A HUGE weekend of semi-finals for the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Junior Football League kicks off with Friday night’s under-12 girls matches on the Scott Street ground in White Hills.
There were will be 15 clubs, 34 teams and four grounds involved in week two of the finals series.
A great cross-section of the big, medium and smaller clubs are represented.
South Bendigo leads the way with six teams in action.
Sandhurst and Strathfieldsaye both have five line-ups striving to be first to a grand final or to keep their seasons alive.
Three teams will represent Maiden Gully YCW Eagles.
Clubs with two teams taking to the field are Eaglehawk, Golden Square, Kangaroo Flat, and Marong.
Teams from Castlemaine, Heathcote, Rochester, St Francis, St Kilian’s-St Peter’s, St Therese’s, and White Hills all feature in first or second semi-finals.
First-up will be Eaglehawk Hawks and South Bendigo Red in the under-12 Girls first semi-final being played from 5.15pm at White Hills Recreation Reserve in Scott Street.
The Hawks are on the rebound from an eight-goal loss to Rochester in the qualifying final.
South Bendigo capitalised on being on home turf at Harry Trott Oval in Kennington to win last Friday night’s elimination final against Golden Square by 14 points.
In round four, South Bendigo beat the Hawks by 34 points on Quinn Oval at the Mercy Junortoun Sports Precinct.
Eaglehawk hit back for a 40-6 win against the Bloods at C and M Oval in Canterbury Park in the eighth round.
When they last met in round 14 it was the Bloods who won 39-14 on the Borough’s turf.
Beaten just once in the home-and-away series, St Francis Green will play Rochester in the under-12 Girls second semi-final.
St Francis Green kicked on for a big win against Rochester Tigers in the sixth round.
The margin was 40 points when the teams met in round 13 at Rochester’s Windridge Oval.
It’s South Bendigo against St Therese’s in the under-12A second semi-final to be played on Sunday at Toolleen Recreation Reserve.
The Bloods have beaten the Sharks in all three matches.
South Bendigo scored an 80-19 win at Ewing Park in round four.
In round nine it was the Bloods who won 42-29 on their turf at Harry Trott Oval.
The red and white won the 14th round clash with the Sharks at Ewing Park by eight goals.
White Hills tackles Marong in the under-12B second semi-final on Sunday at White Hills.
In the grading pool, Marong scored a 24-12 victory against the Demons on the Scott Street ground.
The Panthers won a 28-27 thriller against White Hills in round eight at Jackal Oval in Marong’s Malone Park.
In round 13 it was White Hills which kicked on for a 26-11 victory in the Panthers’ den.
On Sunday it’s Maiden Gully YCW Eagles against St Kilian’s-St Peter’s in the under-12C second semi-final at Bendigo Mazda Oval in Kangaroo Flat’s Dower Park.
A point separated the teams when they met in round six at Weeroona Oval.
St Kilian’s-St Peter’s marked a 34-33 win against the Eagles.
Maiden Gully won the round 10 match at Marist College by 26 points.
Play on Sunday at Dower Park kicks off at 9am when Kangaroo Flat meets Strathfieldsaye in the under-12D first semi-final.
The Kangaroos are on the rebound from a one-point loss to Maiden Gully YCW Eagles in the qualifying final.
Storm surged to a 39-35 victory in the elimination final against Mount Pleasant.
Both matches between the Roos and Storm in the home-and-away series were played on Enterprise Oval in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane.
The Roos won 58-6 in round eight, and 51-17 in the 15th round.
Heathcote will play Maiden Gully YCW Eagles in the under-12D second semi-final in Toolleen on Sunday.
In round five it was the Eagles who swooped for a 38-28 victory on the Saints’ turf at Pigeon Park in Barrack Reserve.
Heathcote hit back for a 41-13 win against Maiden Gully YCW in the 15th round at Marist College.
The under-14A second semi-final on Sunday at Toolleen features Sandhurst against South Bendigo.
An unbeaten run by Sandhurst incudes wins against South Bendigo by 23 and 47 points.
The young Bloods won last Sunday’s qualifying final against Strathfieldsaye by 47 points.
Storm takes on Maiden Gully YCW Eagles in the under-14A first semi-final in White Hills.
As Strathfieldsaye was defeated on day two of the finals campaign the Eagles soared to a 15-goal win against Huntly.
Storm will start favourite following wins against the Eagles by 34 and 52 points.
Both of the under-14B semi-finals will be at Kangaroo Flat’s Dower Park.
The Kangaroos’ have home-ground at Bendigo Mazda Oval when they play Sandhurst in the first semi-final.
