BY NATHAN DOLE
GOLDEN Square overcame a 17-point deficit in the final term to win a thrilling contest with Eaglehawk in Saturday’s eighth round of the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL senior footy season.
A hat-trick of goals by gun forward Joel Brett, which included a match-winning set-shot from more than 40m out clinched a 70-67 win at Fur Life Oval in Golden Square’s Wade Street.
The Bulldogs made a brilliant start to what was ruckman Matt Compston’s 200th match by scoring 3.3 to 0.3 in the opening term.
Eaglehawk fought back to win the second term, 3.4 to 2.3.
On the rebound from defeats of three and one point in the previous two rounds, Eaglehawk led 54-49 at a quarter to go in the kennel.
Consecutive goals gave the Travis Matheson-coached Hawks a 17-point lead before the Bulldogs came charging back to win 70-67.
Brett finished with a match-high five in Square’s tally of 10.
The Hawks’ attack was led by Lewin Davis, co-captain Cam McGlashan, Jack O’Shannessy and Noah Wheeler on two each.
Best for the Christian Carter-coached Golden Square were Joel Brett, Tom Toma, Jack Geary, Ryan Hartley, Jack Hickman and Jake Thrum.
The Hawks’ best were Kallen Geary, Charlie Langford, Connor Dalgleish, Lewin Davis, Noah Wheeler and Ben Thompson.
Goals flowed freely for the Bloods from South Bendigo in the first quarter of their clash with Gisborne at Kennington’s Harry Trott Oval.
The Bloods slammed on 8.3 to 2.2 in the opening term before Gisborne hit back to score 5.5 to 2.3 in the second.
A 17-point buffer for the Nathan Horbury-coached South Bendigo at half-time was up to 39 by the last change after a 6.3 to 0.2 return in the crucial third quarter.
Classy small forward and assistant coach Steven Stroobants went on to slot a match-high six goals as the Bloods marked a 131-63 victory.
Other multiple goalkickers for South Bendigo were Brock Harvey and Will Keck, four; and Nathan Horbury, two.
Gisborne’s attack was led by Braidon Blake, Matt Merrett and captain Jack Reaper on two each.
Best for the Bloods were Brody Haddow, Mac Cameron, Riley Walsh, Steven Stroobants, Brock Harvey and Braydan Torpey.
Matt Merrett, Macklan Lord, Liam Spear, Jed Denahy, James Fox and Flynn Lakey were best for the Brad Fox-coached Gisborne.
Seven goals by skipper Lachlan Sharp and six by Callum McCarty were highlights in Strathfieldsaye’s win at Maryborough’s Princes Park.
After a slow start to the season, Storm is building.
In Saturday’s clash, Storm surged to a 54-1 lead by quarter-time and had scored 13 goals by the long break.
Led by the play of on-ballers Daniel Clohesy, Callum McCarty and Riley Wilson, Strathfieldsaye went on to record a 170-36 victory.
Other multiple goalkickers for Storm were James Schischka, three; Jordan Wilson, two.
Maryborough’s attack was led by Chris Freeman and Alex Gavriliadis on two.
Best for Strathfieldsaye included Lachlan Sharp, Darcy Mulquiny and James Schischka.
Matt Johnston played well against a club he won a premiership with to be Maryborough’s best, along with Jacob Lohmann and Rhys Egan.
The Coby Perry-coached Magpies also had Luke Dunne, Joel Swatton and Luke Guelen play well.
It took until the final quarter for Sandhurst to break clear of a determined Castlemaine at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Sandhurst faced a strongly-united club a day after the funeral service for under-18s player Dallas Keogh-Frankling who passed away after the match at Kyneton.
On Saturday the Brendan Shepherd-coached Magpies started well to score 2.2 in the first and held a red-hot Dragons’ team to a tally of 3.2.
In the second it was Sandhurst which controlled play and scored 3.5 to a point.
A 28-point buffer at half-time was increased by just a goal in the third as the Pies scored 3.1 to 4.1.
