BY NATHAN DOLE
STRATHFIELDSAYE Storm surged to some big wins across the weekend’s action in the Bendigo Bank Junior Football League.
After four weeks of grading the race for premiership points in under-12 Mixed, under-14 Mixed, and under-16 boys kicked off.
One of the biggest clubs in the BJFL, Strathfieldsaye was represented by 11 teams across the under-12 Mixed and under-14 Mixed competitions, under-16 Boys, and under-16 Girls.
Storm also has two teams in the under-9 Mixed non-competitive, and another team in the under-10 Mixed non-competitive.
Among the highs for Storm was a four-point win by the under-16 Girls against Golden Square on Fur Life Oval in Golden Square’s Wade Street.
The home team led 6-2 at quarter-time before Storm hit back to win the second term, 9-6.
Storm led 23-13 at a quarter to play and won in a dramatic finish, 29-25.
Best for Strathfieldsaye were Tessa Skipper, Evie Nuttall, Alysha Boyd, Scarlett Ward, Sophie Ryan and Maddie Dunn.
Strathfieldsaye played the under-14 Girls’ match against White Hills on Sunday.
The Demons won 38-13 on their ground in Scott Street.
Kirra Molloy and Jasmin Wood kicked Strathfieldsaye’s goals.
Best for Storm were Olivia Fitzpatrick, Isabelle Willows, Chella Fitzgerald, Tessa Ryan, Lannah Mayman and Dempsey McDonnell.
In the under-16 Boys’ senior match, Strathfieldsaye beat Sandhurst Navy by 27 points on Sunday at Ewing Park.
Storm surged to a 34-7 lead by quarter-time, but the Dragons fired up to win the second, 20-16.
Strathfieldsaye added three goals and held Sandhurst to 2.2 in the third.
Both line-ups added two goals in the last quarter as Storm marked an 81-54 victory.
Ezekiel Cousins kicked four goals for Strathfieldsaye as Dustin Crawford and Luke Matheson added two.
Storm’s best were Ben Masters, Ezekiel Cousins, William Bartlett, Tye Allan, Ethan Giddings and Sam Hancock.
Strathfieldsaye took on Kangaroo Flat in the under-16 reserves, division one match ono the Roos’ turf at Dower Park.
Riley Webster kicked a goal for Storm as the Roos won 56-11.
Best for Storm were Riley O’Donnell, Jack DeAraugo, Kallen Villani, Harrison Bennett, Nathan Dunn and Mack Elkington.
In the under-14 seniors competition, Strathfieldsaye kicked 16 goals against Maiden Gully YCW at Marist College Bendigo in Maiden Gully.
Storm beat the Eagles, 111-14, as Aydan Hand and Will Mayes led the attack on three goals each.
Best for Strathfieldsaye were Lachlan Edwards, Sam Whitford, Jordan Mathews, Darcy Tyler, Owen Perry and Nate Fitzpatrick.
Storm took the points in the under-14 reserves, division one match on Kangaroo Flat’s ground at Dower Park.
Strathfieldsaye led 38-14 at three quarter-time before the Roos added 2.4 to 1.2 in the last term.
Goalkickers for Storm were Ollie Long, two; Ned Oldham, Kobi Read, Darcy Tyler and Spencer Worthington.
Tyson Sherwell, Sam Cook, Ollie Long, Spencer Worthington and Van Bortolotto were Strathfieldsaye’s best.
The under-14 reserves, division two team from Strathfieldsaye headed east to play Maryborough at Princes Park.
The Magpies won the match 80-35.
Storm’s attack was led by Ethan Tonna-Dorling on three goals.
Best for Strathfieldsaye were Chase Elliott, Cooper Williams, Riley Read, Alexander Thompson, Zak Hope and Harley Strachan.
Under-12 matches were played on Saturday.
Storm scored 8.12 to nil in the under-12A match against St Therese’s at Triple M Park in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane.
There were eight goalkickers for a Storm line-up in which Hudson Svanosio, Lenny Hancock, Scout Davies, Campbell Cavill, Eli Palmer and Jed Monaghan were best.
In under-12B, Strathfieldsaye played St Kilian’s-St Peter’s Gold at Weeroona Oval.
The St Kilian’s-St Peter’s team led 32-6 at half-time on the way to a 47-12 victory.
Goalkickers for Storm were Cooper Casey and Gus Ritchie.
Best for Strathfieldsaye were Flynn Vaughan, Harry and Max Dooley, Cooper Casey and Ayden Filo.
It was a thrilling finish to the under-12C match between Strathfieldsaye and Marong on Saturday morning at Enterprise Oval in Tannery Lane.
Marong led 22-19 at half-time before Storm surged to lead 25-24 going into the final quarter.
The Panthers scored two behinds and kept Storm scoreless to claim a 26-25 victory.
Accuracy was a key as Storm scored 4.1 in which Jack Dutra, two; William Martin and Raven Menzel were on target.
