NORTH Bendigo is in another senior footy grand final in the Agnico Eagle Fosterville Gold Mine Heathcote DFNL after Saturday’s three-goal victory against Colbinabbin in the preliminary final.
Stung by the Grasshoppers in a qualifying final on day one of the finals series, North Bendigo was determined not to allow the green and gold dominate this time at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve.
The Bulldogs led 28-16 at quarter-time and 43-27 by the long break.
Colbinabbin turned up the heat and did plenty of attacking in the third quarter.
As the Grasshoppers scored 3.6 they worked hard to limit North Bendigo to a tally of 2.3.
With a grand final berth against Mount Pleasant to be won it was the Bulldogs who seized control in the final term.
A Bulldogs’ team coached by Rob Bennett, non-playing, and Ryan Hartley, playing, slotted two goals in the last as Colbinabbin added three behinds.
At the final siren the red, white and blue was up 72-54 against the Linton Jacobs-coached Colbinabbin.
Playing his 100th match for the club, Dylan Klemm led North Bendigo’s attack on three goals as the experienced Storm Giri kicked two.
Other goalkickers for the Bulldogs were Bailey Cain, Jake Dean, Ryan Hartley, Harrison Jarvie and Billy Robertson.
Colbinabbin’s goals were off the boot of Nathan Basile, Jai Carn, Isaac Carracher, Laine Fitzgerald, Domonic Grant and Sam Ryan.
Best for the Bulldogs were Harrison Jarvie, Bailey Cain, Ryan Gillingham, Jake Dean, Hamish McCartney and Darcy Richards.
Colbinabbin’s best were Josh Smithson, Isaac Carracher, Ben McEvoy, Jude Ryan, Sam Ryan and Matt Riordan.
It’s a rematch of the ’25 grand finalists when Mount Pleasant faces North Bendigo at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve next Saturday.
It was a great day for Lockington Bamawm United which won the other three preliminary finals.
The LBU reserves completed the trifecta as they fought on for a five-point victory against Huntly.
An evenly-fought first half ended with LBU in front, 19-14.
Huntly scored 4.2 in the crucial third quarter as LBU battled for accuracy.
Although it added 2.6 for the term, LBU faced a three-point deficit going into the final term.
In the last it was LBU which made the most of chances to score 4.2 as the Hawks added 2.6.
A 63-58 victory put the Cats into a grand final showdown with the unbeaten North Bendigo.
Brodie Collins and Jack Jansen led the Lockington Bamawm United attack on two goals each as Jordan Cooper, Jeremy Felmingham, Joel Felmingham, Tyson McComb and Sam Wolfe were also on target.
It was a match-high three goals by Huntly’s Harry Whittle as Jackson Dole kicked two goals.
The Hawks had Harrison Carter, Luke Heagney and Kyle Nicholls slot a goal each.
Best for LBU were Jacob Haines, Cody Betts, Brodie Collins, Joel Felmingham, Kyle Baker and Luke Saligari.
Huntly’s best were Jayden Kiel, Jack Burns, Hunter Connors, Daniel Artavilla, Josh Hull and Lachie Ross.
It was a second-half blitz by Lockington Bamawm United as it won the under-18s clash with White Hills by 56 points.
The Cats led 38-28 at half-time and then added 2.3 in the third as the Demons were kept scoreless.
LBU finished the match with plenty of run as captain James Brentnall went on to kick 10 goals.
The Cats charged into the grand final as they scored six goals in the last to complete a 90-34 victory.
Brentnall was brilliant in the forward 50m arc as Ted Voss kicked two goals and Harrison Condliffe and William Walshe added one each.
The Demons’ attack was led by Finn Millar on two goals as captain Nathan Finch, Hunter Middleton and Ari Morrissey kicked a goal.
Lockington Bamawm United’s best were James Brentnall, Nicholas Mitchell, Campbell Keele, Flynn Carr, Axel Dixon and Harrison Condliffe.
Best for White Hills were Finn Millar, Nathan Finch, Deklan Cleave, Oliver Allan, Charlie Mortimer and Lucas Rice.
A superb preliminary final streak for Lockington Bamawm United kicked off in the under-15s match against Heathcote.
The LBU line-up led 9-2 at quarter-time.
In the second it was the Cats who did plenty of attacking, but were wayward as they scored three behinds.
When the siren sounded for half-time it was LBU which was up 12-3.
Best quarter was the third in which LBU scored 2.1 and the Saints slotted two majors.
The Cats led 25-15 going into the final quarter.
Sole goal in the last was by LBU on its way to a 32-18 victory.
Goalkickers on the list supplied by the Cats were Raiden Baines, Logan Carmichael and Kiefer Haines.
Jack Brooke and Hunter Harvey were on target for the Saints.
