SOUTH Bendigo finally ended a long-running losing streak to Eaglehawk in Saturday’s second round of senior footy in the Bendigo Bank Football Netball League.
The Bloods and Hawks played out a one-point thriller at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Eaglehawk led 29-25 at quarter-time, but the more accurate South Bendigo worked its way to a 58-51 lead by the long break.
The Travis Matheson-coached Eaglehawk dominated most of the third term to score 5.1 to 1.6.
Faced with a two-goal deficit at the start of the last term, South Bendigo lifted its workrate and scored three goals and held the Borough to just one.
At the final siren it was the Bloods in front, 13.14 (92) to 13.13 (91).
In a sign it may have greater scoring power this season, South Bendigo had eight goalkickers.
A list of two goals apiece was led by Kaiden Antonowicz, Sunny Brazier, Brody Haddow, coach Nathan Horbury and Will Keck.
Eaglehawk’s attack was led by Lewin Davis, Darcy Richards and Noah Wheeler on three each.
Best for the Bloods were recruits Cooper Leon, Oscar White, Oliver Simpson, Michael Herlihy, as well as the consistent Tom Brereton.
Eaglehawk’s best were Billy Evans, Riley Saunders, Wheeler, Joel Mullen, Davis and Oscar Madden.
Pre-game hype was lived up to as Golden Square and Gisborne played out a two-goal thriller at Fur Life Vet Oval in Wade Street.
The Square led 15-2 at quarter-time, but it was Gisborne which dominated the second.
The Bulldogs from the south slammed on 6.4 to 1.3 in the second term to lead by three goals at half-time.
Golden Square won the third quarter by a goal, but the visitors led 57-45 going into the last.
Led by the play of ruckman Matt Compston, captain and gun onballer Jack Geary, Liam Barrett and Jayden Burke in attack, Golden Square scored six goals in the last to complete an 84-72 victory.
Burke, Paul Symons and Jake Thrum all kicked three goals for the Christian Carter-coached blue and gold.
Gisborne captain and key forward Pat McKenna led his team on three goals as Seb Bell-Bartels and Darren Farrugia added two majors.
Best for Gisborne were Sam Graham, Brad Bernacki, Jarrad Lynch, Liam Spear and Flynn Lake.
Stung by a disappointing performance the previous round, Kyneton struck back to score a 75-point victory on Kangaroo Flat’s ground at Bendigo Mazda Oval in Dower Park.
The Paul Chapman-coached Tigers roared from the first ball-up.
Kyneton led 39-2 at quarter-time and held a seven goal buffer by the long break.
The Tigers kicked on to win 115-40 as Rhys Magin, Angus Nolte and Cameron Wallace ended up with three goals apiece.
Brodie Fry and Kevin Clark booted two majors for the Roos.
Best for Kyneton were Jordan Mangan, James Gaff, Guy Dickson, Notle and James Orr.
Thomas Gillespie, Brodie Fry, Mitch Holt, Darcy McClure and Nick Lang were Kangaroo Flat’s best.
Maryborough stars Matt Bilton and Bailey Edwards were in great form against Castlemaine at Barkers Oval in Princes Park.
As key onballers or midfielders, Bilton and Edwards won plenty of the ball as Maryborough won the battle of the Magpies by 113 points.
The Borough led 67-20 at half-time and then slammed on 8.6 to a goal in the final term to complete a 148-35 victory.
Jayden Templeton led Maryborough’s attack on five goals as Bailey Edwards and Fraser Russell added three apiece.
The Castlemaine attack was led by Klai Jermyn on two.
Best for the Justin Abrams-coached Maryborough included Brady Neill, Fraser Russell, Jayden Hooper and Templeton.
Castlemaine’s best were Riley Pedretti, John Watson, Liam Wilkinson, Will Moran, Brodie Byrne and Declan Slingo.
The clash between Strathfieldsaye and Sandhurst was played as a stand-alone game on Good Friday at Triple M Park in Tannery Lane.
Sandhurst won 78-65 in Storm territory.
Bendigo FNL senior footy ladder:
Sandhurst 220 per cent, 8 points; Golden Square 199, 8; South Bendigo 183, 8; Eaglehawk 162, 4; Maryborough 107, 4; Gisborne 93, 4; Kyneton 81, 4; Strathfieldsaye 91, 0; Kangaroo Flat 29, 0; Castlemaine 24, 0.
The race for the Ron Best Medal for leading goalkicker is being led by Golden Square’s Jake Thrum on 12.
Next best are Maryborough’s Jayden Templeton and Strathfieldsaye’s Lachlan Sharp, eight; Eaglehawk’s Lewin Davis, seven; Golden Square’s Jayden Burke, South Bendigo’s Kaiden Antonowicz, and Sandhurst’s Mitch Rovers on six.
The Sandhurst Dragons will be fired up for another big game in this Saturday’s third round.
Sandhurst and Golden Square will honour goalkicking legend Ron Best when they clash at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Gisborne takes on Kangaroo Flat Gardiner Reserve.
Eaglehawk and Castlemaine clash at S & R Park in Canterbury Park.
Strathfieldsaye plays Maryborough at Triple M Park.
Kyneton and South Bendigo do battle under lights from 5.30pm at Kyneton Showgrounds.
Written by Nathan Dole