It was as just dramatic in the next match as Strathfieldsaye took on Golden Square in the under-12D game.
Storm was down 7-25 at half-time and 8-25 at a quarter to play.
Strathfieldsaye added three goals to just two behinds in the final term, but it was the Bulldogs who clawed their way to a 27-26 victory.
Goalkickers for Storm were Cabe Gardiner, Ben Hodson and Isaiah Oataway.
Archie Bennett, Cabe Gardiner, Ben Hodson, Boston Wallis, Connor Olsen and Isaiah Oataway were Strathfieldsaye’s best.
The weekend’s footy action kicked off Friday night when the under-12 Girls’ matches were played.
In round five, Eaglehawk scored a 53-36 win against Marong at Canterbury Park.
St Francis of the Field marked a 74-8 win victory against Mount Pleasant at Ewing Park, which was followed by a 130-nil result for St Therese’s against White Hills.
Golden Square had the bye.
In the under-14 Girls’ competition, Eaglehawk and Golden Square played out a draw on Sunday at California Gully.
An inaccurate Eaglehawk scored 14 behinds as Golden Square added 2.2 for the match to end 14-all.
White Hills won 38-13 at home against Strathfieldsaye, and Kangaroo Flat marked a 23-nil win against Marong.
Sandhurst had the bye.
In the under-16 Girls’ competition, Strathfieldsaye scored a four-point win against Golden Square on Sunday at Fur Life Oval in Golden Square’s Wade Street.
Storm won a great contest, 4.5 (29) to 4.1 (25).
Woorinen Tigers were in top form in the under-18 Girls’ match on Sunday against Eaglehawk.
The Tigers won 9.12 (66) to 0.3 (3) on their turf at Woorinen.
White Hills marked a 66-14 win at home against Sandhurst.
Golden Square had the bye.
Week five scoreboard:
Under-12A:
White Hills Black 9.7 (61) d St Francis of the Field 5.6 (36), Strathfieldsaye 8.12 (60) d St Therese’s 0.0 (0), Maiden Gully YCW 2.1 (13) lt Golden Square 4.13 (37).
Under-12B:
South Bendigo 10.6 (66) d Eaglehawk 2.5 (17), Huntly Gold 4.1 (25) lt Quarry Hill 4.4 (28), St Therese’s 4.2 (26) lt Castlemaine 10.10 (70), St Kilian’s-St Peter’s Gold 5.17 (47) d Strathfieldsaye 2.0 (12), Maryborough bye.
Under-12C:
Marong 3.8 (26) d Strathfieldsaye 4.1 (25), St Kilian’s-St Peter’s Green 1.0 (6) lt Heathcote 11.12 (78), St Monica’s 16.6 (102) d Golden Square 4.0 (24), Huntly Brown 0.3 (3) lt St Francis of the Field 8.12 (60), Maiden Gully YCW 8.4 (52) d Kangaroo Flat 3.0 (18), St Therese’s 4.5 (29) lt Eaglehawk Hawks 8.6 (54).
Under-12D:
Maiden Gully YCW 3.2 (20) dr South Bendigo 3.2 (20), Strathfieldsaye 4.2 (26) lt Golden Square 4.3 (27), Eaglehawk Two Blues 1.1 (7) lt White Hills Red 5.18 (48), North Bendigo bye.
Under-14 seniors:
Golden Square 2.4 (16) lt Sandhurst 14.6 (90), Eaglehawk 8.4 (52) lt South Bendigo 11.15 (81), Maiden Gully YCW 2.2 (14) lt Strathfieldsaye 16.15(111).
Under-14 reserves, division one:
Kangaroo Flat 4.6 (30) lt Strathfieldsaye 6.10 (46), Marong 7.13 (55) d Rochester 2.2 (14), Huntly Gold v Castlemaine cancelled.
Under-14 reserves, division two:
Sandhurst 2.6 (18) lt South Bendigo 10.17 (77), Maryborough 11.14 (80) d Strathfieldsaye 5.5 (35), Huntly Brown 5.4 (34) lt White Hills 5.16 (46).
Under-14 reserves, division three:
Golden Square 13.26 (104) d Kangaroo Flat 0.2 (2), Maiden Gully YCW 3.3 (21) d South Bendigo 2.8 (20), North Bendigo bye.
Under-16 seniors:
Sandhurst Maroon 14.14 (98) d South Bendigo 2.2 (14), Maryborough 2.4 (16) lt Golden Square 15.15 (105), Sandhurst Navy 8.6 (54) lt Strathfieldsaye 12.9 (81), Castlemaine v Rochester cancelled, Maiden Gully YCW v Eaglehawk.
Under-16 reserves, division one:
Huntly 1.8 (14) lt White Hills Black 21.12 (138), Kangaroo Flat v Strathfieldsaye not supplied, Golden Square bye.
Under-16 reserves, division two:
Maiden Gully YCW 4.10 (34) d White Hills Red 3.11 (29), Marong 3.5 (23) lt Lockington Bamawm United Cats 15.19 (109).