BY NATHAN DOLE
THE smaller clubs in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Junior Football League marked big wins in the weekend’s start to the 2023 season.
There were 46 matches played across the weekend as hundreds took to ovals across Bendigo to play in grading matches for under-12 Mixed, under-14 Mixed, and under-16 Boys.
Premiership points were up for grabs in the under-18 Girls, Under-16 Girls, and Under-14 Girls competitions.
The Lockington Bamawm United Cats took on Huntly in the under-16 Boys match.
It was Hawks against Cats on Huntly’s turf at Strauch Reserve.
The LBU line-up led 54-3 at half-time, but Huntly fought back strongly to score 3.3 to just four behinds in the third.
Although held to a goal in the second half, LBU had done enough to mark a 65-44 victory.
Campbell Keele and Nicholas Mitchell led the Cats’ attack on two goals.
Best for LBU were Mitch Scurrah, Nicholas Mitchell, James Brentnall, Charlie McIntyre, Colby Roberts and Patrick Keele.
Rochester took on Strathfieldsaye Reserves (1) in the under-14 Mixed grading game at Triple M Park in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane.
The Tigers were down 66-10 at three quarter-time, but kept working hard and scored two goals to two beinds in the last.
Co-captain Cale James kicked two goals for Rochester as Asher Lehmann added the other.
Best for the Tigers were Cale James, Darby Martin, Brock Edwards, Tex Jones, Reno Mountjoy and Morgan Boyack.
Heathcote took on White Hills in the under-12 Mixed match at White Hills.
The Saints scored seven goals in the first quarter and then added five, two and three majors across the next quarters to complete a 107-7 victory on the Demons’ ground.
Max Dellar kicked four goals for Heathcote as Noah Barrett and Kayden Willmot chipped in with three each.
Best for the Saints were Tauri Barrett, Max Dellar, Tristan Foster, Kayden Willmot, Noah Barrett and Cailen Ruck.
It was a big day on Sunday for Woorinen Tigers at Bendigo’s Weeroona Oval.
Woorinen faced White Hills in the under-18 Girls match.
The Tigers led 20-4 at quarter-time and 41-19 by the main break.
Both teams added four goals in the third quarter.
The Demons finished strongly to win the last, 20-2, but it was Woorinen which won the game, 66-53.
The Tigers’ attack was led by Issy Boulton, three; Jenna Bannam and captain Brydi Lewis, two.
Best for Woorinen were Lauren Clarke, Sophie McClelland, Jenna Bannam, Brydi Lewis, Issy Boulton and Aylah McLean.
The match was a curtain-raiser to the Champions IGA-backed CVFL senior women’s footy clash between Bendigo Thunder and Woorinen which the Tigers won by 38 points.
Bendigo JFL week one scoreboard:
Under-12 Mixed, grading:
Golden Square (3) 1.2 (8) lt North Bendigo 3.5 (23), Huntly Brown 6.5 (41) d South Bendigo (2) 1.1 (7), St Kilian’s-St Peter’s Green 9.19 (73) d Maiden Gully YCW (3) 1.2 (8), St Therese’s (3) 5.4 (34) d St Francis of the Field (2) 4.6 (30), Marong 3.8 (26) d St Monica’s 2.4 (16), South Bendigo (1) 16.17 (113) d Maiden Gully YCW (2) 0.0 (0), Strathfieldsaye D 16.7 (103) d Eaglehawk Two Blues 0.0 (0), Kangaroo Flat 1.0 (6) lt Quarry Hill 15.7 (97), Golden Square (2) 0.1 (1) lt Huntly Gold 15.18 (108), St Kilian’s St Peter’s Gold 3.3 (21) lt Castlemaine 5.5 (35), Strathfieldsaye A 3.18 (36) d White Hills Black 3.2 (20), St Therese’s (2) 10.12 (72) d Maryborough 3.3 (21), Strathfieldsaye 6.12 (48) d Eaglehawk Hawks 7.7 (49), Golden Square (1) 7.10 (52) d St Francis of the Field (1) 3.2 (20), St Therese’s (1) 4.1 (25) lt Maiden Gully YCW (1) 6.8 (44), White Hills Red 1.1 (7) lt Heathcote 17.5 (107), Strathfieldsaye B v Eaglehawk Eagles abandoned.
Under-14 Girls:
Golden Square 0.0 (0) lt White Hills 17.17 (119), Strathfieldsaye 8.7 (55) d Kangaroo Flat 0.2 (2), Marong 1.0 (6) lt Sandhurst 15.13 (103), Eaglehawk bye.
Under-14 Mixed, grading:
Sandhurst 31.18 (204) d Kangaroo Flat 0.1 (1), South Bendigo (2) 20.19 (139) d Golden Square Res 0.0 (0), White Hills 8.4 (52) lt Castlemaine 15.16 (106), Huntly Brown 23.13 (151) d South Bendigo (3) 2.1 (13), Strathfieldsaye Res (1) 10.8 (68) d Rochester 3.4 (22), South Bendigo (1) 4.3 (27) lt Strathfieldsaye Snrs 20.18 (138), North Bendigo 1.3 (9) lt Maiden Gully YCW (2) 19.24 (138), Strathfieldsaye Res (2) 7.6 (48) lt Sandhurst Res 8.18 (66), Huntly Gold 25.12 (162) d Maryborough 3.1 (19), Marong 7.9 (51) lt Maiden Gully YCW (1) 8.8 (56), Golden Square Snrs 8.6 (54) d Eaglehawk 3.7 (25), Kangaroo Flat (2) bye.
Under-16 Boys, grading:
Sandhurst 12.9 (81) d Maiden Gully YCW (1) 9.15 (69), White Hills Black 25.16 (166) d Maiden Gully YCW (2) 0.1 (1), Strathfieldsaye Res. 6.6 (42) lt Rochester 14.13 (97), Sandhurst Snrs 26.15 (171) d Maryborough 1.3 (9), South Bendigo (1) 24.18 (162) d Kangaroo Flat 2.1 (13), Golden Square Snrs 34.14 (218) d Castlemaine 1.5 (11), Huntly 6.8 (44) lt Lockington Bamawm United 9.11 (65), Strathfieldsaye Snrs 11.9 (75) d Eaglehawk 5.8 (38), Marong 2.1 (13), lt Golden Square Res 27.17 (179), White Hills Red bye.
Under-16 Girls:
Strathfieldsaye 0.0 (0) lt Sandhurst 22.11 (143), Golden Square 4.7 (31) d Castlemaine 3.3 (21).
Under-18 Girls:
White Hills 7.11 (53) lt Woorinen 10.6 (66), Golden Square 14.14 (98) d Eaglehawk 0.0 (0), Sandhurst bye.