Kolby Finch, Darcy Mullen and Charlie Torr.
Best for the Saints were Tristan Foster, Isaac Pianta Cook, Max Dellar, Tarkyn Langdon, Harry Dellar and Luca Slee.
Henry Dewhurst, Darcy Mullen, Hudson Browne, Kolby Finch, Lachlan Read and Charlie Torr played well for the Blues.
Heathcote makes its way to Toolleen next Sunday to play Rebels in the first semi-final.
Schedule for Saturday’s second semi-finals at White Hills Recreation Reserve in Scott Street:
Under-15s at 8.45am: Leitchville Gunbower v Lockington Bamawm United.
Under-18s at 10.20am: White Hills v Mount Pleasant.
Reserves at 12.15pm: North Bendigo v Lockington Bamawm United.
Seniors at 2.15pm: Mount Pleasant v Colbinabbin.
Schedule for Sunday’s first semi-finals at Toolleen Recreation Reserve:
Under-15s at 8.45am: Rebels v Heathcote.
Under-18s at 10.20am: Lockington Bamawm United v Huntly.
Reserves at 12.15pm: Huntly v Mount Pleasant.
Seniors at 2.15pm: North Bendigo v Lockington Bamawm United
In the netball…….ELMORE ended North Bendigo’s season in a closely-fought A-grade elimination final in Sunday’s play in the Agnico Eagle Fosterville Gold Mine Heathcote DFNL netball action.
The Bloods had home-court advantage at Elmore Recreation Reserve for the clash between fourth and fifth.
It was one-all between the teams across the home-and-away series.
A premiership-winning coach in his time with Maiden Gully YCW Eagles, Elmore coach Adam Boldiston knows plenty about finals-type pressure.
On Sunday the Bloods responded in the big moments to cap a four-goal victory in what is Boldiston’s first season with the club.
The Kiralee Kinder-coached North Bendigo worked hard to make a long-awaited return to A-grade finals.
When the siren sounded to end Sunday’s match it was Elmore which led 40-36.
Day one of the finals series began at Pigeon Park in Heathcote’s Barrack Reserve on Saturday.
Runner-up last season, Mount Pleasant faced White Hills in the qualifying final.
The Anthea McCleary-coached Blues had won both clashes with the Demons in the home-and-away series.
Mount Pleasant dominated from the opening pass of its latest showdown with the Elley Lawton-coached White Hills.
The Blues poured in 74 goals in arguably their best performance of the season.
Was a tough afternoon for the red and black which was held to a tally of 32 goals.
The Demons earned the double-chance and will now prepare to bounce back against Elmore in next Sunday’s first semi-final at Toolleen Recreation Reserve.
It’s a rematch of the ’25 grand final when Mount Pleasant plays unbeaten reigning premier Colbinabbin on Saturday at White Hills Recreation Reserve in Scott Street.
There were many closely-fought matches across the opening two days of the finals action.
North Bendigo scored a 46-44 victory against White Hills in the A-reserve elimination final.
It was a one-goal margin at the end of the B-reserve match where Heathcote led Mount Pleasant, 47-46 in the B-reserve elimination final.
The Saints and Blues also met in the 15-and-under elimination final.
This time it was Mount Pleasant which scored a 40-38 win against Heathcote.
There were elimination final wins for Leitchville Gunbower in B-grade, and a great day for Elmore included victory in the 17-and-under and 13-and-under matches.
On Saturday it was a one-goal thriller in the A-reserve qualifying final between Colbinabbin and Huntly.
The Grasshoppers led the Huntly Hawks, 50-49 at the final siren.
There were three-goal margins in B-grade and the 13-and-under matches.
Mount Pleasant marked a 45-42 win against Huntly in B-grade as Leitchville Gunbower began the day with a 22-19 victory against Mount Pleasant in the 13-and-under competition.
It was the Hawks and Demons in B-reserve where Huntly scored a 58-53 win against White Hills.
The Demons fired up to win the 17-and-under match against Lockington Bamawm United by 19 goals.
It was an 18-goal margin in the 15-and-under clash where Lockington Bamawm United netted a 46-28 win against Colbinabbin.
All nine clubs were represented across the first weekend of the Heathcote DFNL netball finals series played on the courts in Heathcote and Elmore.
Heathcote DFNL netball elimination finals scoreboard:
A-grade: Elmore 40 d North Bendigo 36.
A-reserve: North Bendigo 46 d White Hills 44.
B-grade: Leitchville Gunbower 56 d Heathcote 37.
B-reserve: Heathcote 47 d Mount Pleasant 46.
17-and-under: Elmore 36 d Leitchville Gunbower 29.
15-and-under: Mount Pleasant 40 d Heathcote 38.
13-and-under: Elmore 23 d Colbinabbin 16.
Heathcote DFNL qualifying finals scoreboard:
A-grade: Mount Pleasant 74 d White Hills 32.
A-reserve: Colbinabbin 50 d Huntly 49.
B-grade: Mount Pleasant 45 d Huntly 42.
B-reserve: Huntly 58 d White Hills 53.
17-and-under: White Hills 54 d Lockington Bamawm United 35.
15-and-under: Lockington Bamawm United 46 d Colbinabbin 28.
13-and-under: Leitchville Gunbower 22 d Mount Pleasant 19.
Schedule for Saturday’s second semi-finals at White Hills Recreation Reserve in Scott Street:
17-and-under, court one at 8.45am: Mount Pleasant v White Hills.
13-and-under, court two at 8.45am: Lockington Bamawm United v Leitchville Gunbower.
B-grade, court one at 10am: White Hills v Mount Pleasant.
15-and-under, court two at 10am: White Hills v Lockington Bamawm United.
B-reserve, court one at 11.30am: Lockington Bamawm United v Huntly.
A-reserve, court one at 1pm: Mount Pleasant v Colbinabbin.
A-grade, court one at 2.30pm: Colbinabbin v Mount Pleasant.
Schedule for Sunday’s first semi-finals at Toolleen Recreation Reserve:
17-and-under, court one at 9.30am: Lockington Bamawm United v Elmore.
13-and-under, court two at 9.30am: Mount Pleasant v Elmore.
15-and-under, court two at 11am: Colbinabbin v Mount Pleasant.
B-grade, court one at 11am: Huntly v Leitchville Gunbower.
B-reserve, court two at 12.30pm: White Hills v Heathcote.
A-reserve, court one at 12.30pm: Huntly v North Bendigo.
A-grade, court one at 2pm: White Hills v Elmore.
Preliminary finals will be on on August 29 at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve.
Grand final day is on September 5 at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve.