BY NATHAN DOLE
Plenty of contenders for premiership
AS IT hits the halfway mark of the season there’s plenty of contenders for this year’s Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL senior footy premiership.
Last September’s run by Mount Pleasant from an elimination final to win the grand final proved anything can happen.
After nine rounds this campaign it’s the Winslow White Hills Demons and North Bendigo Bulldogs who hold the top two spots on seven-one records.
Runner-up in ’23, Heathcote will have a point to prove in their run home, especially in their next showdowns with North Bendigo, Leitchville Gunbower, and White Hills.
The Leitchville Gunbower Bombers are on track to mark another finals appearance.
It’s been an inconsistent run by reigning premier Mount Pleasant, but the Blues have shown your best footy needs to be played in the last month of the season, not the first or second.
Win-loss tallies of three-five have Colbinabbin and the Harlowe Huntly Hawks just a win, but significant percentage behind Mount Pleasant.
The Grasshoppers and Hawks will be eyeing an upset or two in the second half.
Huntly has already done so, with a 60-54 victory against North Bendigo in round six at Strauch Reserve a sign of what the Hawks can do.
Premier two seasons ago, Lockington Bamawm United faces a tough run to figure in the finals action.
The Stacy Fiske-coached Cats have marked just the two victories.
Although it has just the one win in its 150th year, Elmore did finish within a point of Huntly in the seventh round.
The Nathan Kay Bloods will be aiming to keep the pressure up for longer in every match they play.
A club-by-club rundown across the first half of this season and what’s coming up in the run to the August/September finals series.
White Hills – 7-1, 229 per cent, 28 points.
Run home: Lockington, h; Mount Pleasant, a; Huntly, h; Colbinabbin, a; North Bendigo, h; Elmore, a; Leitchville Gunbower, h; Heathcote, a; bye.
So far: d Huntly 128-62, d Mount Pleasant 87-56, d Lockington Bamawm United 125-29, d Colbinabbin 111-39, lt North Bendigo 101-127, d Elmore 185-45, d Leitchville Gunbower 78-23, d Heathcote 126-34.
Leading goalkickers: 33 Kaiden Antonowicz; 22 Liam Bartels; 17 James Davies; 14 Cohen Kekich; 10 Mitch Dole; 8 Jake Miller; 7 Ben Taylor; 6 Callum Crisp, Jack Fallon.
Leading players as per club best each round:
Alex Davis, Thomas Brereton, Ben Taylor, Ryan Walker, Jack Lawton, Kaiden Antonowicz.
North Bendigo – 7-1, 167, 28.
Run home: Leitchville Gunbower, a; Elmore, h; bye; Heathcote, h; White Hills, a; Huntly, h; Mount Pleasant, a; Lockington Bamawm United, h; Colbinabbin, a.
So far: bye, d Elmore 128-70, d Leitchville Gunbower 143-54, d Heathcote 126-65, d White Hills 127-101, lt Huntly 60-65, d Mount Pleasant 76-64, d Lockington Bamawm United 118-57, d Colbinabbin 125-62.
Leading goalkickers:
31 Dylan Klemm; 18 Jake Dean; 13 Jordan Ford; 12 Sam Barnes; 10 Hakeem Johnson; 7 Ryan Hartley, Cody Riddick.
Leading players as per club best each round:
Ryan Hartley, Dylan Klemm, Will Gilmore, Riley Paetow, Nic Waterson, Aidan Brohm.
Heathcote – 5-3, 126, 20.
Run home: Colbinabbin, h; Lockington Bamawm United, a; Mount Pleasant, h; North Bendigo, a; Elmore, h; Leitchville Gunbower, a; bye; White Hills, h; Huntly a.
So far: d Mount Pleasant 111-79, d Lockington Bamawm United 108-40, d Colbinabbin 135-34, lt North Bendigo 65-126, d Elmore 117-53, lt Leitchville Gunbower 63-70, bye, lt White Hills 34-126, d Huntly 108-56.
Leading goalkickers: 36 Corey Grindlay; 10 Liam Birch, Zak Saad, Cooper Webber-Mirkin; Jackson Conforti, Liam Jacques, Braden Padmore.
Leading players as per club best each round:
James Orr, Corey Grindlay, Liam Jacques, Mitch McLean, Rhys Bolton.
Leitchville Gunbower – 5-3, 96, 20.
Run home: North Bendigo at Leitchville; Colbinabbin, a; Lockington Bamawm United, h; Elmore, a; bye; Heathcote, h; White Hills, a; Huntly, h; Mount Pleasant, a.