Jointly coached by Ash Connick, non-playing, and Bryce Curnow, playing, Sandhurst seized control in the final quarter.
The Dragons slammed on 8.3 to nil to complete a 119-34 victory.
Former Richmond and Carlton forward/mid Andy Collins kicked a match-high five goals as James Coghlan and young gun Lachlan Wright added four.
Dragons’ captain and Michelsen medallist Lee Coghlan chipped in with two goals.
The Magpies’ attack was led by Brad Keogh, two, as Brodie Byrne, Jackson Hood and David Wilson added one each.
Sandhurst’s best were James Coghlan, Zach Pallpratt, Nick Stagg, Andy Collins, Matt Wilkinson and Jacob Nihill.
Riley Pedretti, Brodie Browne-Kerr, Matt Filo, Kyan Martin, David Wilson and Ethan Maltby played well for the Magpies.
Kyneton was too strong for Kangaroo Flat in Tigerland at Kyneton Showgrounds.
The Kangaroos were bolstered by the inclusion of former Greater Western Giants and Hawthorn forward Jonathon Patton for the clash.
Kyneton’s sights were on a fourth consecutive victory and it started brilliantly to score four goals to four behinds in the opening term.
In the second the Nathan Johns-coached Kangaroos fought back to score 2.2 as the wayward Tigers added seven behinds.
Led by the play of Harrison Huntley, Hamish Yunghanns and Bailey McGee, Kyneton dominated most of the second half.
The yellow and black won the third, 21-4, and scored 3.5 to 2.3 in the last for a 75-37 victory.
The in-form Cameron Manuel kicked three goals for Kyneton as the classy Ethan Foreman and Hamish Yunghanns added two each.
There were no multiple goalkickers for the Kangaroos in a contest where Patton was goalless.
Mitch Comben, Mason Crozier and Jake Safstrom were among the best for the Paul Chapman-coached Tigers.
Kangaroo Flat’s best were Mitch Trewhella, Jordan and Zac Rouse, Ryan O’Keefe, Kyle Symons and Xavier Dingfelder-Hope.
Bendigo FNL senior footy ladder:
Sandhurst 252 per cent, 32 points; Golden Square 195, 24; Eaglehawk 217, 20; Strathfieldsaye 145, 20; South Bendigo 143, 20; Kyneton 104, 18; Kangaroo Flat 70, 12; Gisborne 89, 8; Castlemaine 29, 6; Maryborough 17, 0.
Leaders in the goalkicking race for the Ron Best Medal:
35 Joel Brett, Golden Square.
30 Lachlan Sharp, Strathfieldsaye.
24 Will Keck, South Bendigo.
24 Steven Stroobants, South Bendigo.
24 Lachlan Wright, Sandhurst.
22 Brock Harvey, South Bendigo.
20 Cameron Manuel, Kyneton.
18 Braydon Vaz, Golden Square.
16 Andy Collins, Sandhurst.
16 Matt Thornton, Sandhurst.
16 James Schischka, Strathfieldsaye.
14 Lewin Davis, Eaglehawk.
13 Ryan Hartley, Golden Square.
13 Cam McGlashan, Eaglehawk.
13 Thomas Quinn, Kyneton.
12 Darcy Richards, Eaglehawk.
11 Harry Whitty, Kangaroo Flat.
10 Jed Brereton, Strathfieldsaye.
10 Dylan Hird, Eaglehawk.
10 Billy Evans, Eaglehawk.
10 Liam Marciano, Eaglehawk.
10 Callum McCarty, Strathfieldsaye.
10 Nick Stagg, Sandhurst.
10 Noah Wheeler, Eaglehawk.
The halfway mark of the home and away series will be reached next Saturday.
Eaglehawk takes on Sandhurst at Canterbury Park in the clash between third and first.
Strathfieldsaye meets Kyneton at Triple M Park in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane in a match crucial to the Tigers’ top-five aspirations.
Castlemaine and South Bendigo meet at Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve.
Gisborne is home at Gardiner Reserve to play Maryborough.
Kangaroo Flat is on home turf at Dower Park to play Golden Square.