Kangaroo Flat is on the rebound from a 38-point loss in the qualifying final showdown with South Bendigo.
The Roos beat Sandhurst by 38 points in round seven.
Next time it was the Dragons who fired up for a 74-32 victory on the Kangaroos’ ground in the 15th round.
Castlemaine faces South Bendigo in the under-14B second semi-final.
The Magpies were beaten in the round four clash with South Bendigo at Harry Trott Oval by 44 points.
A great contest in the 15th round at Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve ended in a 56-51 victory for the black and white.
It’s the Panthers against the Bloods as Marong and South Bendigo contest the under-14C second semi-final in Toolleen.
Marong’s run to finish top of the ladder included wins against the Bloods by 76, 51 and 78 points.
In the under-15 Girls competition, Strathfieldsaye faces Golden Square in Sunday’s first semi-final in White Hills.
Storm is on the rebound from a nine-point loss to Sandhurst White in the qualifying final.
Golden Square marked a 43-2 victory against White Hills in the elimination final.
In the first round of grading it was Strathfieldsaye which surged to a 77-9 win against the blue and gold at Enterprise Oval in Tannery Lane.
Golden Square won the round 14 clash on its Wade Street turf with Storm by 11 points.
It’s an-all Sandhurst match in the under-15 Girls second semi-final at Kangaroo Flat’s Dower Park as White plays Navy.
The round six match between Navy and White at Ewing Park was cancelled.
Just nine points separated the teams in round 14 as Navy clinched a 29-29 victory in Ewing Park.
Another chapter in the Sandhurst and South Bendigo rivalry will be played out in the under-16A first semi-final in Toolleen.
The Dragons are on the rebound from a 25-point loss to Strathfieldsaye in the qualifying final.
South Bendigo won the elimination final against White Hills by 14 points.
In the second round of grading it was Sandhurst which won 81-72 against South Bendigo at Harry Trott Oval.
The Bloods won the round 12 clash in Ewing Park by 33 points.
The dominant teams in the under-16A competition, Golden Square and Strathfieldsaye will contest the second semi-final in White Hills.
Strathfieldsaye scored an 87-67 win against the Bulldogs in the second week of grading at Gourmet Pantry Oval in Golden Square’s Wade Street.
A point separated the teams in round 11 as the Bulldogs clawed their way to a 64-63 victory at Triple M Park.
Strathfieldsaye takes on Eaglehawk in the under-16B second semi-final in White Hills.
These teams drew 69-all in the first week of grading at Triple M Park.
In round 10 it was Eaglehawk which dominated in Storm territory to win by 82 points.
Schedule for this weekend’s semi-finals across the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Junior Football League:
Friday at White Hills Recreation Reserve, Scott Street:
Under-12 Girls, first semi-final at 5.15pm: Eaglehawk Hawks v South Bendigo Red.
Under-12 Girls, second semi-final at 6.20pm St Francis Green v Rochester.
Sunday at Bendigo Mazda Oval, Dower Park, Kangaroo Flat:
Under-12D, first semi-final at 9am: Kangaroo Flat v Strathfieldsaye.
Under-12C, second semi-final at 10.20am: Maiden Gully YCW Eagles v St Kilian’s-St Peter’s.
Under-14B, first semi-final at 11.40am: Kangaroo Flat v Sandhurst.
Under-14B, second semi-final at 1.25pm: Castlemaine v South Bendigo.
Under-15 Girls, second semi-final at 3.10pm: Sandhurst Navy v Sandhurst White.
Sunday at Toolleen Recreation Reserve:
Under-12D, second semi-final at 9am: Heathcote v Maiden Gully YCW Eagles.
Under-12A, second semi-final at 10.20am: South Bendigo v St Therese’s.
Under-14C, second semi-final at 11.40am: Marong v South Bendigo.
Under-14A, second semi-final at 1.25pm: Sandhurst v South Bendigo.
Under-16A, first semi-final at 3.10pm: Sandhurst v South Bendigo.
Sunday at White Hills Recreation Reserve, Scott Street:
Under-12B, second semi-final at 9am: White Hills v Marong.
Under-16A, second semi-final at 10.20am: Golden Square v Strathfieldsaye.
Under-15 Girls, first semi-final at 12.05pm: Strathfieldsaye v Golden Square.
Under-16B, second semi-final at 1.25pm: Strathfieldsaye v Eaglehawk.
Under-14A, first semi-final at 3.10pm: Strathfieldsaye v Maiden Gully YCW Eagles.