So far: lt Lockington Bamawm United 56-94, d Colbinabbin 60-54, lt North Bendigo 54-143, d Elmore 96-48, bye, d Heathcote 70-63, lt White Hills 23-78, d Huntly 88-35, d Mount Pleasant 82-32.
Leading goalkickers:
13 Chris Horman; 11 Fraser Buchanan; 8 Billy Hawken, Caleb Hislop; 7 Tom Brereton.
Leading players as per club best each round:
Jye Keath, Mitchell Candy, Caleb Hislop, Jobee Warde, Brad Green.
Mount Pleasant – 3-5, 123, 12.
Run home: Huntly, a; White Hills, h; Heathcote, a; bye; Lockington Bamawm United, h; Colbinabbin, a; North Bendigo, h; Elmore, a; Leitchville Gunbower. h.
So far: lt Heathcote 79-111, lt White Hills 56-87, d Huntly 132-28, bye, lt Lockington Bamawm United 52-88, d Colbinabbin 109-35, lt North Bendigo 64-76, d Elmore 152-40, lt Leitchville Gunbower 32-82.
Leading goalkickers:
20 Ben Bisset; 12 Mitch Rovers; 10 Jaxson Nihill; 9 Jack Hickman; 7 Christian Hatzis; 6 Chris Down.
Leading players as per club best each round:
Chris Down, Jack Hickman, Ben Bisset, Daniel Frame, Reardon McIvor, Fletcher White.
Colbinabbin – 3-5, 77, 12.
Run home: Heathcote, a; Leitchville Gunbower, h; Elmore, h; White Hills, h; Huntly, a; Mount Pleasant, h; Lockington Bamawm United, a; bye; North Bendigo, h.
So far: d Elmore 114-40, lt Leitchville Gunbower 54-60, lt Heathcote 34-135, lt White Hills 39-111, d Huntly 79-55, lt Mount Pleasant 35-109, d Lockington Bamawm United 119-58, bye, lt North Bendigo 62-125.
Leading goalkickers:
22 Alex Carr; 8 Jed Brain, Charles Ryan, Clint Shields; 6 Jordan Wilson.
Leading players as per club best each round:
Nathan Basile, Jude Ryan, Charles Ryan, Julian Bull, Alex Carr, Will Lowe.
Huntly – 3-5, 64, 12.
Run home: Mount Pleasant, h; bye; White Hills, a; Lockington Bamawm United, a; Colbinabbin, h; North Bendigo, a; Elmore, h; Leitchville Gunbower, a; Heathcote, h.
So far – lt White Hills 62-128, bye, lt Mount Pleasant 28-132, d Lockington Bamawm United 90-56, lt Colbinabbin 55-79, d North Bendigo 65-60, d Elmore 77-76, lt Leitchville Gunbower 35-88, lt Heathcote 56-108.
Leading goalkickers:
13 Lachy Wilson; 8 Hamish Morcom; 6 Dale Lowry, Abe Sladden.
Leading players as per club best each round:
Dale Lowry, Brodie Fry, Hamish Morcom, Harry Whittle, Tori Ferguson.
Lockington Bamawm United – 2-6, 64, 8.
Run home: White Hills, a; Heathcote, h; Leitchville Gunbower, a; Huntly, h; Mount Pleasant, a; bye; Colbinabbin, h; North Bendigo, a; Elmore h.
So far: d Leitchville-Gunbower 94-56, lt Heathcote 40-108, lt White Hills 29-135, lt Huntly 56-90, d Mount Pleasant 88-52, bye, lt Colbinabbin 58-119, lt North Bendigo 57-118, lt Elmore 83-102.
Leading goalkickers: 19 Anthony McMahon; 11 Thomas Leech; 7 Jeremy Mundie, Tyler Phillips; 6 Stuart Taylor.
Leading players as per club best each round:
Tyler Phillips, Bowden Stone, Jacob Gardiner, Brodie Collins, Jeremy Mundie.
Elmore – 1-7, 49, 4.
Run home: bye; North Bendigo, a; Colbinabbin, a; Leitchville Gunbower, h; Heathcote, a; White Hills, h; Huntly, a; Mount Pleasant, h; Lockington Bamawm United, a.
So far: lt Colbinabbin 40-114, lt North Bendigo 70-128, bye, lt Leitchville Gunbower 48-96, lt Heathcote 53-117, lt White Hills 45-185, lt Huntly 76-77, lt Mount Pleasant 40-152, d Lockington Bamawm United 102-83.
Leading goalkickers:
30 James Harney; 8 Nathan Kay.
Leading players as per club best each round:
Nathan Kay, Rhys Holmberg, James Harney, Kynan Sharpe, Joseph Harney.