Best for LBU were Hayden Keele, Kiefer Haines, Cody Isherwood, Paddy Kenna, Cody Cook and Logan O’Meara.
Heathcote’s best were Chase Harrison, Max Dellar, Tarkyn Langdon, Tristan Foster, Harry Dellar and Danny Gorrie.
Schedule for Saturday’s grand finals at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve in Gungurru Road:
Under-15s at 8.30am: Leitchville Gunbower v Lockington Bamawm United.
Under-18s at 10.05am: Mount Pleasant v Lockington Bamawm United.
Reserves at 12.05pm: North Bendigo v Lockington Bamawm United.
Seniors at 2.20pm: Mount Pleasant v North Bendigo.
In the netball action…..MOUNT Pleasant is in to another A-grade netball grand final in the Agnico Eagle Fosterville Gold Mine Heathcote DFNL after it beat Elmore in last Saturday’s preliminary final.
The Anthea McCleary-coached Blues again outplayed the Bloods to earn a crack at reigning premier Colbinabbin in the season decider.
Latest contest between Mounts and Elmore was at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve which is where next Saturday’s grand final will be played.
Mount Pleasant had beaten Elmore in both home-and-away matches by 60 and 39 goals, but was wary of an opponent which had won its way from the elimination final.
An Elmore team coached by Adam Boldiston and Steph Donnellon had teamed superbly to win the elimination final against North Bendigo and then stunned White Hills in the first semi-final.
The Bloods’ run was broken by a skilful and well-drilled Blues’ line-up which has experienced goaler Kelsey Meade as assistant coach after a multiple premiership-winning stint with Sandhurst.
On the rebound from a second semi-final loss to the unbeaten Colbinabbin, Mount Pleasant worked hard to pass the 60-goal mark against the red and white.
When the final siren sounded Mount Pleasant was up 61-39.
Now the focus is on trying to break Colbinabbin’s unbeaten streak.
The Jen McIntyre-coached Grasshoppers have not been beaten since an 11-goal loss to Elmore in the 2024 grand final.
Six clubs will feature in this season’s netball grand finals.
North Bendigo won its way to the A-reserve decider after a 11-goal win against Colbinabbin in the preliminary final.
The Liz Taylor-coached North Bendigo won 61-50 against a Grasshoppers’ team coached by Jen McIntyre.
It was closely-fought finish to the B-grade preliminary final between Mount Pleasant and Huntly.
The Carine Comer-coached Mounts won 39-35 against the Benita Hare and Montana Barber-coached Hawks.
White Hills marked a six-goal victory against Huntly in the B-reserve preliminary final.
The Karly O’Toole-coached Demons won 40-34 to end the run by a Huntly team coached by Lauren Campbell and Megan Runnalls.
Mount Pleasant stormed into the 17-and-under grand final.
The rising stars from the Toolleen-based club scored a 58-37 victory in the preliminary final against Lockington Bamawm United.
The Blues are coached by Kirsten Pollock.
LBU was coached by Jessie Hardess.
Four grand final appearances for White Hills will include the 15-and-under team.
The Demons netted a 47-31 victory against Colbinabbin in the preliminary final.
The Kristi Coller-coached White Hills will play Lockington Bamawm United for premiership glory.
Was a great season for the Breanna Cox-coached Colbinabbin.
A run at three premiership wins for Lockington Bamwam United will start with the 13-and-under team.
The Beth Howlett and Rebecca Eade-coached LBU won the preliminary final against Mount Pleasant by six goals.
The Cats were up 36-30 at the end of their match with the Carine Comer-coached Blues.
Heathcote DFNL netball preliminary finals scoreboard:
A-grade: Elmore 61 d Mount Pleasant 39.
A-reserve: North Bendigo 60 d Colbinabbin 51.
B-grade: Mount Pleasant 39 d Huntly 35.
B-reserve: White Hills 40 d Huntly 34.
17-and-under: Mount Pleasant 58 d Lockington Bamawm United 37.
15-and-under: White Hills 47 d Colbinabbin 31.
13-and-under: Lockington Bamawm United 36 d Mount Pleasant 30.
Schedule for Saturday’s grand finals at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve in Gungurru Road:
17-and-under, 8.30am on court one: White Hills v Mount Pleasant.
13-and-under, 8.30am on court two: Leitchville Gunbower v Lockington Bamawm United.
B-grade, 10am on court one: White Hills v Mount Pleasant.
15-and-under, 10am on court two: Lockington Bamawm United v White Hills.
B-reserve, 11.30am on court one: Lockington Bamawm United v White Hills.
A-reserve, 1pm on court one: Mount Pleasant v North Bendigo.
A-grade, 2.30pm on court one: Colbinabbin v Mount Pleasant.