Eaglehawk stuns Square to keep heat on Bloods, Tigers
EAGLEHAWK’S stunning victory on Golden Square’s turf in Saturday’s 13th round of the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Football Netball League’s senior footy has kept the heat on top five teams South Bendigo and Kyneton.
Clubs marked the TAC and AFL Victoria’s Road Safety Round by wearing blue armbands and captain wore zero on their jumpers.
It was the Hawks who made a superb start to the contest by kicking 5.4 to 2.0 in the opening quarter at Fur Life Oval in Golden Square’s Wade Street.
After a hig-scoring second term in which they added 4.4 to 5.1 the Hawks had doubled the Bulldogs tally to lead 62-31 by the long break.
The Christian Carter-coached Bulldogs came out snarling in the third and turned up the pressure to score 4.1 to 1.2.
Eaglehawk’s 14-point buffer at the start of the final term was cut, albeit by just seven points, as the Two Blues celebrated an 84-77 victory.
Lewin Davis led the Hawks’ attack on three goals as Liam Marciano booted two.
Golden Square’s Joel Brett kicked four goals and Jack Stewart chipped in with three.
Ben Thompson, Lewin Davis, Dylan Hanley, Billy Evans, Dillon Williams and Sam Thompson were best for the Travis Matheson-coached Hawks.
Bulldogs’ captain Jack Geary was best for his team along with Liam Duguid, Jack Merrin, Jon Coe, Joel Brett and Hamish Morcom.
South Bendigo marked a three-goal win against an inaccurate Kyneton at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
The Bloods led 31-8 at half-time before the Tigers fought back to win the second term, 20-13.
The Nathan Horbury-coached South Bendigo kicked away to lead by 34 points at the final change after it added 3.3 to 0.3 in the third quarter.
Kyneton had plenty of the play in the last term but was let down by wayward kicking at goal.
The Paul Chapman-coached Tigers scored 3.6 to 1.2 in the final quarter as the Bloods marked another crucial victory and jumped above the yellow and black to the fourth rung on the ladder.
Will Keck and Brock Harvey led South Bendigo’s attack on four and three goals.
Ryan Pretty kicked three goals for the Tigers.
Best for the Bloods were Andrew van Heumen, Will Keck, Sam Maher, Michael Herlihy, Zac Hare and Sam Langley.
Harrison Huntley, Louis Phillips, Mason Crozier, Louis Thompson, Steven Georgiou and Ryan Pretty played well for the Tigers.
South Bendigo is now a win clear of Kyneton, but Eaglehawk is keeping the heat on in the race for a top-five finish.
An eight-goal blitz in the second quarter put Sandhurst in control of its clash on Kangaroo Flat’s ground at Dower Park.
The Dragons led 20-9 at quarter-time and then slammed on 8.3 to 1.3 in term two.
Kangaroo Flat struck back to win the next quarter, 38-21, but it was the maroon and blue which went on to win 119-56.
Harvey Gallagher and Jake Wilkinson led the Dragons’ attack on three goals each as Connor Sexton and Jasper Stewart added two majors.
Kangaroos’ young gun Lachy Wilson kicked a match-high five goals.
Best for the Ash Connick-coached Dragons were Harvey Gallagher, Lachie Hood, Jeremy Rodi, James Coghlan, Zach Pallpratt and Joel Wharton.
Liam Collins, Jake Hywood, Nick Lang, Ryan O’Keefe, Bryce Franzini and Lachy Wilson played well for the James Flaherty-coached Kangaroos.
Strathfieldsaye dominated its clash with Castlemaine in Storm territory at Triple M Park in Tannery Lane.
Storm led 45-6 at quarter-time and then scored 6.4 to nil in the second.
Quarter three was to be Strathfieldsaye’s best as it added 9.3 to 1.1 on the way to a 168-27 victory.
Strathfieldsaye captain Lachlan Sharp marked his second match back from injury by kicking eight goals as Malik Gordon, Kallen Geary and Caleb Sheahan added three each.
The Magpies had four goalkickers.
Jake Moorhead, Daniel Clohesy, Riley Wilson, Lachlan Sharp, Caleb Sheahan and Kallen Geary were best for the Darryl Wilson and Shannon Geary-coached Strathfieldsaye.
Best for the Don Moran-coached Magpies were Brodie Byrne, Tommy Horne, Michael Kiraly, Declan Slingo, Sam Nettleton and Jack Chester.
Gisborne captain Pat McKenna marked his return from injury by kicking five goals in the Bulldogs’ win against Maryborough at Gardiner Reserve.
McKenna wore zero on his guernsey as the TAC and AFL Victoria marked Road Safety Round.
The Rob Waters-coached Bulldogs had 50 scoring shots in a 180-8 result.
McKenna and Scott Walsh booted five goals apiece as Harry Thomas, four; Matt Merrett and Ethan Minns, three, capitalised on the midfield and onball dominance of their Gisborne team-mates.
Patrick Van der Pol goaled for Maryborough in the first quarter.
Gisborne’s best were Flynn Lakey, Braidon Blake, Thomas Fraser, Nicholas Doolan, Scott Walsh and Ethan Minns.
Thomas Gardam, Coby Perry, Aidan Hare, Kya Lanfranchi, Nic Swan and Mitchell McClure worked hard for the Rick Andrews-coached Magpies.
Bendigo FNL senior footy ladder:
Gisborne 284 per cent, 48 points; Strathfieldsaye 191, 44; Golden Square 249, 36; South Bendigo 96, 32; Kyneton 115, 28; Eaglehawk 113, 28; Sandhurst 129, 24; Kangaroo Flat 51, 12; Castlemaine 33, 8; Maryborough 25, 0.
It’s the showdown of top teams Gisborne and Strathfieldsaye in next Saturday’s round 14 action at Gardiner Reserve.
Another big clash will be played out at Queen Elizabeth Oval between Sandhurst and Golden Square.
Kyneton will be determined to break a three-game losing streak when it takes on Kangaroo Flat in Tigerland at Kyneton Showgrounds.
Castlemaine and South Bendigo clash in the Magpies’ next at Camp Reserve.
Eaglehawk is back on home turf at Canterbury Park to play Maryborough.
Leaders in the Ron Best Medal goalkicking award:
67 Joel Brett, GS.
53 Rhys Magin, Kyn.
40 Jayden Burke, GS.
38 Pat McKenna, Gis.
35 James Schischka, S’saye.
34 Brock Harvey, SB.
33 Cobi Maxted, Sh.
31 Lachlan Sharp, S’saye.
29 Josh Kemp, Gis.
27 Lachy Wilson, KF.
26 Kaiden Antonowicz, SB; Darcy Richards, Eh.
24 Cameron Manuel, Kyn.; Braydon Vaz, GS.
23 Joel Wharton, Sh.
21 Matthew Merrett, Gis.; Matt Thornton, Sh.
20 Liam Marciano, Eh.
19 Kallen Geary, S’saye.
16 Chris Freeman, Mb; Matthew Panuccio, Gis.; Harry Thomas, Gis.; Lachlan Zimmer, Sh.
Written by Nathan Dole.
